2026 Training Camp Thread

[herman]

Koblar will get a chance to stand out. The more telling line up is game 3/4.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Koblar will get a chance to stand out. The more telling line up is game 3/4.

I really don't see that. Koblar's made a big stride over the past year. Even if he's NHL-ish ready (incredibly doubtful as a 19-year old) he's still better off continuing to develop his overall game by playing bigger, more opportunistic minutes in the AHL or SHL, than throwing him into a heavy defensive bottom-6 role.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2100596336005382608

https://twitter.com/x/status/2100587596715786355

McCabe-Tanev reunited for the matchups
Raddysh will be with whichever one of Rielly/OEL feels like it for the fun minutes

 

[YYZ]

 

[herman]

I really don't see that. Koblar's made a big stride over the past year. Even if he's NHL-ish ready (incredibly doubtful as a 19-year old) he's still better off continuing to develop his overall game by playing bigger, more opportunistic minutes in the AHL or SHL, than throwing him into a heavy defensive bottom-6 role.

I think that is the appropriate path for him. I'd still like to see him make the decision more difficult for the front office given the age and ricketiness of the roster.

A younger Nick Paul that can float between top 6/bottom 6 C or W (or giant and meaner Alex Kerfoot if you prefer) is going to be very useful. Taking a year more to make sure Koblar is solid and ready and confident (I don't think he needs much help there) is worthwhile.

 

[cabber24]

I thought we looked okay going into last season? Without Tanev, the core sucks in both last and upcoming seasons.

25/26 D pairs:

• Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev
• Morgan Rielly – Brandon Carlo
• Simon Benoit – Oliver Ekman-Larsson

 

[herman]

First look at the Maple Leafs’ training-camp lines: McKenna joins Tavares-Nylander, Roslovic with Matthews & Knies, McCabe-Tanev reunited

Our first meaningful clues about Jim Hiller’s vision for the Maple Leafs’ opening night lineup arrived with the first practice of camp on Thursday morning. As always, opening-day training-camp lines are written in pencil. The combinations will change throughout camp, especially with Morgan...

mapleleafshotstove.com

Aside from the very fun L2, this was my main interest. I like that they rotated the Cs with Cowan's flexibility to line up on either wing.

Paul, Sissons, and Cowan form a flexible third line​

The Leafs rotated Nick Paul and Colton Sissons — a left shot and a right shot — through the third-line center position, with Easton Cowan also flipping between the two wings.

 

[Arn]

First look at the Maple Leafs’ training-camp lines: McKenna joins Tavares-Nylander, Roslovic with Matthews & Knies, McCabe-Tanev reunited

Our first meaningful clues about Jim Hiller’s vision for the Maple Leafs’ opening night lineup arrived with the first practice of camp on Thursday morning. As always, opening-day training-camp lines are written in pencil. The combinations will change throughout camp, especially with Morgan...

mapleleafshotstove.com

Aside from the very fun L2, this was my main interest. I like that they rotated the Cs with Cowan's flexibility to line up on either wing.

I don’t think that L2 plans to do much defending, which probably is ok with the more rounded bottom 2 lines.

 

[Arn]

I don't want to fall too far down the trap, but we had those free-wheeling seasons under Keefe, and then when the grindy hockey of the playoffs presented itself, the Leafs got pounded.

What I think might be different about this season is that Chayka went and built a bottom 6 that is grindy, and could actually play that kind of hockey.

Yes, I think as YYZ alluded to we swung far too far the other way and killed the joy.

There is a happy medium, hopefully

 

[herman]

I don’t think that L2 plans to do much defending, which probably is ok with the more rounded bottom 2 lines.

If you need to shelter some players, might as well put them all together. And if they're also the type of players that rip pucks into the net at an alarming rate, and the downside is some chances against at only a semi-alarming rate, then that's a pretty good trade off. It's way better than that previous sheltered line of Domi-Robertson that needed sheltering because they gave up a lot, but also didn't really score.

 

[YYZ]

Interviews with L2.

 

[rjd]

Interviews with L2.

I would really like for John Tavares to win a cup. I know you never know what people are like in their personal lives, but he strikes me as a pretty decent human being. I like it when decent human beings succeed. I can overlook the poor accessory choices.

 

[Bender]

One more day til we get some split squad games Will be really interesting to see how they do that.

 

[YYZ]

One more day til we get some split squad games Will be really interesting to see how they do that.

Leave it to the NHL to come up with more stupid crap.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2100943473088016597

lol is this another tax evasion tactic? the equipment is probably all from sponsorship deals and he volunteers to house rookies (and his agent's son) etc. to indoctrinate them into the various product lines he shills for has an ownership stake in believes in

kidding aside, I think this is a very extra nice perk of being a Toronto Maple Leaf rookie, getting to see a borderline Leafs legend up close everyday on and off the ice who cares about you as a person and player/teammate and your career path.