Three Hot Takes For the Upcoming Season from Leafs Reporter Includes Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner

The Maple Leafs enter the 2025-26 season vastly different up front following the departure of Mitch Marner and the additions of Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua among others.

The departure of Marner has led to questions about the Leafs' place in the standings for the new season as well as questions surrounding just how far they will go in the playoffs.

Co-hosts of "Leafs Morning Take" Jay Rosehill and Nick Alberga recently divulged their 'hot takes' for the Maple Leafs ahead of the upcoming season.

TSN 1050's '"OverDrive" polled fans on 'X' last week asking who would collect more points this season between Marner and Matthews with Marner winning by a slight edge.

Alberga and Rosehill, however, believe that Matthews will ultimately finish with more points that his former linemate.

Alberga and Rosehill also have a hunch that Bobby McMann will have a much more productive season after going on a lengthy goal drought to end the season and one that carried over to the post-season.

The two podcasters believe the Alberta native will relish in the available opportunity in the top-six and score 25 or more goals. Given the undrafted free agent scored 20 last season with a handful of very prolonged droughts mixed in. Of their three 'hot takes' this one seems to be the least outlandish.

Finally, Alberga and Rosehill agreed with many others that without Marner, and much better forward depth, the club is poised to go further into the post-season. While they didn't project a Stanley Cup Finals appearance from the Leafs, they do see the team securing a Conference Finals appearance for the first time since 2002.