Monday Morning Skate: New Faces, Same Old Story
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The Maple Leafs start the preseason with losses to Montreal, proving that no matter how many first-overall picks or big-money signings you add, the result remains predictably bleak.
OPINION: There is a certain poetic symmetry to starting a season by losing to the Montreal Canadiens. Whether it is a split-squad preseason game or a regular-season collapse, the script for the Toronto Maple Leafs rarely deviates from the established path.
As Global News Toronto first reported, the Leafs dropped both halves of a split-squad opening night. In one contest, they fell 4-1 to an undermanned Montreal squad. In the other, the Canadiens secured a 4-3 overtime victory at the Bell Centre. It is a fitting preview for a franchise that spent last season finishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Division during its first playoff-less campaign in ten years.
Naturally, the organization is already pivoting to the 'process' of development. All eyes are on Gavin McKenna, the 18-year-old winger selected first overall in June. Global News Toronto reports that McKenna, a product of Whitehorse, is currently living with Maple Leafs centre John Tavares and his family. He spent his professional debut skating on a line with Tavares and William Nylander, recording three shots on goal over 19 minutes and 34 seconds of ice time.
McKenna admitted to some turnovers caused by nerves but expressed excitement over the fan base's support. Captain Auston Matthews—playing his first game since a serious knee injury in March—praised the rookie's skill. Even first-year head coach Jim Hiller, who previously served as an assistant to Mike Babcock from 2015 to 2019, offered a positive assessment, though he noted McKenna needs to get closer to the puck and think less.
But for the long-suffering realist, the shiny new toy doesn't mask the structural rot. The Leafs have spent the summer throwing money and hope at the wall. Global News Toronto notes the addition of Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 10 of 11 shots before being replaced by Anthony Stolarz, and Darren Raddysh, who signed a big-money contract after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Raddysh managed the lone goal in the 4-1 loss, while Montreal's scoring was handled by Phillip Danault (two goals), Samuel Poulin, and Maksymilian Szuber.
It is easy to get swept up in the novelty of McKenna's debut or the return of Matthews. It is even easier to believe that a draft lottery win in May and a few high-priced veterans will suddenly bridge the gap to a trophy. But as we saw Saturday, the Canadiens—who reached the Eastern Conference final last season—don't seem particularly intimidated by Toronto's new-look roster.
We are told the rookie will get better as camp progresses. We are told the process is working. Yet, here we are, starting another year by falling to Montreal. If this is a preview of the season to come, the only thing that has truly changed is the name on the rookie's jersey.