The Maple Leafs may have missed on Zach Werenski, but the bigger swing could be waiting right around the corner.
If Toronto wants to pivot, Erik Karlsson is the name that jumps off the page. He’s been one of the NHL’s premier offensive defencemen for 17 years, and even at 35, he’s still producing at a level most blue-liners can only dream about. Last season, he put up 66 points, and there’s been no sign that the game has caught up to him yet.
That matters because the Leafs are looking at a possible opening on the back end, and Karlsson would be a very different kind of answer. He has long been linked to Toronto, though the conversation has quieted down in recent years.
Losing out on Werenski could change that quickly. If Toronto can’t land the most recent Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson offers a different lane: a three-time Norris winner, most recently in 2022-23 at age 32, with the kind of offensive punch and experience that can tilt a roster.
There’s also the fit with Morgan Rielly, or rather, the possibility of Karlsson as a replacement for him. Toronto would be getting more than just points. Karlsson has become one of the league’s most dependable defenders after dealing with injuries in the late 2010s, and the source material makes the case that he’d bring mentorship across the lineup while still giving the team elite production from the blue line.
The problem, of course, is the price tag.
Karlsson is on an $11.5-million deal now, and if he stays anywhere close to this level, he’s going to command at least that much - maybe more - when he reaches free agency next summer. That creates a difficult math problem for Toronto, especially if it means tying up huge money in two defenders over 30. The same issue already hangs over Rielly.
And that’s where the gamble gets real. If Karlsson has the kind of season Toronto needs, his value only rises.
He could be a major reason the Leafs get into the Stanley Cup picture, but that also makes it harder to justify bringing him back for another run. If the team can acquire him for less than it would have cost to land Werenski, that could help keep the forward core intact.
Even so, the Leafs would still be giving up future assets for a 36-year-old.
The timing around the rest of Toronto’s roster only sharpens the decision. Auston Matthews’ contract is looming, a potential Connor McDavid pursuit sits in the distance, and Leo Carlsson has already set a new standard. That leaves the Leafs with a blunt choice: chase the upgrade now, or protect the future.
John Chayka would have to believe the upside is worth it. Because if Toronto goes after Erik Karlsson, it would be a massive addition - and a very expensive one.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Be Eyeing The Blue Line Swing Fans Fear And Crave
Daniel Alfredssons arrival as an associate head coach has already given the Maple Leafs a new layer of intrigue, and it naturally invites a look at how Toronto might try to use that connection to its advantage. Alfredsson spent years on the other side of the rivalry as the face of the Senators, so his presence behind the bench gives the Leafs a familiar name with real weight in any conversation about improving the blue line.
The idea is complicated, though, because any move of that size would have to clear both roster and financial hurdles, and Toronto would be dealing with a player on a major contract who is still set to hit free agency next summer. Even before the Maple Leafs get to the hockey fit, they would have to decide how much they are willing to part with from a defense corps that already has its own structure, which is why this remains more of a tantalizing possibility than a simple next step. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Added Two Underrated Names With Real Paths To Matter
The Maple Leafs have added a pair of low-risk, potentially useful names in Ryan Tverberg and Samuel Hlavaj, both on one-year contracts as part of recent roster movement. Tverberg, a forward, comes off a role in the Marlies Calder Cup run, while Hlavaj brings a goaltenders resume that includes international work for Slovakia and another season in the AHL.
For Toronto, the appeal is obvious: these are players who are not being handed anything, but who can push for real consideration if they carry their momentum into camp and into the fall. Tverberg has already shown he can help in a winning environment, and Hlavaj arrives with enough experience to make the goaltending picture worth watching, even if both still have to prove they belong in the Leafs conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Have Found The Young Winger This Top Six Needs
Trade chatter around Buffalo has given Toronto another name to think about as it looks for a winger who can help the top six. The appeal is easy to see: a young forward coming off a career-best season, with enough production to suggest there may still be another level to reach, and enough age to fit with a team trying to balance present urgency with longer-term value.
Quinn is also in the final year of his contract, which only adds to the intrigue for a Maple Leafs front office that has spent plenty of time weighing fit, cost and upside on the wing. Nothing has been reported officially, but the idea of adding a player with his scoring touch and room to grow is the kind of conversation Toronto will keep circling as it looks for ways to deepen its forward group. [Read more 🡒]