The 2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs season was littered with disappointment, and we’ve covered it from every angle, bringing you breaking stories, in-depth analysis, pre and post-game break downs, and sound bites from players throughout the entire year. What hasn’t necessarily been focused on enough? All is the silver lining, in what was one of the worst Maple Leafs’ season in recent memory.
This season wasn’t all bad for the Leafs. There were some positives which stood out throughout the course of the year, and hopefully, whatever positive momentum can materialize from the offseason, parlayed with the positives from this season, hopefully this combination with create some excitement heading into puck drop for the 2026-27 season.
Leafs Nation, let’s remind ourselves that the sun comes up tomorrow, and it will be all good in the end, so if it’s not all good, it’s not the end. Here’s four positives that stood out from what was a dreadful season for the Maple Leafs.
Easton Cowan has arrived
Cowan started the year getting pushed around on the ice, he was being challenged from his head coach off the ice, and all he did was get stronger every day, paid close attention to details with, and without the puck, and he produced on a very regular basis. Cowan dressed in 66 games this season, you can blame Craig Berube for the low number, meanwhile the former first-round pick posted 11 goals and 29 points, while averaging 14:42 of ice time.
For some reason Berube would sit Cowan out for long stretches, even with the season essentially a write off, and it’s one of the many reasons why Berube’s not likely to return. But hey, we’re here to discuss the positives, and Leafs Nation should be ear-to-ear smiling at the fact Cowan’s a real one, he’s got a ton of game, he’s coachable, he’s bought into this franchise, and he’s going to be a huge part of the next wave of the Maple Leafs’ core. He also could help the Toronto Marlies win a Calder Cup, as he’s joining the team for their playoff run.
The 20-year-old Cowan has two seasons left on his entry-level deal, and isn’t a restricted free agent until the 2028-29 season.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson turned back the clock
Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make, and it’s very nice to see Oliver Ekman-Larsson remaining a Maple Leaf. The 34-year-old defenceman turned back the clock this season, he showed off his complete, two-way game, and he even added an appearance at the Olympics to cap off his solid year.
OEL averaged 20:35 of ice-time per game, he dressed in 78 contests, scoring eight goals and 39 points. The best part is the fact he’s under contract for two more seasons at just $3.5 million AAV, so we should all be thanking Brad Treliving and Keith Pelley’s AI generated trade returns, that neither of them pressured to pull the trigger on moving OEL.
Looking ahead to next season, Ekman-Larsson should be a lock for the Leafs top four, they should find a right-handed partner for him to play with, but that’s a story for another day. For now, let’s just enjoy the fact that Ekman-Larsson is a Maple Leaf, he was a huge part of this season, and should be a huge part of the franchise moving forward.
John Tavares fighting off father time
John Tavares owes absolutely nothing to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and watching him consistently produce throughout this season, was certainly one of the few positives that stood out. Reminder, Tavares is under contract through the 2028-29 season at just $4.3 million AAV, meanwhile, he produced 31 goals, and 71 points in 82 games.
Tavares is durable, he’s professional, he’s still technically the captain, just based on the fact everyone follows his example off the ice, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Tavares has done a great job knowing exactly what his skills and strengths are, and playing into those to be successful on the ice. He’s not trying to win foot races, he’s using his body positioning and smarts to outmatch opponents. He’s incredible in front of the net, he’s better defensively than he gets credit for, and heading into next year, Tavares should once again be a huge part of this roster.
Goaltending depth is real for Maple Leafs
Joseph Woll led the group with 39 appearances, followed by Anthony Stolarz playing 26 games, Dennis Hildeby playing 20 games, and Artur Akhtyamov finishing the season with three. While Woll led the group in wins, Hildeby led the goalies with a very respectable .913 save percentage.
What other positive from the Maple Leafs’ season did we miss? Let us know in the comments section below!