Maple Leafs Week Ahead: Revenge Against Ducks and Final Stretch

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into the final stretch of a challenging season, focused on evaluating the roster for next season and improving their position in the 2026 NHL Draft lottery, which will be revealed on May 5.

This week, the Maple Leafs embark on a three-game road trip through California, starting with a match against the Anaheim Ducks. Last week, the team picked up back-to-back wins against the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, but they suffered a defeat against the St. Louis Blues.

The game against the Ducks is particularly significant, as it represents the second and final time the two teams face each other this season. The first encounter in March ended with a 6-4 victory for Toronto, but it was marked by controversy, including an injury to Auston Matthews due to a hit from Radko Gudas, which ended his season.

In addition to Matthews' injury, the previous game against the Ducks drew criticism for the Maple Leafs' lack of reaction to their captain's injury, making them a laughing stock in the league.

Therefore, the encounter this week is expected to be very physical. After the game against the Ducks, the team will face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. These three games will be crucial in determining their position in the standings and their place in the final games of the season.

The California road trip is crucial to define their place in the standings and their position for the end of the season.

In this final stretch, players like Joseph Woll will have the opportunity to prove their worth, as he is expected to start in at least two of the three games.

Woll's ability to keep the Maple Leafs in games, even when they are outshot, could be key for him to be chosen as the organization's starting goalie in the future.

In addition, players like Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli, who have had outstanding streaks, will seek to take the opportunity to demonstrate their potential. Maccelli, who is in a restricted free agent situation, could see his future on the team influenced by his performance in these last games.

The Maple Leafs' schedule for the week of March 30 to April 5, 2026, is as follows:

Monday, March 30: at Anaheim Ducks (10:00 p.m. ET)

Thursday, April 2: at San Jose Sharks (10:00 p.m. ET)

Saturday, April 4: at Los Angeles Kings (7:00 p.m. ET)