Labour Day signals the end of summer for hockey, with rookie tournaments and preseason approaching before the October 8 opener. A few free agents with Leafs ties remain available, including Max Pacioretty and Jack Roslovic. The roster needs a positional depth-chart review for 2025-26, ranking players by position rather than forming lines. The Leafs added depth over the summer, increasing roster flexibility. The left wing group centers on Matthew Knies, who received a long-term commitment and must build on a 29-goal season while showing untapped potential. Bobby McMann and Dakota Joshua provide depth, with McMann the likeliest candidate to reach 20 goals despite a late drought.
Matthew Knies received a substantial long-term commitment from the Leafs and is a prized player in the organization. He will need to take another step forward to help offset the loss of Mitch Marner, and he'll need to prove his 29-goal season while shooting 19 percent was not an aberration. Knies is one of the better young power forwards in the league, has already established himself as a viable linemate for 1C Auston Matthews, and still contains untapped potential.
Behind Knies, we could quibble with the order of Bobby McMann vs. Dakota Joshua, but I don't think it's much of a debate right now. McMann scored more goals than Joshua did points last season, and if we had to pick one to hit 20 goals next season, McMann is the easy choice for me, even though he ended last season on a brutal 24-game goal drought.
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