The Toronto Maple Leafs have intriguing candidates for Bounced-Back on various line-up spots for the 2025-26 season. A few experienced luminaires and two newcomers in the folding figure prominently.
If they all return to form, it will be a long way in the direction of maintaining a balanced attacking attack for the team, despite the loss outside the season of Mitch Marner, who was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in a drawing and trade agreement at the end of June.
Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews was good for 33 goals and 78 points in 67 performances last campaign. He led the team in Schoten on Doel (261), even though he fought for most of the season with a problem with the upper body. The 27-year-old superstar still earned solid figures, but it was a step back after he erupted for a competition-leading 69 goals and a career-high 107 points registered in 81 outings in 2023-24. He showed flashes last season, including a series of nine long and 22 points in 16 games from January 4 to 8 and 10 markers and 22 points in the last 17 games of the regular season. However, he was not the same goal machine that he was in earlier impressions.
Matthews can light the lamp anywhere on the ice and his wrist shot has been productive. Since 2019-2020 he has led the NHL with 290 goals, including 165 Wisters. Because of his persistent injury, he did not have the same zipper on his last campaign. He was still productive when he was in the line -up, but a healthier captain of Maple Leafs would be much noticeable and would have a much greater impact on the score sheet. He has the play capacity to thrive with every linemate, and it helps that Matthew Byies has developed as well as a Finisher. Marner’s playing skills are missed, but Puck distributors such as Max Domi or Matias Maccelli have to admire admirable until an upgrade arrives on the right wing.
Related: Maple Leafs 2025-26 Roster Projection 2.0: Post Free Agency
If he is healthier in 2025-26, which will be one of the more compelling storylines to see as a training camp, Matthews will have a wealth of bounce-back attraction. He is too talented and a too natural scorer not to return to the 50-60 target range if an injury does not stop him.
Madias Maccella
Maccelli was an interesting pick -up of the Maple Leafs during the low season. He was taken from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional third round pick in 2027, which will be eligible for the play-offs in the second round in the second round in 2029 and delivers at least 51 points in 2025-26. The 24-year-old attacker had 17 goals and 57 points in 2023-24 before he dropped to eight markers and only 18 points in 55 games last campaign.
His role was reduced in 2024-25 and fell from 4:14 PM from Ice Age per match to 13:44, and he eventually became a healthy scratch for long-term pieces. He registered the fifth Power-Play time in the team in 2023-24, but fell to eighth place last season. Although he may not have a place on the first man front part of the Maple Leafs landed, he should have enough opportunities in the talented top six of the club. Whether he sees playing time in addition to Matthews and Knies or John Tavares and William Nylander, Maccelli will be placed in great positions to succeed, and a Bounce-back performance should be offensive in the cards for the 24-year-old Finn.
Maccelli will probably play with a chip on his shoulder After they have gotten out of favor with the Mammoet. He has an extra motivation in the form of an expired contract. He is eligible for a limited free agency and has arbitration rights next summer. He is an intriguing gamble that could become a long -term fit in Toronto.
Morgan Rielly
Morgan Rielly did not make much of a dent on the score sheet in 2024-25, with seven goals and 41 points in 82 games. He did not walk together many point points and only placed a four-game streak twice. His shots per 60 minutes in all situations were also the worst of his career. Despite his struggles with consistency and the decision of the team to drop him from the top combination of Power-Play in favor of a five-forward setup, he led Toronto’s Defense Corps in scoring for a fifth consecutive season.
The Maple Leafs needed more offensive. He was more productive in the late season and collected four goals and seven points in the first nine games. Unfortunately he did not find the score sheet in four consecutive games at the end of the Play -Off Run of Toronto, but he was not only in that respect, because the team’s attack completely dried up. However, he did show that he is still able to be a productive defender.
He still has defensive shortcomings and a clause without movement for another five seasons with a cap hit of $ 7.5 million. However, he is the best attacking Blueliner in a team that urgently needs more production from the back. He gained 51 assists and 58 points about 72 performances in 2023-24. A potential return to the top game should help him get back on the right track in the 2025-26 campaign.
Dakota Joshua
The Maple Leafs acquired Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks for a pick in the fourth round in 2028. He has three more seasons on his contract and has a cap-hit of $ 3.25 million. The 29-year-old attacker reached career heights in 2023-24 with 18 goals, 32 points, 84 shots, 40 blocks, 245 hits and 14:23 ice age per game over 63 outings. However, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer last summer and did not make his season debut in 2024-25 to November 14 against the New York Islanders.
After missing the first 14 games, he was also 11 more games from January 6 to January 27 due to a leg injury. He closed the campaign with seven goals, 14 points, 52 shots, 29 blocks and 193 hits while on average 12:58 Ice Age over 57 games. He then admitted that the Spiritual wear Because he was out of the line -up, he took his toll, but he is aimed at starting with a new start in Toronto. He was a fifth round choice of the Maple Leafs in 2014, but never played for the organization. Yet he should take advantage of the fame to be reunited with head coach Craig Berube. They were together with the St. Louis Blues when Joshua started his professional career.
Joshua must add some production and physicality to the lower six. He was able to land a place on the third line with Nicolas Roy and Bobby Mcmann of Skate next to Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on the fourth unit. In any case, Joshua’s size and the ability to chip in attacking while playing in the line -up can give a meaningful boost of the depth of the Maple Leafs when he returns efficiently.
Maple Leafs counting on bounce-back artists
The Maple Leafs still have to do work to improve offensively in the 2025-26 campaign. The team is in the competition in expected goals on the 24th competition and the 20th in scoring opportunities on percentage last season. The goal was excellent and the skaters got the most out of their chances. It is a formula that could work again in the coming season, but creating a deeper team that can come to opponents in waves must be the ultimate goal. A return to the form of Matthews is crucial, but he can’t do it all himself.
Analytics thanks to Natural Stat Trick And Hockey pear.
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