The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to right their ship after taking on water last week, hoping that they do not share the same fate as Captain Quint as they face the San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. The Leafs followed up earning three of a possible four points against last season’s Western Conference finalists in the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, with consecutive losses to Utah, Buffalo, and a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday.
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The week was littered with shortcomings, including a pitiful goaltending performance by Anthony Stolarz in a 5-4 loss to the Mammoth on Tuesday, a puzzling benching of Gavin McKenna by head coach Jim Hiller that left Toronto short-handed in the third period, where they blew a 4-2 lead and lost 5-4 in overtime to the Sabres, and an overall mediocre effort in the loss to the Isles.
The bad stretch finds the Leafs at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with eight points (3-4-2), and facing a San Jose squad rich in offensive talent, but who are off to a sluggish scoring start this season (22 goals in eight games).
Toronto made some roster moves on Monday morning, recalling forward Vinni Letteri and goalie Artur Akhtyamov from the AHL Marlies. The 31-year-old winger, who was the offensive hero for the Marlies in their Calder Cup championship, has gotten off to a strong start this season, with nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in five games. With the injury to John Tavares, the Leafs lineup against New York included Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Zack MacEwen.
Letteri’s promotion may be connected to the fact that the Leafs fourth line with Groulx, MacEwen, Teddy Blueger, and Brandon Duhaime, has no points in a collective 27 games played.
Akhtyamov is 2-1-0, with a 2.94 GAA and .882 save % in three AHL games so far, and according to Hiller, will back up Bobrovsky on Monday and Stolarz in Columbus on Tuesday, thus giving both veterans extra rest in the back-to-backs. William Nylander missed the morning skate on Monday, and will be a game-time decision.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (3-4-2 – 8 POINTS) vs. SAN JOSE (4-3-1 – 9 POINTS)
OCTOBER 19, 2026 ▪ 7:30 PM EST ▪ SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON)
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050
TORONTO’S HISTORY vs. SAN JOSE
| All-Time Record: | 28-24-5-6 (63 Games) |
| All-Time Home Record: | 17-10-2-4 (33 Games) |
| 2025-26: | 0-1-1 |
| Last Five: | 1-2-2 |
| Last 10: | 4-2-4 |
| First Matchup Between Clubs: | November 4, 1991 (Toronto 4 vs. San Jose 1) |
| All-Time Record: | 28-24-5-6 (63 Games) |
| All-Time Home Record: | 17-10-2-4 (33 Games) |
| All-Time Road Record: | 11-14-3-2 (30 Games) |
| Last Home Win vs. Opponent: | January 9, 2024 (Toronto 7 vs. San Jose 1) |
MAPLE LEAFS / SHARKS – 2026-27 TEAM STATS
| SAN JOSE | TORONTO | |
| Team Rank: | 4th (Pacific) | 8th (Atlantic) |
| Goals For Per Game: | 2.63 (24th) | 3.22 (11th) |
| Goals Against Per Game: | 3.50 (24th-T) | 3.44 (22nd-T) |
| Power Play %: | 23.1% (11th) | 26.7% (7th) |
| Penalty Kill %: | 80.8% (16th) | 96.4% (1st) |
| Shots For Per Game: | 27.6 (15th) | 28 (14th) |
| Shots Against Per Game: | 27.5 (20th) | 29.3 (26th) |
| Faceoff %: | 47.0% (25th) | 52.3% (9th) |
| (NHL rank in parenthesis) | ||
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