The 2026-27 Toronto Maple Leafs are a work in progress.
On Monday, we got another glimpse at the direction they are headed in when GM John Chayka pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Marchenko is a high-end scoring winger with elite skating speed, and a quality mid-range shot that can provide a spark off the rush, drive plays, and generate chances.
On paper, he’s the perfect fit next to Auston Matthews.
The question now is whether he’ll be available to play when the Maple Leafs host the rival Montreal Canadiens in tonight’s home opener.
The Habs, which were linked to Marchenko and Knies in trade rumours throughout the offseason, are a slight favourite versus Toronto at -114 at FanDuel.
While Marchenko might not be available, there will be plenty of new faces in the lineup for Toronto tonight following a busy offseason.
Rookie first-overall pick Gavin McKenna is +250 to score a goal in the first regular season game of his NHL career.
McKenna to register 1+ point is -111 at FanDuel.
Darryn Raddysh is -125 to get a point in his Leafs debut.
The NHL regular season begins with five games including a pair of Original Six showdowns and a banner night.
Let’s look at five intriguing storylines to watch for NHL Opening Night in this Morning Coffee for Tuesday September 29th, 2027.
New-Look Panthers Face Off Against Defending Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes
I locked in the Florida Panthers as my best bet to win the Stanley Cup at +1300 at FanDuel back in June.
After a long wait, I’ll get to see them match up against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes later today.
With the returns of Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Seth Jones, Matthew Tkachuk, and the offseason addition of Brady Tkachuk, Florida enters the regular season as the Stanley Cup favourite at +650 at FanDuel.
I’m sure the new-look Panthers will be fired up to start the season off on a high note after they are forced to sit through the Hurricanes banner celebration.
Florida is +105 to pull off the upset tonight in Carolina.
Brady Tkachuk is +180 to score and -160 to register a point in his Panthers debut.
It might not be an Original Six rivalry, but watching the Cats and Hurricanes go head-to-head will be a treat.
Calder Trophy Favourite Gavin McKenna Set For Maple Leafs Debut
How high is McKenna’s ceiling in Year 1 in Toronto?
McKenna is the Calder Trophy favourite at +270.
Looking at the updated NHL futures this morning, FanDuel has McKenna at over/under 21.5 goals and over/under 61.5 points for his rookie season.
New head coach Jim Hiller has plugged McKenna in on Toronto’s second line at 5-on-5 next to John Tavares and William Nylander.
McKenna is +250 to score a goal and -111 to register 1+ point against the rival Habs in his Maple Leafs debut.
Great Expectations For Canadiens This Season
The rebuild is no longer the slogan in Montreal.
The Canadiens are -172 to make the playoffs.
After last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final, the expectation is that they will take another step.
That will be a challenge in a deep Atlantic Division that features the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Nobody in Montreal will hit the panic button if they lose tonight, but it’s safe to say that Habs fans expect a win.
Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Ivan Demidov lead an exciting young core.
The Habs added Chris Kreider in the offseason, but my guess is that GM Kent Hughes isn’t done dealing.
For now, I’m looking forward to seeing how the current Canadiens match up against the rival Maple Leafs.
McDavid, Oilers Begin New Era Versus Canucks
Speaking of expectations, only three NHL teams have shorter odds to win the Stanley Cup than Edmonton.
The Oilers are +1000 to win it all in Year 1 under new head coach Mike Babcock.
With expectations comes pressure, and it will be interesting to see how Edmonton responds.
The Oilers are the biggest favourite on the board at -300 to beat the Vancouver Canucks tonight at home.
McDavid anytime goal is +115 at FanDuel.
Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl has the shortest odds to score a goal of any player on either team at +105.
Let’s see if Edmonton can start the Babcock era off with a statement win on home ice.
Kane, Blackhawks Face Tough Test In Vegas
Connor Bedard won’t make his season debut until November, but the Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of young talent on a roster that will face a tough test out of the gate tonight.
Roman Kantserov is +1000 to win the Calder Trophy as the fifth choice on the board behind Mckenna, Porter Martone, Ivar Stenberg, and Cole Hutson at FanDuel.
His teammate Anton Frondell is right behind him at +1200 as the sixth choice at FanDuel.
Meanwhile, Patrick Kane returns to Chicago tonight against the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Kane is +340 to score against Vegas tonight.
He’s -113 to register 1+ point, with Frondell 1+ point at +114 and Kantserov at +138.
The Golden Knights are a massive favourite at -265.
It will be a difficult test for a young Blackhawks team.
I’m interested to see how they handle the moment on the road in the final game of the night.
Have a great day, everyone!
