Maple Leafs News & Analysis

Pavel Buchnevich trade talk is back. His $8 million cap hit runs through 2030-31 with full trade protection, and the Maple Leafs should stay well out of it.

Vladimir Tarasenko remains a free agent with camp three weeks away. Why the cap-strapped Maple Leafs should offer the 34-year-old a professional tryout anyway.

The Maple Leafs prospect pool now ranks 12th in the NHL after one offseason. The problem: it has almost no natural finishers, and Toronto will need one by 2029.

NHL 27 ratings put Nylander at 93 and Matthews at 92 — a second straight downgrade. The reaction says more about Toronto than the rating does.

The Max Domi role question has no clean answer: five new bottom-six forwards, a $3.75M cap hit Toronto needs on LTIR, and no line for him to skate on.

Morgan Rielly praised John Chayka's direct approach. It marks a real shift in how the Maple Leafs handle players — and a bill that comes due by February.

A Morgan Frost trade fits what Toronto needs — a 27-year-old centre off a career year on an expiring $4.375M deal. The case, the cost, and where we would stop.

A Sidney Crosby extension is expected before mid-September, shrinking the 2027 UFA class — and pushing the Auston Matthews contract question into focus.

The Kirill Marchenko trade market has gone cold, with Columbus fielding no calls since early summer. Why the Maple Leafs should wait until the deadline.

The Cutter Gauthier contract standoff — a rejected $52 million offer — resets the NHL's second-contract market and raises the price of Toronto's next deals.

Behind Bobrovsky and Stolarz, the Maple Leafs third goalie plan is thin across 84 games. Why Alexandar Georgiev on a PTO is the cheapest hedge Toronto can make.

Matthew Knies 30 goals is a seven-goal step, not a leap. Why it is the cleanest test of whether John Chayka built the Maple Leafs roster correctly.

A Quinn Hughes contract near $20 million would reset the NHL defence market. What that means for Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly and the Leafs' blue line.

Auston Matthews 40 goals in 2026-27? His down-year rate already projects to 37 over 84 games. Health, not scoring touch, is the real question.

The clearest Auston Matthews injury update all summer came from his chiropractor. Toronto's silence on its captain's knee is a problem, and it is fixable.

Can William Nylander score 50 goals in 2026-27? The math needs his best-ever rate plus full health. Our projection lands at 43, and explains the gap.

A Trevor Moore trade would reunite the ex-Leaf with Jim Hiller. The hockey fit is genuine — but Toronto is over the cap with no roster spot to give him.

The Morgan Rielly role, not the trade, is now Toronto's live question. Raddysh has the power play and McCabe the tough minutes. Where does $7.5 million fit?