The Maple Leafs and Canadiens may be headed for the same offseason fight.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, both Toronto and Montreal are in the mix for Mason Marchment, with the two Canadian rivals said to “covet” the winger as NHL free agency opens at 12 noon ET on Wednesday.
Marchment is expected to be available, and Johnston projects a deal in the neighborhood of $5.67 million per year over four years. That would put the total value at $17 million.
The 31-year-old winger appears to be in line for what could be his final major contract, and his recent season gave him a strong platform. Johnston pointed to an in-season trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the turning point for Marchment, writing that it “sparked Marchment’s flat-lining game this past season and put him in a much stronger position heading into free agency.”
After that move, Marchment produced 15 goals in 39 games for Columbus. Over the full 2025-26 season, he finished with 45 points in 68 games, including 19 goals and 26 assists.
Johnston described him as a big winger who brings an aggressive edge, strong hands in tight spaces and a physical style that looks more like old-school power forwards than the modern NHL. He also noted that Marchment was a middle-six player, which is likely the role he’d fill wherever he lands next.
For Toronto, he’d offer experience to a team looking for a bounceback season. For Montreal, he’d bring a veteran presence to a younger roster. Either way, both clubs appear ready to make their pitch.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Linked To The Blue-Line Move Fans Have Waited For
The Maple Leafs still have the same offseason problem that has followed them for a while now: they want a real upgrade on the blue line, but the path to get there is not especially simple. The market keeps pointing them toward bigger-name defense help, and the conversation is being framed by a front office that wants to stay aggressive without losing sight of the long-term picture.
Adam Boqvist has also entered the discussion as a possible low-risk depth play if he remains unsigned, with a professional tryout at training camp on the table. For Toronto, that kind of move would not solve the whole issue on its own, but it fits the broader approach of trying to strengthen the back end wherever possible while the bigger questions around a major trade continue to hang over the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Finally Revisit One Regret Fans Never Forgot
Mason Marchments career has long lingered as one of those Maple Leafs what-ifs, the kind of move fans never quite forget because it kept paying off elsewhere. Since leaving Toronto, the 31-year-old winger has settled in as a productive middle-six forward with size, physicality and enough offense to make him more than just a depth add, giving clubs a better idea of what they might be buying if they come calling now.
Toronto could use that profile, and the connection is obvious enough to make the fit worth revisiting. Marchment is a pending unrestricted free agent, and the question is whether the Maple Leafs are willing to pay the price and make the commitment it would take to bring back a player they once moved on from, only to watch him become the kind of useful, well-rounded winger they still seek. [Read more 🡒]