New Maple Leafs off to slow start: ‘It’s not easy’

TORONTO — Matias McSally sat in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ dressing room the morning before opening night, his name written on the whiteboard lineup to the right of captain Austin Matthews and stud power forward Matthew Kennys.

The 1RW spot was previously occupied by You-Know-Who.

What would the shifty playmaker have thought if someone had informed McSally that he would begin 2025-26 as a top-line Leaf the day he was traded from Utah?

“I feel great, right?” McSally replied that crisp October morning, flashing a smile as wide as a cross-crease fade. “Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for me to play with both of those guys.

“I feel like there’s always pressure. Like, it doesn’t matter where you are. But, I mean, obviously here, you play next to Austin and Kenny, you have to focus a little bit more. So, you’ve got to try to stop it and go out there and play your game.”

The magical, woeful Blue Jays did a good job diverting the early season attention away from their hockey-playing neighbors a few blocks east.

But McSally’s case — one of GM Brad Trelling’s many offseason hopes, and one that’s guilty of a game of high expectations — is as good a place to look as any to see how the new Leafs are turning through 13 games.

Before the puck drop, the low-risk flyer who fell out of favor with the staff in Salt Lake City admitted to nerves but said he was determined to help win his battles, make tough checks, and call scoring opportunities.

Before Leafs Nation could blink, McSally had burst from the top line. In less than four weeks, he was back where things had ended with his former club: pushed to the press box.

Treliving was never foolish enough to imagine that he could change all the circumstances of Mitch Marner directly. The bet was that Toronto could limit the damage by committee, with existing players taking over big roles, and a trio of new faces coming up front — McSally, center Nicholas Rowe and power wing Dakota Joshua — with supporting scoring, special teams shifts, and smart defensive play.

Through 38 man games, the three new Maple Leafs have combined for 13 points and a minute-7. (Marner has 14 points and is a plus-8 through 11 games with Vegas, but we know Trillion isn’t picking his own adventure here.)

Perhaps we should remind ourselves that all three new acquisitions’ former clubs are headed for contention and were fine with cutting players to do so.

McSally had his lowest ice time (13:40) as a pro, Roy (13:51) his lowest in five seasons, and Joshua (12:07) his lowest in three.

They all add up to at least $3 million on the cap sheet. Have not played cruelly in any way. But also: No one has overdelivered or demanded a significant usage increase based on the ability, which is what Treveling was banking on here.

“The D-zone is probably the biggest part. But I think we’ve made some big improvements,” said Rowe, who is known for his responsibility and consistency in the middle.

“I try to help the team as much as I can in different situations: face-offs (53.2 percent), play on the puck, or try to play against them without the lead and the puck. I think my game is in a very good place. Obviously, there can be a better start to the season. So, just trying to improve.”

Roy, like others, has embraced coach Craig Berube’s coverage plan adjustment period.

“It always takes a while to know where to go. Don’t overthink it,” Roy said. “Because you want to work quickly, and you don’t want to think about systems and everything in your head.”

To be fair, change is hard.

Acclimatization and chemistry takes time, and this shock city can be impatient.

“You know, I think it’s different for everybody. Obviously, it’s not easy, right?” Max defends Domi, who has changed the NHL score six times.

“You’re coming in, new coach, new system, new teammates, new linemates, new city. So, there’s a lot of it. But that’s also part of being a pro in the NHL, right? So, I think what makes those changes easier is just the guys that are already here, and then the locker room that you have. And I think we have a great group, while we have it easy. Those guys, they just shut up.”

But fine shouldn’t be the norm for a team that has made nine consecutive playoff appearances and is coming off the regular season divisional crown.

Based on Tuesday’s line rush, McCully will return to Toronto’s lineup for Wednesday’s revenge match against the franchise that beat him. Fittingly, he will slot alongside Roy and Joshua.

Call it the Prove-It line.

Gradually improving, Joshua will be quick to tell you that he – like the entire Maple Leaf – has another level to reach.

He’ll also point to the slow Octobers the Edmonton Oilers dominated in 2023 and 2024 before finally running the table and repeating their conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. And Berube’s 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, who languished in last place until the end of January before getting on the hard-earned, more-than-pars championship wagon in June.

So, when is the right time to start deciding whether new leaves are good enough?

“Maybe around that American Thanksgiving mark, I don’t want to say it’s a scary time. But it’s a big picture, really, to wrap things up,” Joshua said. “And I know everybody’s still trying to get their feet wet, and I just think that’s the way the league is. It’s tight every night.”

Until we see more traction, more energy from the Leafs’ role players, though, things will feel a little tighter in Toronto.

As McSally put it in the beginning, they’re a little more focused.