Takeaways from visits with new Leafs: Why home is where the heart is

“Something about Toronto,” forward Nick Paul said.

Published Jul 02, 2026  •  Last updated 12 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Nick Paul, then a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis /Getty Images

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Nick Paul spent all of his career beating the Maple Leafs.

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Now it’s time to come home and join them.

Almost sounding remorseful, he spoke Thursday of the grief he caused Toronto, topped by both goals for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Game 7 elimination in 2022 and before that, all those Battles of Ontario with the Ottawa Senators.

This from a guy with multiple Leaf sweaters hanging in his boyhood closet in Mississauga.

“I had Mats Sundin, Cujo (Curtis Joseph), Darcy Tucker, and of course Tie Domi,” Paul rhymed off, ending with his close friend Max’s father. “Max and I played with and against each other in the GTHL We went to games to watch his dad a couple of times, or I went with friends.

“When we were old enough, we’d take the GO Train in and try to get some nose bleed (seats). Best part of my day was waking up, eating cereal before school, watching Leaf highlights.”

He had to divorce himself from all that while twisting the knife into their logo. He’s not the only one to do it after growing up in the shadow of Scotiabank Arena

“Something about Toronto,” said Paul, who could centre Toronto’s third line at camp. “You grow up in the Mecca, it just means a little more when you come back to play them. (2022) was my first playoffs, a lot of energy and excitement. I’ve always been wanting those big moments. I like it when the pressure is on and Game 7 is one of those.”

Given the Leafs have lost all of their past six Game 7 contests, Paul should be in their starting lineup if one rolls around. For now, he’s still in Tampa,  answering “six hundred unread messages and calls” after being traded Wednesday for goaltender Dennis Hildeby and draft picks.

“I don’t think I’ve had time to process it, I’m completely overwhelmed. Everyone is fired up about me being back and me thinking back about having a Leaf jersey on, pretending to score.

“To play with them definitely gives me a whole different excitement level.”

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WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND

Jack Roslovic hopes he and Auston Matthews can turn back the clock about 10 years.

They were teammates on the U.S. National Development Program team, 1-2 in scoring in 2014-15. It might be Roslovic is tried fairly soon on Matthews’ first line right side or gets a shot somewhere at centre.

“I’m really familiar with his game, the person, who he is as a leader,” Columbus native Roslovic said Thursday. “I’ve seen him grow in a lot of ways and been on his journey a little bit.”

Roslovic never doubted Matthews after witnessing his determined recovery from a “brutal” injury, a broken femur in their first year.

“Watching his work ethic and drive when missing a whole season was admirable. We knew how good he was going to be (first overall in the 2016 draft) because that stuck with me.”

Chosen a year ahead of Matthews, in the first round, but at 25th by Winnipeg, Roslovic is coming off career-best back-to-back 20-goal seasons with Columbus and Edmonton. He was on the Leafs’ radar under Brad Treliving, but the consolation was playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

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“A God-given talent with those guys. It’s the drive, dedication and the little things that make them special. I can’t wait to see what this group has as well.”

WHAT ARE DUHAIME’S TORONTO ROOTS?

New winger Brandon Duhaime took the long way ‘home’.

Dad Trevor was born in Toronto and had a minor league career that among other stops, included John Brophy’s scrappy Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL. Trevor’s career penalty minute total suggests he and Brophy would have got along well. Brandon has 440 career PIMs in the NHL, 176 the past two seasons without missing a game with Washington.

“(Fighting) is part of my game,” said Brandon, who signed a three-year UFA deal. “I wouldn’t say I go looking for it. Anytime you play a hard-checking game, stuff like that kind of finds you. It’s super important to play on the edge, while helping the team win.”

Brandon grew up in South Florida where Trevor had moved and became his minor hockey coach. Many Panthers and retired NHLers also settled there, with Jeff Chychrun influential in Brandon’s development.

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BACK ON THE BIG STAGE

After 12 seasons in Nashville and last month’s oh-so-close Stanley Cup run as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, winger Colton Sissons is back in a traditional hockey town.

“Coming from a smaller market is going to be different for me and my fiancee, but we’re really excited for the opportunity,” he said.

“Just being a Canadian kid watching Hockey Night in Canada (as a young Canucks fan in North Vancouver) it’s an honour to be part of the Leafs and see what Toronto has to offer.”

Falling to Carolina was the second time Sissons has lost in the final.

“That’s extremely motivating to me,” he assured. “ It hurt bad and I’m still kind of reeling from it. But that’s the only thing I care about, trying to win one and there’s no better place than Toronto.

“I did some homework heading into free agency and there was a hole to fill in the bottom six here. I was super-excited about the (trades and UFA) action yesterday. Everyone should be excited about the depth pieces and getting Bob (goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky) in net.”

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