A Fresh Leafs Season Ahead: It’s Not About One Star Anymore — It’s About the Team and the Ride Ahead

Welcome back Leafs Nation! Cooler weather is coming and that means hockey season is just around the corner!

The page has officially turned. Mitch Marner’s comments may not have sat well with everyone, but maybe that’s a good thing — because this season feels less about one star and more about the team as a whole.

For our final Patio Season episode we invited our LTL Insider Mike Augello for a chat to get his thoughts on the Leafs news of the day (wink wink nudge nudge) as well as his preview of the up and coming season. Will Max Domi potentially step into a bigger role and will Maccelli’s arrival add a fresh spark? No doubt there’s plenty to be excited about up front. On the back end, Morgan Rielly is still the heartbeat of the blue line (trade rumors or not), and if the Leafs can finally consistently get their defensive pairings clicking, we might just be talking about a deeper run than we’ve seen in years.

And don’t sleep on the future — prospects like Sam McCue and Easton Cowan could be difference-makers sooner than anyone thinks. Training camp is going to be a battle, and that’s exactly what this team needs: competition, energy, and a reminder that wearing the Leafs jersey is about more than individual stats.

This is the season of fresh starts, new chemistry, and maybe, just maybe, a little Leafs magic. Grab your jersey, grab a cold one, and let’s get into it. Go Leafs Go!

Chapters

00:00 Mitch Marner's Departure and Its Impact
09:31 Upcoming Leafs Season Preview
19:30 Prospects and Player Evaluations
29:30 Key Players for the Upcoming Season
39:19 Final Thoughts and Season Expectations

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Dan Robson, Senior Writer, The Athletic - How much more can a fan base endure? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5870494/2024/10/28/toronto-maple-leafs-nhl-playoffs-failure/

https://hockeyhotstove.com/ladies-talkin-leafs/

https://podcast.feedspot.com/womens_ice_hockey_podcasts/

https://podcast.feedspot.com/toronto_maple_leafs_podcasts/

https://hockeyhotstove.com/toronto-maple-leafs/

https://hockeyhotstove.com/marners-pr-spin-is-as-pathetic-as-his-playoff-performances/

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/simmons-says-dont-buy-into-mitch-marners-spin-on-why-he-left-maple-leafs

https://hockeyhotstove.com/leafs-top-prospects-16-vyacheslav-peksa/

https://lfpress.com/sports/hockey/junior-hockey/london-knight-landon-sim-signs-pro-deal-with-toronto-marlies

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2025/08/25/previewing-the-maple-leafs-2025-26-depth-chart-the-wingers/

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-reportedly-still-keeping-tabs-on-ufa-jack-roslovic-as-training-camp-approaches

https://editorinleaf.com/can-maple-leafs-forward-nick-robertson-finally-break-out-this-season

https://theleafsnation.com/news/what-does-successful-2025-26-season-look-max-domi

https://theleafsnation.com/news/what-does-successful-2025-26-season-look-like-for-morgan-rielly

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The Leafs Offseason: Hard Truths, Harsh Realities: A Spirited Convo with Damien Cox