Vegas has one of the healthiest rosters in the league and Toronto has a goaltender who has lost both his starts. That is most of this game in one sentence.
Maple Leafs vs Golden Knights also puts Mitch Marner back in front of the club he spent nine seasons with. He is in his second year in Nevada now, and he has 80 points behind him.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Game | Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights |
| Date | Thursday 8 October 2026 |
| Puck drop | 10:00pm ET · 9:00pm CT · 8:00pm MT · 7:00pm PT |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena, Vegas |
| 2025-26 head to head | Vegas won both, 12-8 |
| 2025-26 finish | Vegas 13th (95 pts), Toronto 28th (78 pts) |
| Rest | Toronto with 1 day off, Vegas with 1 day off |
How to watch
| Region | Broadcast |
|---|---|
| Canada | TSN4 |
| United States | SCRIPPS |
TSN4 has it in Canada. Regional coverage can differ from the national listing, and our how to watch the NHL in Canada page has the full picture.
Maple Leafs vs Golden Knights odds
Nothing was posted in Canada for this one on 5 October. The nearest games get priced first. Our NHL odds page carries every board that is up.
Toronto still has not settled the crease
Sergei Bobrovsky was signed to end the argument and has lost twice, 3-2 to Montréal on opening night and 3-2 to Ottawa on Saturday. Anthony Stolarz won the game between them, beating the Islanders 2-1 and taking first star.
Last season explains some of the worry. Bobrovsky posted a .877 save percentage in Florida, which is poor by his standards. Stolarz managed .893 across 26 games. Toronto conceded 295 goals, second most in the league behind Vancouver.
All three of Toronto’s games this season have been settled by a single goal, and two went the wrong way.
How they compare
| 2025-26 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Vegas Golden Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 32-36-14 | 39-26-17 |
| Points | 78 | 95 |
| Goals for per game | 3.07 | 3.22 |
| Goals against per game | 3.60 | 2.95 |
| Power play | 21.3% | 24.6% |
| Penalty kill | 81.2% | 81.4% |
Seventeen points and 53 goals against separated these clubs last season. The gap was defensive, not offensive.
Vegas is deep and, for once, fully fit
Jack Eichel put up 90 points at plus 23. Marner added 80 at plus 17, Mark Stone 73 in only 60 games at plus 26, and Ivan Barbashev 61 at plus 20. Four forwards well clear of even on a team that finished 13th.
The blue line runs through Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson, who arrived from Calgary during last season. William Karlsson signed a two-year extension on 30 September.
Only Lukas Cormier and Raphael Lavoie are on the injury list. Toronto’s has five names, among them Max Domi, Dakota Joshua and its third goaltender.
Adin Hill and Carter Hart share the crease. Hart went 11-3-3 at 2.71 last season, Hill 10-9-6 at 3.04, and Hill has already beaten Vancouver 3-2 this week.
Vegas won both meetings last season
| Date | Result | Venue | Decided in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-15 | Vegas 6-5 Toronto | Vegas | OT |
| 2026-01-23 | Vegas 6-3 Toronto | Toronto | – |
Twelve goals to eight across the two, and neither finished at six goals or fewer. Vegas won 6-5 in overtime in January and then 6-3 in Toronto eight days later.
Team news
| Player | Club | Status | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Domi | Toronto | Injured Reserve, Back | No timetable |
| Dakota Joshua | Toronto | Injured Reserve, Abdomen | No timetable |
| Elvis Merzlikins | Toronto | Injured Reserve, Shoulder | No timetable |
| Lukas Cormier | Vegas | Injured Reserve, Undisclosed | No timetable |
| Raphael Lavoie | Vegas | Day to day, undisclosed | Check the morning skate |
Domi has no timetable after complications from summer surgery. Dakota Joshua misses at least Toronto’s first ten games. League-wide availability is on our NHL injury report.
Players to watch
Mitch Marner. Eighty points last season and a goal against Vancouver on Sunday. Toronto fans will have an opinion either way.
Jack Eichel. Ninety points and the best player on the ice, which has not often been true when Auston Matthews is in the building.
William Nylander. Two goals on opening night and 79 points last season in only 65 games.
Whoever starts for Toronto. Bobrovsky is 0-2 and Stolarz 1-0, and the club has said nothing about which way it goes.
Score prediction
Toronto Maple Leafs 2-4 Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is deeper, healthier and at home, and Toronto’s goaltending has not held up through three one-goal games.
Maple Leafs vs Golden Knights prediction
Vegas finished seventeen points higher, won both meetings last season by a combined 12-8, and arrives with two names on its injury list. Toronto arrives with five and an unresolved crease.
The argument for Toronto is that all three of its games have been one-goal affairs, so the side is competitive even while losing. Nylander has started well and Stolarz has a win.
Our lean: Vegas, and the over if the total sits at 6 or lower. Both meetings last season had nine goals or more, and Toronto has conceded in every game. Where these two sit against the other 30 is on our NHL power rankings.
Puck drop is 10:00pm ET on Thursday 8 October 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which is 7:00pm local time.
Yes. Marner is in his second season with the Golden Knights and put up 24 goals and 80 points last year at plus 17.
Not settled. Sergei Bobrovsky has lost both his starts and Anthony Stolarz won the game in between, beating the Islanders 2-1.
Vegas won both, 6-5 in overtime in Las Vegas and 6-3 in Toronto, outscoring the Leafs 12-8.
Vegas finished 13th on 95 points. Toronto finished 28th on 78 points with a goal difference of minus 46.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Odds are approximate at the time of writing and change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.