Opinion & Commentary

An opinion grading the Maple Leafs free agency reshape — Chayka's disciplined July 1 of five signings and two trades earns an A-minus for solving the right problems without a panic overpay.

The Nick Robertson trade sends the RFA forward to Pittsburgh for a 2028 fourth-round pick, ending a two-year Maple Leafs saga and reuniting him with Kyle Dubas.

Alex Tuch got $10.5M, Pavel Dorofeyev $11M, and Bobrovsky wants seven years. Maple Leafs free agency in 2026 calls for discipline — and Chayka is right to hold.

Patrik Laine is the bargain the Maple Leafs should chase on July 1. Why a short, incentive-laden deal on a former 40-goal scorer is Toronto's smart move.

The Patrick Kane Maple Leafs rumour is tempting, but at 37 he's the wrong July 1 swing for a team trying to get younger and faster. An honest case against it.

An opinion on John Chayka's Maple Leafs offseason — a disciplined reshaping of the roster's edges that keeps the core and trims everything around it.

Opinion: An Anthony Stolarz trade only makes sense as a real upgrade. At a $3.75M cap hit, dealing him for a lateral goalie would be a Maple Leafs mistake.

The Maple Leafs defence is overstocked after the Raddysh and Andrae adds — why Brandon Carlo's $3.4M deal makes him the cleanest piece to move.

Opinion: the Maple Leafs shouldn't trade William Nylander. He wants to stay, his $11.5M deal ages well, and he's the bridge to the McKenna era.

The McKenna pick looks like a rebuild, but Chayka kept Matthews, Knies and Nylander and spent cap space. This is a Maple Leafs retool, not a teardown.

We grade John Chayka's Maple Leafs offseason before the draft: the Woll trade, the Raddysh overpay, the Hiller hire, the Knies stance and McKenna at No. 1.

Boone Jenner is the best UFA centre available, but in a bone-dry market the Maple Leafs centre target search may push Chayka toward a McTavish or Wright trade instead.

Toronto shrugged at the Jim Hiller hire, but Chayka's bet on trust over star power is more defensible than it looks.

Our take on whether the Maple Leafs should hire John Tortorella, and what the idea reveals about the team's real problem.

Carolina won the 2026 Cup the analytics way: depth scoring, value bets, system over stars. It's the blueprint John Chayka's Maple Leafs should steal this summer.

Joe Pavelski as Maple Leafs head coach would be Chayka's boldest bet: a beloved ex-star with one season of under-16 coaching, handed Toronto's win-now roster.

A Dougie Hamilton Maple Leafs trade is back in the rumour mill. He fits the blueline rebuild, but cap math and Rielly's no-move clause loom.

Mitch Marner and Vegas face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, down 3-2 to Carolina. For Leafs fans, every shift is a reckoning with the trade.

The Maple Leafs head coach search is down to Woodcroft and Pavelski. Their shared San Jose history hints Chayka may hire both before the June 26 draft.

Maple Leafs free agency faces a thin UFA class. With $22M and a centre hole, Chayka should use cap room as trade currency, not overpay July 1.

Darren Raddysh just set a Lightning scoring record, and the Maple Leafs are linked. But a six-year deal for a 30-year-old is a classic Toronto trap.

Should the Maple Leafs trade for Mason McTavish? The 23-year-old centre fits Toronto's $104M cap and Domi-thinned depth — but Anaheim's asking price is the catch.

Alex Tuch and the Maple Leafs are a logical fit. With $22M in space and a Marner-sized hole, here's why Toronto should chase the power forward on July 1.

Mitch Marner's Stanley Cup Final hat trick broke Maurice Richard's 69-year-old record, the fastest in Final history, as the former Leaf powers Vegas.

A Morgan Rielly trade is down to five approved teams, with the Sharks atop the list — the fit, his no-move clause, and Toronto's likely return.

Joe Pavelski as Maple Leafs head coach is a live possibility. Chayka will interview the former star — a St. Louis-style bet on credibility over résumé.

Should the Maple Leafs trade the No. 1 pick? No. Here's why Toronto should keep it, draft Gavin McKenna in Buffalo, and ignore the trade noise.

Mitch Marner leads the 2026 playoffs in scoring for Vegas. A Leafs-angle on why the one that got away is thriving — and what it says about the core era.

A Vincent Trocheck trade fits the Leafs' centre need and his $5.625M deal is fair, but the Rangers' asking price means Toronto must not overpay.

Auston Matthews' future became a talking point after a guarded presser answer. Separating confirmed facts from rumour, and what Chayka must get right.

Five structural needs for the 2026-27 Leafs, ordered by priority. A third-line center, a top-six winger who drives play, right-side defense depth, a modern power-play assistant, and backup goaltending insurance.

The case for and against keeping Craig Berube after the Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, and why Brad Treliving almost certainly keeps his coach.