Leafs One Step Closer After Loss To Stars

The Toronto Maple Leafs gave their fans a roller-coaster ride in their home finale and gave members of Tank Nation heart palpitations, as they took two multi-goal leads on the Dallas Stars, only to surrender them and fall 6-5 at Scotiabank Arena. The contest marked the final home broadcast of long-time play-by-play man Joe Bowen, who was honored during the game for his 44 years behind the mic for Leafs games. 

Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the first on goals from John Tavares, Jacob Quillan, and William Nylander, but Dallas tied the game in the second with three goals past rookie Artur Akhtyamov. The Leafs once again jumped out to a lead early in the third on goals from Max Domi and Nick Robertson, but the Stars responded with three goals in six minutes, including an own goal by blueliner Troy Stecher, and Mavrik Bourque’s hat-trick game-winner. 

With the loss, Toronto remains in 28th place or fifth from the bottom of the NHL standings. Florida and St. Louis victories, and a NY Rangers loss have limited the Leafs final resting place to either fourth, fifth, or sixth from the bottom. The Calgary Flames need to earn three of a possible four points to move ahead of Toronto in the standings, while Seattle has to earn one point in their final two games to lock the Leafs in fifth, no matter what they do against Ottawa in the season finale. 

If, however, Toronto wins over the playoff-bound Sens, they would need Seattle to get a point or they would fall into sixth. The Leafs received some good news on the draft pick front, as the LA Kings’ win over the Kraken clinched a Western Conference playoff spot. The trade for Scott Laughton now brings back to the Leafs a 2026 second-round pick. The pick was originally Buffalo’s second-rounder, sent to Ottawa in the Josh Norris – Dylan Cozens deal in March 2025. The Sens sent the pick to the Kings in the Warren Foegele deal last month, and now the Leafs could conceivably have picks in every round of the 2026 Draft if they can keep their top pick. 

The club sent Akhtyamov back down to the AHL Marlies and recalled Dennis Hildeby. It is unknown whether Joseph Woll or Hildeby will get the start in Ottawa. The Leafs also announced the signing of forward Landon Sim to a two-year entry-level deal. The junior teammate of rookie Easton Cowan, Sim was a 2022 draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, went unsigned, and returned to the London Knights as an overager, where he scored 30 goals and 12 goals in the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup. 

The 21-year-old was signed to a one-year AHL deal, and between ECHL Cincinnati and AHL Toronto, he scored nine points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 31 games, compiling 75 penalty minutes. Sim is a feisty forward who projects as a possible bottom-six forward.