How they stack up: Our Maple Leafs report card at the midway point

What a difference a year makes.

When the Maple Leafs hit the midway point of the regular season in January 2025, they were sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 54 points on a record of 26-13-2. The Leafs would go on to capture just their third division title in the modern era before falling to the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Now? The outlook is not nearly as rosy and there’s no guarantee that the Leafs will earn a playoff spot. They have not been in a playoff position since Nov. 7, and though they had moved to within two points of the second wildcard through National Hockey League games on Saturday, it’s going to be a fight in the second half to play beyond mid-April.

The Leafs had a record of 19-15-7 and were one of seven teams in the Eastern Conference with 45 or 46 points — all just below the playoff cutoff mark — through Saturday.

We present our mid-term report card, with marks out of 10.

GM Brad Treliving — 5.5

None of Treliving’s off-season additions have been a smashing success, a list of newcomers that includes centre Nicolas Roy and wingers Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua. The claiming of defenceman Troy Stecher from the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 15 has turned out to be a nice addition for the Leafs, but does it happen if defenceman Brandon Carlo didn’t get injured on Nov. 13? Considering what the Leafs thought they could accomplish when the season started, where they are now is nothing short of a disappointment.

Coach Craig Berube — 5.5

The Leafs have had a bump, going 4-0-2 in their past six games, but the fact remains that Berube is running a team that has allowed 100 goals at five-on-five. Only St. Louis, with 101 against, has allowed more. Too many times this season Berube has had little patience with lines, often changing them before giving them a true chance to find chemistry. Even though it was assistant coach Marc Savard who took the fall for a bad power play when he was fired on Dec. 22, Berube remains on the hot seat.

GOALTENDERS

Anthony Stolarz — 5.8

What if it turns out that Stolarz’s NHL peak came last season, when he led the league with a .926 save percentage? He was a shell of that before suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 11, going 6-5-1 with an .884 save percentage in 13 games. There’s no timeline for Stolarz’s return from his injury, though he has returned to the ice. Considering his four-year extension — carrying a $3.75 million US salary cap hit — doesn’t kick in until next season, it would be reassuring for the Leafs if Stolarz rediscovered his form of 2024-25.

Joseph Woll — 7.8

For the most part, Woll has been sharp since returning to the Leafs from a personal leave that delayed the start of his season until Nov. 15. His .912 save percentage in 15 games, while compiling a record of 8-4-2, was enough to put him 13th among eligible NHL goalies. He missed four games in December with a lower-body injury, and the Leafs can’t run the risk of overplaying him.

Dennis Hildeby — 7.4

The Leafs keep saying they have confidence in Hildeby, whose .914 save percentage was seventh among all NHL goalies, but there seems to be not much interest in alternating starts with Woll. Hildeby is a lot more refined than what we saw in brief looks last season. He deserves more chances to demonstrate that.

DEFENCEMEN

Morgan Rielly — 6.5

Of the 144 NHL defencemen who have played at least 500 minutes at five-on-five, Rielly has been on the ice for 47 goals against, the most in that group. Stark reminders of Rielly’s defensive deficiencies pop up every so often, the latest being in overtime on Saturday night against the New York Islanders, when he left teenage phenom Matthew Schaefer open to score the winning goal. That Rielly leads Leafs D-men in scoring with 26 points in 40 games is nice, but there’s a lot more required on the defensive side with the ice time he gets (an average of 22 minutes a game, second among Leafs defencemen).

Jake McCabe — 7.8

One of three Leafs to play in all 41 games (Oliver Ekman-Larsson and John Tavares are the others), McCabe, without his usual running mate, the injured Chris Tanev, has been solid. On a team that’s as leaky as the Leafs are at even strength, McCabe’s plus-26 (eighth in the NHL) is remarkable. He’s tied with St. Louis Blues defenceman Colton Parayko for the NHL lead in shot blocks with 104 and drives a Leafs penalty kill that is fourth-best in the NHL. The Leafs have to hope that the word on McCabe’s injury coming out of Saturday night is not bad.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson — 7.3

The 34-year-old has 25 points in 41 games (one less than Rielly), putting him on pace for 50 in 82 games. That would mark Ekman-Larsson’s second-highest total in one season in his NHL career, which hit 1,100 games on Saturday night, and the production helped him land a spot on Sweden’s Olympic team. Defensively, there are issues. As mentioned, Rielly has been on the ice for the most goals against at five-on-five among NHL D-men who have played at least 500 minutes. Ekman-Larsson is next on that list at 42. He also has committed a Leafs-high 60 giveaways.

Troy Stecher — 7.6

There’s no way the Leafs thought Stecher would be as good as he has been when they claimed him not quite two months ago. Stecher’s passion and ability to move the puck have been a revelation. Given the effective way Stecher has played through 22 games (plus-11), it’s hard to believe he has bounced around as much as he has, with Toronto being his seventh NHL team in 10 years. If Stecher continues on this path, the Leafs will have to think about locking him up beyond this season.

Simon Benoit — 5.8

Benoit has required too many reminders that he is best when he keeps his game simple and plays with an edge. We’ll see if a recent string of being a healthy scratch helps get him in the right mindset. When he is on his game, he’s blocking shots and throwing his body around.

Philippe Myers — 5.0

What you see is what you get with Myers — a depth defenceman who, the team hopes, is not too much of a liability when he is in the lineup. On Saturday on Long Island, Myers’ lineup spot was taken by Matt Benning, who made his Leafs debut.

Brandon Carlo — 5.9

Injuries have limited Carlo to 18 games. Considering what Treliving gave up to get him at the trade deadline last March — Fraser Minten and a first-round pick went to the Boston Bruins — Carlo has to provide a lot more than he had been once he returns. Minten will be a key player for the Bruins for years to come.

Chris Tanev — 6.2

When the Leafs signed Tanev to a six-year pact in 2024, there were questions regarding the veteran D-man’s durability, if only because he plays the game with a warrior-like mentality that most players do not. After he was the Leafs’ best defenceman in 2024-25, Tanev has been limited to 11 games this season. His latest injury, a groin issue, is expected to keep him out for the long term.

FORWARDS

Matthew Knies — 7.0

While Knies has taken a dip in goals — he has 11 after scoring a career-high 29 last season — his 25 assists are four shy of his career-high of 29, also accomplished a year ago. Having turned 23 in October, Knies remains in that phase where he continues to learn how effective he can be with his big body and skating ability.

Auston Matthews — 6.5

We’re finally seeing some offensive life in Matthews, as he has 10 points (six goals and four assists) in his past four games. It’s the 31 games before that which were cause for concern, when Matthews often wasn’t involved and had just 23 points. Admittedly, his grade is probably higher than it should be, but we recognize Matthews’ record for most goals scored by a Maple Leaf, set on Saturday night on Long Island when he passed Mats Sundin. That, and his play in the past little while, has to be part of the foundation if the Leafs are able to secure a playoff spot, even if it’s not until the last week (or night) of the regular season.

John Tavares — 7.5

After a terrific start with 27 points in 21 games, Tavares worked his way into the Olympic conversation for Canada. That withered quickly as Tavares had just four points in the 14-game stretch that followed. A five-game point streak ended against the Islanders on Saturday. Tavares remains one of the top faceoff men in the NHL, as his 59.5% success rate was good for fifth through Saturday.

William Nylander — 7.7

The Leafs’ leading scorer continues to recover from a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the past four games. We’ve seen the best of Nylander (a 14-game point streak from Oct. 14 to Nov. 18) and the worst (an 11-game goalless skid from Nov. 29 to Dec. 21). Questions about his relationship with Berube have quieted down. One area of concern: Nylander’s shot total. He has 68, and in an 82-game schedule, would be on pace for 169. His lowest in the previous four seasons is 253.

Bobby McMann — 6.8

After going the last 24 games of 2024-25 (including 13 playoff games) without scoring, McMann had a goal in the season opener and has contributed every so often since, scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists in 40 games. He has to be a consistently greater presence both on the forecheck and at the net-front in the second half.

Max Domi — 6.4

Domi shrugged off a slow start, during which he had one assist in his first nine games, to record 18 points in his past 30 games. While he seems to have found a spot on the top line with Auston Matthews, you’re still never sure what you’re going to get from Domi. He went from being a healthy scratch on Dec. 20 in Nashville to top-line status the following night in Dallas.

Nick Robertson — 6.7

While we suppose it’s safest to say ‘never say never,’ Robertson’s days of being a common healthy scratch are over. Just twice has Robertson been benched this season. His motor never really stops, and with 20 points (nine goals and 11 assists), he’s within seven points of tying his career high. He’s had a nice run with six points in his past five games. One quirky stat to Robertson’s credit — he has played the most games in the NHL this season, 39, without taking a penalty of any kind.

Steven Lorentz — 6.6

An honest night’s effort is what is required from your fourth-line wingers, and Lorentz provides that just about every time he is in the lineup. Lorentz plays the game the right way, as his only penalty was a 10-minute misconduct against Montreal on Nov. 22.

Dakota Joshua — 6.4

A kidney injury suffered in Detroit on Dec. 28 has put Joshua’s status in question. Before he was hurt, he was credited with 127 hits to lead the Leafs and put himself in 10th in the NHL. With 10 points (six goals and four assists) in 36 games, Joshua wanted to be contributing more often.

Easton Cowan — 6.6

The Leafs rookie can get a bit hard on himself when the puck doesn’t go in for him (four goals and seven assists), but through his first 30 NHL games, he has been building. It’s going to be interesting to see how Cowan is used as the Leafs try to stay in the playoff battle, but we do know is that it does him no good to sit and watch.

Matias Maccelli — 6.2

When they acquired Maccelli from Utah for a conditional third-round pick in June, the Leafs figured that a fresh start would help the 25-year-old. He has put himself on the scoresheet every so often with 15 points in 30 games, but it hasn’t been enough for the Leafs to become enamoured with him. A healthy scratch at various times, we’ll be curious to see if Maccelli is with Toronto after the trade deadline.

Nicolas Roy — 6.5

Roy is a good piece on the Leafs’ strong penalty kill, but it still hurts when you recall that the club didn’t get more for Mitch Marner, doesn’t it? He has been good on faceoffs at 54.1% and provides about what you would expect from a third-line centre. Still, more than four goals (which is what Roy has now) in the second half would be preferred.

Scott Laughton — 6.4

A foot injury suffered in the pre-season delayed Laughton’s start until Nov. 5. In 23 games, Laughton has four goals and two assists. There’s no denying Laughton’s work on the penalty kill and his presence in the dressing room. But if you’re giving up a conditional first-round pick (as well as prospect Nikita Grebenkin) as Treliving sent to Philadelphia to get Laughton, much more is required.

Calle Jarnkrok — 5.2

After scoring a goal in each of the Leafs’ first three games, Jarnkrok has two in his past 22 games. When he does play, he is an effective penalty killer. That’s about where his contributions start and stop. How much would it hurt the Leafs if, say, they gave Jacob Quillan a longer look at the expense of Jarnkrok?

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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