Backcheck
Team diagnostic
2025-26last seasonAs of Sun, Sep 20

Toronto Maple Leafs

5-on-5 · model-estimated

Maple Leafs: a outshot/run-and-gun team (42.6% 5v5 xG) with league-average goaltending, flagged for regression (1 signals).

How to read this

This is one team through the publication's three layers. The identity row separates process — the chances a club creates and allows (, ) — from luck, which is what measures. Process predicts the future; luck predicts a correction.

Everything below follows that split: regression flags mark places where results have outrun (or trailed) the underlying play, talent tiers and the player table rank the roster by a model-estimated , and roster needs compare each position group against league average. The proxies rank things usefully but share credit with linemates — read orderings as solid and exact magnitudes as approximate.

PROCESS
chance creation and possession — xG%, Corsi. The repeatable part.
RESULT
goals, wins, special-teams conversion. What the standings see.
LUCK
PDO, finishing vs expected, GSAx — the part that mean-reverts.
GOLD/RED
regression flags: gold = watch it, red = act on it
Fine print · verbatim from the model
  • WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated
  • Roster-need gaps are ordinal — ranked correctly, magnitudes relative
Identity · outshot/run-and-gun
42.6%
xGoals %
This team gets buried territorially.
45.5%
Corsi %
0.06
xGF / 60
1.003
PDO
Luck is about neutral; the record is earned.
Strengths
  • No standout edges flagged.
Weaknesses
  • Out-chanced at 5v5 (42.6% xG share).
Regression watch · luck-reconciliation

Team finishing is +10 goals above xG — shooting luck likely to cool.

Flags mark gaps between process and result likely to move toward the mean.

Talent tiers · model impact
Elite00
  • None
Top04
  • William Nylander
  • John Tavares
  • Auston Matthews
  • Morgan Rielly
Middle07
  • Matias Maccelli
  • Nicholas Robertson
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson
  • Dakota Joshua
  • Jake McCabe
  • Steven Lorentz
  • Troy Stecher
Depth08
  • Matthew Knies
  • Easton Cowan
  • Max Domi
  • Jacob Quillan
  • Calle Jarnkrok
  • Philippe Myers
  • Brandon Carlo
  • Simon Benoit
Rate-first

Special teams

Power play
0.00 xGF/60 · 21.3% SH%
6.40GF/60
Penalty kill
0.8 Kill%
6.54GA/60
Source · MoneyPuck 5-on-5 + ST splits
Team GSAx -0.4

Goaltending

Below expected
GoaltenderGP
Joseph Woll3989.920+0.0
Anthony Stolarz2689.27066.670-0.1
Source · GSAx = xGoals − goals, computed in-app
Roster needs · ranked
01
Depth defensehigh
team 35.4 vs league 87.3
-52
02
Bottom-6 forward depthhigh
team 31.7 vs league 81.9
-50
03
Top-pair defensemanhigh
team 59.8 vs league 91.5
-32
04
Top-6 forwardhigh
team 60.0 vs league 86.1
-26

Gaps are ordinal — needs are ranked correctly; treat the magnitude as relative, not absolute.

Top players · adjusted impact
PlayerGPTOI/GP
William NylanderR6515.4+62.30+3.3
John TavaresC8214.4+70.20+3.2
Auston MatthewsC6015.8+64.10+2.3
Matthew KniesL7914.1+38.30+1.8
Morgan RiellyD7817.5+68.40+1.7
Matias MaccelliL7112.5+55.10+1.6
Nicholas RobertsonL7811.3+57.40+1.3
Oliver Ekman-LarssonD7817.8+51.10+1.2
Dakota JoshuaC5511.3+51.00+0.7
Easton CowanR6612.8+35.10+0.7
Schedule load · logistics

How hard is this team’s season, logistically? This grades the schedule itself — travel, rest, and clustering — separate from how good the team is.

Logistics, not talent

Schedule load

DEPTH
Load index
7/ 100 · pctile vs league

The 30th-heaviest schedule in the league84 games, 1.3 days average rest.

Total travel
37,460
road miles flown
11
Back-to-backs
2 games, 0 days off
12
3-in-4s
3 games / 4 nights
13
4-in-6s
4 games / 6 nights
7
Longest road trip
6,053 mi
Rest-days distribution
0d11
1d46
2d20
3+d6

Nights of rest before each game · 0 days = red, 3+ = green

Rest advantage

17 games with more rest than the opponent · 16 with fewer · 48 even.

Hardest stretches
  • 6 games in 11 days with 4,309 travel miles

    Mar 3Mar 13

  • 6 games in 13 days with 5,327 travel miles

    Dec 26Jan 7

  • 6 games in 12 days with 4,596 travel miles

    Oct 6Oct 17

Source · NHL schedule · arena coordinates · rest & travel model
By the Model5-on-5 aggregates · MoneyPuck* WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated