The Toronto Maple Leafs made a bold decision in the offseason, trading away star winger Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. General Manager Brad Treliving's plan was to replace Marner's substantial offensive output through a trio of players rather than seeking a like-for-like replacement. Forty games into the 2025-26 season, it's time to evaluate whether this risky strategy is paying off.
The Maple Leafs acquired Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, Nic Roy as part of the Marner trade with Vegas, and Dakota Joshua via a separate deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The intention was to spread Marner's production across these three players, theoretically filling the offensive void he left behind.
Mitch Marner has recorded nine goals and 31 assists, totaling 40 points in 38 games for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Collectively, Maccelli, Roy, and Joshua have amassed a comparable stat line. Matias Maccelli has 6 goals and 9 assists in 29 games, Nic Roy has contributed 4 goals and 10 assists in 37 games, and Dakota Joshua has 6 goals and 4 assists in 36 games. This gives the trio a total of 16 goals and 23 assists, equating to 39 points in roughly 37 games.
While the point production is strikingly similar, there are other factors to consider. The Maple Leafs' trio comes with a combined cap hit of approximately $9.7 million, while Marner's cap hit for the Golden Knights is $12 million. This represents a significant cap savings of $2.5 million for the Leafs.
However, the Maple Leafs may need to adjust their plan due to an injury to Dakota Joshua, who is currently on injured reserve (IR). Coach Craig Berube indicated that Joshua could be sidelined for an extended period, forcing the team to find a replacement. Potential internal solutions include rookies Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson, who have shown promise playing alongside Nic Roy. Matias Maccelli has also seemingly elevated his game recently.
Prior to his injury, Joshua had found some scoring touch, notching goals in consecutive games in December, but had gone scoreless in his last six games before landing on IR.
It's also worth noting that early in the season, coach Craig Berube placed Max Domi on the first line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, hoping Domi could inject a more direct, quick-decision style of play. This was seen as a way to increase the pace of the Leafs' offense and generate more high-danger scoring chances.
Overall, after 40 games, the Maple Leafs' plan to replace Mitch Marner's production by committee appears to be working, at least statistically. The trio of Maccelli, Roy, and Joshua has provided similar offensive output at a lower cost. However, the injury to Joshua presents a new challenge, and the team will need to find a way to compensate for his absence. The long-term success of this strategy remains to be seen, but the initial results are encouraging.
