Maple Leafs Had Far More Talent Than They Saw: Who Knew?

Watching Nicolas Roy do what he’s doing right now with the Colorado Avalanche kind of leaves you with that familiar Toronto Maple Leafs feeling: wait… why didn’t we ever see that version of him in Toronto?

Roy has been a real factor for Colorado this postseason. He’s making plays, jumping into offence, finding seams, and looking like a guy who actually has some offensive punch in his game. And for Maple Leafs fans, it naturally leads to the question—did Toronto ever really use him that way?

Because in Toronto, he never really looked like this.

Roy’s deployment with the Maple Leafs never gave him a chance to show up.

His deployment with the Maple Leafs always felt a bit off. He was used in a much more defensive, safety-first role, starting shifts in tough situations and rarely getting the kind of offensive-zone usage that lets a player like him build rhythm. The result was predictable: he looked more like a checking centre than someone who could actually drive play or chip in offensively.

Now in Colorado, the leash is looser. He’s getting more offensive opportunities, more confidence, and more touches in dangerous areas. And suddenly, the skills are showing up again. It’s not that the player changed—it’s that the usage did.

That’s where the frustration creeps in a bit for Toronto.

Roy’s deployment story isn’t a one-off for the Maple Leafs.

Because this isn’t just a one-off story. The Maple Leafs have had a few moments where players seem to leave and immediately look more comfortable elsewhere. Sometimes it’s system fit, sometimes it’s coaching trust, sometimes it’s just role clarity. But the pattern is hard to ignore.

Even on the veteran side, there were moves that never really clicked the way they were supposed to. Scott Laughton is a good example. He came in with some expectations, some versatility, some potential value up and down the lineup—but he basically ended up as a glorified fourth-liner. Not because he couldn’t do more, but because he was never really put in a spot where he could do more.

Maple Leafs fans have to hope their next head coach has a better sense of talent.

And that’s the larger issue here: role definition. Players don’t exist in a vacuum. They are what their coaches ask them to be. And when those roles don’t match their strengths, you end up with versions of players that feel incomplete.

That’s why seeing Roy thrive in Colorado hits a little differently. It’s not just that he’s producing now—it’s that he always had the tools, and they just weren’t being used the same way.

Auston Matthews shares this same story in his own way.

Auston Matthews fits into this conversation too, in a different way. When he’s used in a way that maximizes his offence—clean zone starts, rhythm, shooting volume—he looks like one of the most dominant goal scorers in the league. When the structure shifts away from that, even slightly, you feel it in his production.

At the end of the day, it all comes back to one simple truth: players need the right roles. And the Maple Leafs haven’t always nailed that. We can only hope the team is better at identifying that next season.