Toronto Maple Leafs vs Minnesota Wild Prediction: Struggling Teams Collide In the Wild
Updated 09 Jul, 2026
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue a difficult stretch as they travel to Minnesota for a Sunday night game against the Wild. Toronto enters the contest on a prolonged slump and dealing with the loss of its captain and top scorer, leaving the lineup searching for offense. Minnesota, meanwhile, sits in the playoff race in the Central Division and has been strong on home ice. The contrast between Toronto’s defensive issues and Minnesota’s balanced attack makes this Maple Leafs vs Wild game key for both sides.
Toronto comes into this game having lost four of its last five games. To make matters worse, they are without Auston Matthews due to injury for the remainder of the season. Now the Leafs have to end their losing streak without one of their top players.
Minnesota has been far steadier. The Wild hold a 38-17-12 record and sit among the top teams in the Central Division. But they have also struggled lately, losing three of their last four games. Two of those losses came in shootouts, helping them to secure extra points, but wins are the goal for this group going forward.
Toronto is expected to go with Anthony Stolarz in net for this contest. Stolarz has struggled this year, with a 3.40 GAA going into this matchup. Minnesota’s crease has been more stable. Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have both produced solid numbers during the season, with Wallstedt posting a save percentage of .913 in limited action. He is expected to get the start in this contest on Sunday night.
The Leafs offense now leans heavily on William Nylander and John Tavares. Nylander leads the club with 63 points and continues to generate chances off the rush. Tavares remains the top goal producer on the active roster with Matthews out of action.
Minnesota counters with a deep forward group led by Kirill Kaprizov, who leads the team with 38 goals this season. Matt Boldy has been another major contributor and will try to use his passing to set up dangerous chances for his teammates.
Minnesota enters this game with clear advantages in team defense, scoring depth, and recent results. The Wild generate more shots per game than Toronto and convert chances at a slightly higher rate. Their power play also ranks among the best in the league, which could create trouble for a Toronto club that spends long stretches defending.
The Maple Leafs are dealing with a difficult stretch and continue to give up a high number of chances. Without Matthews in the lineup, the attack has been inconsistent and relies too heavily on Nylander and Tavares. Minnesota’s balanced scoring group and steadier defensive structure should allow the Wild to control much of the game. I'll lay the puckline with the Wild in this contest on Sunday night.
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