Division 8th Atlantic 2015–16 record 29–42–11 Road record 15–24–2 | Conference 16th Eastern Home record 14–18–9 Goals for 198 | |
The 2015–16 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the 99th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on November 22, 1917. The season officially began its regular games on October 7, 2015, with a 3–1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
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Despite spurs of strong play, with the Maple Leafs at one point being a few points out of a playoff spot, it was the worst season in team history, having broken the franchise record for most losses in a season with 53 (the previous record was 52 in 1984–85). However, it is important to note the previous record was set when there were only 80 games per season (two have since been added, bringing the total games played yearly to 82 per team). Additionally, the Maple Leafs finished last overall in the NHL standings for the first time since the 1984-85 season. On April 30, 2016, it was announced that the Leafs would receive the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Auston Matthews was subsequently selected first overall.
On July 1, 2015, the Maple Leafs were part of a blockbuster, multi-player deal that centred on Phil Kessel moving to the Pittsburgh Penguins, with one of the key pieces for Toronto being prospect Kasperi Kapanen. Kessel would be a central piece in the Penguins' Stanley Cup win later that season. Months later, another significant trade occurred with captain Dion Phaneuf plus four other players traded to Ottawa Senators in exchange for four players plus a second round draft pick in 2017. A trade like this was seen as substantial due to the divisional Battle of Ontario rivalry and the NHL salary cap, which typically prevents more than a few players from moving at once.
Off-season
The Maple Leafs made numerous personnel changes prior to the start of the season. Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello were hired as head coach and general manager, respectively, replacing Dave Nonis and interim head coach Peter Horachek. Additionally, in an effort to bring in new personnel, coaches Steve Spott, Chris Dennis, Rick St. Croix; Director of Player Development Jim Hughes; and Director of Pro Scouting Steve Kasper, as well as Rob Cowie, strength and conditioning coach Anthony Belza, video coordinator Adam Jancelewicz and 18 other scouts were fired. The team would find replacements for these members throughout the off season.
The 2015 NHL Entry Draft was held between July 26 and 27, and the Maple Leafs made a total of 9 selections, while also acquiring defenceman Martin Marinčin.
Following the draft, the Leafs made a number of moves during the free agency period, signing players such as P. A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello, and Shawn Matthias to short term contracts. The most noteworthy move came in a blockbuster deal that sent winger Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Tim Erixon, Tyler Biggs and a conditional 2nd round draft pick, in exchange for Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spaling, Scott Harrington, and a conditional set of draft picks.
As the off-season went on, the team would sign Devin Setoguchi, Curtis Glencross, Brad Boyes, and Mark Fraser to professional try out contracts. Out of these four, Boyes was the only one to sign a contract, inking a one-year deal, while the others were released.
For a complete list of on-ice off-season moves, please see Transactions.
Record vs opponents
* game decided in overtime or shoot-out
Player statistics
Final stats
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Maple Leafs. Stats reflect time with the Maple Leafs only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Maple Leafs only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
Year end roster
Updated May 22, 2016. Sources: Toronto Maple Leafs, CBS Sports
This list only includes skaters who played a minimum of 20 games with the Maple Leafs, or goaltenders who player at least 15. For a complete list of players, see HERE. Additionally, players who were traded away before the season's end are not included in this table.
Milestones
A variety of milestones were set by players during the season. In terms of debuts, twelve players appeared in this first NHL game this season. They include Byron Froese, Garret Sparks, Brendan Leipsic, Viktor Loov, Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, Rinat Valiev, Connor Brown, Frédérik Gauthier and Tobias Lindberg.
Transactions
The Maple Leafs have been involved in the following transactions during the 2015–16 season.