Maple Leafs’ Matthews back in form as blue line and 2C spot raise questions

Four games into their season, the Toronto Maple Leafs sit at 2-2-0 and already offer a clear snapshot of what they are – and what they are not. The revamped roster appears more dangerous up front than a year ago, yet the defence and the construction of the centre depth chart remain unresolved issues that could shape how far this group goes.

Matthews drives play as forward depth steps up

Auston Matthews is at the centre of the early optimism. After a season in which he looked muted under Craig Berube, he now resembles the imposing version of himself again. Even when the points were slow to arrive, his line with Kirill Marchenko and Jack Roslovic controlled the puck in the offensive zone and generated high-quality looks, ranking among the league’s better units in expected goals share according to MoneyPuck.

Roslovic has opened with three points and 10 shots on goal, showing enough pace and skill to keep up with top players and giving Toronto a more dynamic option in the middle six than in recent seasons. Gavin McKenna’s breakout performance against Nashville underlined how badly the team needed another forward who can see plays develop and manufacture offence from tight spaces.

Lower in the lineup, the trio of Easton Cowan, Nick Paul and Colton Sissons has been a quiet strength. Their forecheck has forced turnovers and extended shifts in the offensive zone, and both Cowan and Paul look capable of moving up when injuries or slumps strike. After years of leaning heavily on a few stars, the Leafs finally appear to have multiple lines that can tilt the ice.

Raddysh carrying an aging defence

On the back end, Darren Raddysh has quickly gone from rocky debut to indispensable. He has fired 11 shots in four games and leads the NHL in tracked shots between 90 and 100 m.p.h., with six. Beyond the raw power, he has stabilized the top power-play unit, handled overtime minutes and leads all Toronto skaters with an average ice time of 23:15, more than three minutes ahead of Morgan Rielly. Without him, the blue line picture would be far bleaker.

The rest of the defence shows more wear. Chris Tanev, back after missing much of last season, still brings leadership and structure but appears to be regaining his timing, particularly on breakouts. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is logging the fewest minutes among the six regular defencemen, and Jake McCabe has not asserted himself as a difference-maker. Troy Stecher hovering around 18 minutes per night is less a criticism of his game than a sign that the Leafs are short at least one reliable, heavy-minutes defender behind Raddysh.

Second-line centre remains a soft spot

Up front, the thorniest question is still the second-line centre slot. John Tavares checks many boxes: he is on a team-friendly deal, continues to score important goals and remains meticulous in his preparation. He also lacks foot speed, and at five-on-five he has struggled to drive play against the pace of today’s NHL, a trend that carried over from last season.

Toronto has internal options if it chooses to re-balance the lineup. Pairing McKenna with Paul, who excels at winning pucks and pushing play toward the offensive end, could give William Nylander and McKenna more time attacking and free Tavares for a different role. Another possibility would see Sissons moved to centre with Tavares on the wing of a line given softer matchups, allowing the captain to lean into his finishing ability while taking on fewer demanding defensive assignments.

In that scenario, Tavares would remain a key piece of a potent power play and face more favourable minutes at even strength. As long as he anchors the second line down the middle, though, the Leafs are likely to trail in expected goals and, eventually, on the scoreboard.

Complicating matters is a tricky early schedule. Toronto dropped a couple of divisional games at home and now heads west to face Vegas, Colorado and Utah. Coaching adjustments in Game 4 already showed a willingness to tinker, the goaltending has been solid enough to keep every contest within reach, and the fourth line has contributed with energy and penalty killing. Overall, the Leafs appear to have more to work with than last year, but how they manage the blue line and the second-line centre job will go a long way toward determining whether this promising start turns into a genuinely contending season.