Brad Treliving faced a difficult task when Mitch Marner decided he no longer wanted to be on the Toronto Maple Leafs. He chose to use the added cap space to bolster depth, replacing Marner with Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Matias Maccelli. As Maccelli sits in the press box as a healthy scratch, Roy and Joshua joined Bobby McMann recently to form a third line for the Maple Leafs that is changing the course of the season.
In the words of American rock legend Meat Loaf, “two out of three ain't bad.” Early this season, when the Maple Leafs struggled, it looked like Treliving took three swings and missed with those replacements. However, head coach Craig Berube finally found a combination that worked when he formed the new trio. It's a line that features size, tenacity, and skill, which is something the Maple Leafs have been lacking.
It's easy to see how this line could find some success in the postseason. The Maple Leafs have gone down with a whimper in too many playoff series in the Auston Matthews era, and this line could swing the momentum when the going gets tough. That's something the Leafs haven't had since the early 2000s, when players like Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi were swinging momentum for those successful teams.
It's a small sample size of three games, but the Maple Leafs haven't lost since the line formed. Joshua was scoreless for eight games, but has two goals and an assist over the last three games. Roy had two assists in the first 10 games of November, but has a goal and three assists in his previous three. Last but not least, McMann has been the most significant difference-maker, recording three goals and three assists over that span.
Why Maple Leafs' third line is catalyst to playoff hopes
McMann is also the only player on the line who doesn't have a solid playoff pedigree. Roy is the most experienced member after his time with the Vegas Golden Knights, having played in 79 career playoff games and recorded 32 points in that span. He was also a key member of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2022-23, anchoring the third line with solid two-way play while also chipping in 11 points in 22 games.
Joshua didn't get much playoff experience with the Vancouver Canucks, but his performance in the 2023-24 postseason put him on the NHL map. After a career-high 32 points in 63 games in the regular season, Joshua exploded with eight points in 13 games in the playoff run. He was also a menace in the 2021-22 AHL playoffs, recording 15 points in 18 games while leading the entire playoffs in penalty minutes. It's the type of performance that would win over the hearts of Maple Leafs fans if done in the blue and white this spring.
McMann's lone playoff experience last spring was a disappointing three assists in 13 games, which made him one of the scapegoats for another early exit. The depth scoring should've been one of the Leafs' strengths, but it failed them in the 2025 postseason. The good news is that McMann is playing some of his best hockey this season on the new-look third line.
The problem for Toronto has always been consistency. It's fine that the third line has been performing well over the past three games, but the question is whether they will keep it rolling. If they do, Treliving's strategy this offseason will make him a hero. However, the fans' opinion can change rather quickly in the center of the hockey universe.
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