Leafs Just Settled A Depth Question Fans Have Been Watching

The Toronto Maple Leafs secure their future by locking in key players with strategic contract extensions, blending veteran stability with emerging talent.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked in the last of their relevant restricted free agents, signing forwards Ryan Tverberg and Jacob Quillan to one-year deals and defender William Villeneuve to a two-year extension.

The club announced the moves on July 8, 2026, with Tverberg and Quillan both landing short-term contracts and Villeneuve getting a longer runway. That leaves the Leafs with their RFA business wrapped up on this group.

Tverberg’s deal carries an $850,000 NHL salary and $250,000 in the AHL, with $350,000 guaranteed. If he’s sent to the Marlies, he’ll need waivers.

Even though he’s 24, the contract is set up so he’ll become a Group-6 UFA when it expires unless he reaches 78 NHL games next season. Tverberg put up 15 goals and 36 points in 63 regular-season games, then added 6 goals and 14 points in 24 games during the Marlies’ Calder Cup run.

He finished fifth on the Marlies in scoring last season.

Quillan’s contract is built in a similar range at the NHL level. He’ll make $850,000 in the NHL and $350,000 in the AHL, with $375,000 guaranteed.

He remains waivers exempt for one more season, or until he hits 46 NHL games, whichever comes first. Next summer, he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights.

Quillan led the team in points per game last season with 36 points in 40 games, while also appearing in 23 games with the Leafs. Injuries slowed him in the playoffs, but the organization clearly has a read on what he brings.

Villeneuve’s two-year deal wasn’t listed with terms in the announcement, but it is expected to land in the same general range as the contracts signed by similarly aged Cole McWard and Marshall Rafai. Villeneuve led the Marlies in power-play points last season with 14, all of them assists, and finished second on the team in playoff scoring. He needs waivers this season, and when this contract ends he’ll either be an RFA with arbitration rights at age 26.

He also logged a three-game cup of coffee with the Leafs last season, and as a right-shot defender, he’ll be on the radar at training camp. Not as a regular job candidate, but as an injury call-up. Villeneuve, Philippe Myers, and McWard are the Leafs’ options in that lane, especially if the team wants to keep Danford in one place for the season.

The Marlies’ season ended with a Calder Cup title, and the organization heads into next year with most of the group still intact. Only Henry Thrun, Dennis Hildeby, and possibly Alex Nylander are not expected to remain in the organization. Travis Boyd had ankle surgery in March and missed the rest of the season, and his contract status is unknown.

In Other News...

Why The Leafs Clearly See More In Brandon Duhaime

Brandon Duhaimes arrival gives the Maple Leafs a very specific kind of depth piece, one they clearly believe can do more than just fill out the bottom six. Signed to a three-year deal, the forward brings a reputation for being hard to play against, and Toronto is betting that edge matters as much as any skill he adds to the lineup.

What makes the fit interesting is the way Duhaime is being cast around the roster, not just as a grinder but as a physical presence who can help keep younger players from getting pushed around. His history of dropping the gloves and his willingness to play a rugged game suggest the Leafs see a tougher, more useful version of the old-school deterrent, with enough offensive touch to contribute if everything clicks. [Read more 🡒]

Bobrovskys Arrival Just Changed Everything For The Leafs Goalie Future

Sergei Bobrovskys arrival in Toronto immediately reshapes the Maple Leafs goalie picture, and not just for the present. Signed to be the starter, Bobrovsky also brings the kind of veteran presence that can matter to a young prospect like Artur Akhtyamov, who still looks like part of the organizations long-term plan. For a club that has been searching for stability in net, the move gives Toronto a proven option while also setting a very different timeline for its next wave of goaltending.

Akhtyamov remains a promising name in the system, but the path to real NHL minutes just got a lot narrower. Bobrovsky is expected to handle a heavy workload and stay durable enough to keep the crease mostly spoken for, which means Akhtyamovs chances could be limited to spot duty if injuries open the door. For now, the Leafs get the security they wanted, while their prospect may have to spend a lot more time waiting for the opportunity that once looked much closer. [Read more 🡒]