After overhauling their roster over the offseason, grabbing five points in the first five games is not a bad start for the new-look Toronto Maple Leafs.
They go for two more when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night in the midpoint of a three-game road trip that started in Las Vegas on Thursday night.
Toronto brought in eight new forwards, a new goaltender and a new head coach, looking to turn a last-place Atlantic Division finish in 2025-26 into a contending season. Jim Hiller, who was hired June 17 to lead the retooling, has experimented with different line combinations during games, trying to find the right mix of players.
“Just try to change the vibe a little bit at different times,” Hiller explained after Thursday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Golden Knights. “Some players have been pretty consistent night after night. But as for three at the same time, we’re still looking for that.”
The Maple Leafs made another move ahead of Saturday night’s game when they brought up veteran forward Miles Wood from the AHL on Friday. Wood played two seasons with Colorado before being dealt to Columbus after the 2024-25 season.
Toronto acquired Wood from the Blue Jackets before this season, and he should make his Maple Leafs debut against his former team.
The new foundation for the organization starts with Gavin McKenna, the 18-year-old left winger who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. McKenna has played in every game so far and scored his first NHL goal in a 5-4 overtime win against Nashville on Tuesday night.
McKenna will face arguably the toughest defensive corps in the NHL on Saturday night, headed by the top pairing of Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Colorado also boasts one of the top overall players in the league in Nathan MacKinnon, who has followed up his Rocket Richard Trophy-winning season with a hot start.
MacKinnon has three goals and five assists already this year, including a goal and two assists in Thursday’s 7-3 win at Calgary. The victory came one night after losing at Winnipeg on a last-minute goal.
“Mentally, it’s a grind to play back-to-backs and I think we have a really good head on our shoulders as a team of where we are and what we need to do in order to have success on the second night,” Toews said.
Colorado made significant changes to its roster, and one of the moves is working out well early this season. The Avalanche brought in veteran forward Jaden Schwartz, who had two goals Thursday night and three on the season.
“He’s been really good for us,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said of Schwartz. “A veteran guy. He’s an incredible team guy. He does a little bit of everything for you. He’s like a Swiss Army knife.”
The Avalanche could be without Logan O’Connor on Saturday night. O’Connor, who has not yet played this season due to a lower-body injury, is away from the team due to the sudden passing of his father, NHL veteran Myles O’Connor.
–Field Level Media
