Damien Cox is a former Star sports reporter who is a current freelance contributing columnist based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @DamoSpin.
If you want to believe in the new DNA of the Maple Leafs, it's been a good couple of days.
Maybe, just maybe, they're on to something. Maybe what they hoped would happen is starting to happen.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving wants heavier and grittier, and MLSE chief Keith Pelley just wanted to get away from the Core Four concept he claims was invented by the media. In road wins over the surprising Pittsburgh Penguins and a Florida Panthers team as or more ravaged by injuries than the Leafs themselves, Toronto's NHL entry finally gave its supporters reason to believe there is reason to believe in management's choices.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Getting out of last place in the Eastern Conference was a good start. Cellar dwelling for a team of this calibre is just embarrassing. These were also results that for the first time suggested moving on from Brendan Shanahan and Mitch Marner actually had merit.
The Leafs looked a bit different. The energy was more palpable, more positive. Leafs fans were able to point to relatively new names as reasons why the 2025-26 season won't deteriorate into a lottery draft pick.
Dakota Joshua scored against the Panthers on Tuesday night after getting one against Pittsburgh and was plus-four in those two games. Nicolas Roy had a presence in the faceoff circle and in the corners. Scott Laughton scored a goal. An important goal.
Leafs Maple Leafs vs. Panthers: The unsung heroes are in fine voice as Toronto escapes cellar
Stecher, Joshua, Laughton goals help Leafs leapfrog Buffalo, leave Florida in Atlantic Division basement.
Leafs Maple Leafs vs. Panthers: The unsung heroes are in fine voice as Toronto escapes cellar
Stecher, Joshua, Laughton goals help Leafs leapfrog Buffalo, leave Florida in Atlantic Division basement.
Emergency addition Troy Stecher continued to be an effective blue-line contributor. As all-time waiver pickups go, he's no Gustav Forsling, but he's filling a puck-moving role and competing like a guy who's tired of moving around. Easton Cowan is as wildly inconsistent as most young players are, but his high-skill presence suggests great promise.
Of the more established Leafs, Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies are looking like themselves again. Knies, in particular, struggled coming back from injury, but was much more effective against the Panthers.
In this post-Marner world, meanwhile, there is room for new leaders to emerge. Joseph Woll, now looking more like a veteran than a kid, seems to be one of those asserting himself. The same goes for defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was the one Leaf during the darker days last month who insisted on playing with some fire and push-back.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
So, sure, in wins over the Pens and Panthers, the Leafs began to take a slightly different shape, even with John Tavares slowing from his blazing hot start and William Nylander clearly ailing. That's what was promised, right?
That said, two games do not a trend make. In the same way, however, the first 20 games of a season do not define that season. As we are seeing in Detroit and Montreal, it's wonderful to explode out of the gate and demonstrate that better days are at hand. But very quickly, you stop surprising other teams, they start to do their homework and vulnerabilities begin to be exposed.
The NHL, swollen to 32 teams, is a league where little separates the good teams from the mediocre teams, with the three-point result pulling them even tighter. It's also a league in which teams will get hot, and teams will get cold. Right now, teams like Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Washington and Tampa Bay are sizzling. They'll cool down. A few weeks ago, Utah looked like it was finally ready to put it together and become a playoff team. Now the Mammoth are struggling.
The point is that conclusions about any team are difficult to reach until at least mid-winter. Folks in Edmonton are miserable right now about the state of the Oilers, but that was the case at this time last season as well and ultimately the result was another trip to the Stanley Cup final.
With the Leafs, the results of the first 20 games seemed indicative of a team that had lost its identity. Shanahan and Marner were prominent, much-discussed figures with the organization for a decade. Suddenly, both were gone, and their departures seemed to leave enormous uncertainty.
Time, practice and necessity are slowly filling gaps and dictating personnel decisions. Samuel Blais looked like he might help, then was dumped on waivers. The team responded to a desultory showing in Montreal on Nov. 22 by digging down and playing better. That was a good sign. A home-ice rematch with those chatty Xhekaj boys on Saturday night will be interesting.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Much still needs to be learned. Were the last two performances just a blip for Joshua? Can the 31-year-old Stecher really find a home with his eighth NHL team? Can Woll stay healthy?
All we can really say is that out of the frustrating cloud of last spring's Stanley Cup playoff result and the autumn fog in these parts created by the Blue Jays' fabulous World Series run, this year's version of the Leafs is slowly coming into view in early December.
Team pride was clearly visible in recent days. We've seen how bad the Leafs can be. Perhaps they've now decided to demonstrate how good they can be.
SPORTS HEADLINES Get all the scores and essential coverage for the Leafs, Raptors, Jays and much more, delivered daily.
Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request.
There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again.
Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up This newsletter is only available for subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, please login now. If you want to become subscriber, please click here Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star.
You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.
Sports Headlines You're signed up! You'll start getting Sports Headlines in your inbox soon.
Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.