It’s been a choppy start for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and no one should be surprised. New systems, new players, and a new voice behind the bench take time to settle. Craig Berube has made it clear that this is a learning phase, not just for the players but for the staff, too. You can see him pulling levers, testing combinations, and trying to learn which pieces fit his vision of a harder, more resilient Maple Leafs team. The process isn’t always pretty, but you can sense the foundation starting to form underneath the successes and failures.
Related: Maple Leafs Need to Start Having Stolarz’s Back
The team still feels like a work in progress — flashes of structure, long stretches of searching. Some players look ready to define this new era; others are still trying to prove they belong. This edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumours focuses on three connected storylines: the steady but underused Nicolas Roy, the challenge of rebuilding chemistry after losing a key forward, and the quiet rise of Borya Valis down the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies’ hallway. This is a youngster who might soon give this lineup a fresh spark.
Item One: Nicolas Roy Deserves a Longer Look at Center
It’s fair to admit that watching this early version of the Maple Leafs hasn’t exactly been electric. The pieces are new, the system’s still sinking in, and Berube is clearly feeling out what fits. There’s a temporary excuse for the team’s uneven rhythm — and most fans expected this kind of turbulence. Still, one question keeps floating back to the surface: how is Nicolas Roy not getting a longer look at third-line centre?
Nicolas Roy, Toronto Maple Leafs (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
Roy arrived in Toronto billed as the perfect stabilizer — a defensively responsible, puck-smart forward who could finally anchor a third line capable of chipping in offence when the stars fall quiet. Yet he’s been shuffled around, sometimes even dropped to the fourth line. That kind of rotation makes it tough to build chemistry or confidence. On paper, Roy fits everything this new version of the Maple Leafs is supposed to be: strong, reliable, and team-first. It seems like it’s time he gets a stretch to prove it.
Item Two: Finding the Right Fit for Cowan After Losing a Key Piece
There’s still an unmistakable void in the top six after losing a key winger to the Vegas Golden Knights. Line juggling has been constant, but maybe it’s time to stop overcomplicating things. Why not give Easton Cowan an extended shot on the first line and let him grow into the job? He’s shown he can handle the pace and play physically, and his instincts suggest there’s something there worth exploring.
Related: John Tavares Records His 500th Point With the Maple Leafs
The deeper problem is that Toronto’s forward group still carries some inconsistency. Players like Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Max Domi, and Nicholas Robertson have shown flashes of potential but lack consistent impact. Can Berube squeeze more out of that middle tier, or does he eventually move on from it? William Nylander, meanwhile, is carrying the offence — his connection with John Tavares looks as sharp as ever, and Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews seem to be developing their own chemistry. What’s missing is the final piece on the right side.
Maybe it’s Cowan in time, maybe not yet. Either way, this team isn’t broken — just in transition, trying to figure out who it really is without one of its anchors. I’d love to see the youngster have a longer chance to see if he can create a lasting chemistry with Matthews and Knies.
Item Three: Borya Valis Turning Heads with Marlies’ Hot Start
While the Maple Leafs tinker up top, one of their prospects is building momentum in the AHL. Borya Valis, a 21-year-old right winger out of Los Angeles who came up through the Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars, is off to a blistering start with the Marlies.
Related: Maple Leafs Early Season Report Card: Promise, Problems & Familiar Patterns
At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, Valis plays a confident, physical game and knows how to score. Last season, he put up 81 points in the Western Hockey League (WHL), and that touch hasn’t gone anywhere — two multi-goal games in his first three AHL games have everyone taking notice.
Borya Valis, Prince George Cougars (Photo credit: Tri-City Americans)
Valis doesn’t need to be rushed, but his emergence is the kind of organizational depth the Maple Leafs have been lacking. If he keeps this up, he could force a conversation by midseason. For a franchise trying to reset its identity, it’s a welcome sign that the next generation might already be knocking on the door.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The early-season jitters are real, but they aren’t fatal. This version of the Maple Leafs isn’t built to dazzle right away — it’s built to harden. Berube is still learning his roster, and players are learning him. The trick over the next few weeks will be finding stability: giving Roy a real chance down the middle, testing new combinations in the top six, and keeping an eye on who might be next in line from the Marlies.
If Berube’s history tells us anything, it’s that once he finds his core, he doesn’t waver. Maybe that’s where Toronto is headed — toward a team that doesn’t rely on flash but grinds its way into becoming something tougher, steadier, and more complete. It’s not the smoothest path, but it might finally be the right one.
