The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t get the kind of summer that usually calms a fan base down. They finished the 2025-26 campaign by dropping seven straight and haven’t won since March 30. Then came the bounce of all bounces: winning the NHL Draft Lottery and landing Gavin McKenna, a move that has given the franchise a fresh jolt of optimism.
Even with that headline hanging over the offseason, this roster still looks close to the one from a year ago. The Leafs have a legitimate number-one goalie, a top defenseman, and a healthy Auston Matthews, at least for now. The trade chatter around Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly never turned into anything concrete, and with John Chayka now in charge as GM, the sense is that the next phase of roster shaping is still coming.
That’s why a few familiar names feel like they could be on borrowed time in Toronto.
Max Domi is one of them. The family name carries real history in this city, but his own NHL story has never quite matched the hype that followed him from junior.
He still has value, though. His $3.75 million contract is workable in today’s NHL, and there should be interest if Toronto decides to move him.
The issue is fit. Domi is probably better suited for a top-six role, but his style also makes him a useful third-line option.
With Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, and McKenna now in the picture, he gets pushed further down the lineup when he comes back from injury. On top of that, complications from surgery have made his return timeline murky.
Even if he does make it back healthy, the feeling is that Domi could be dealt by the end of next year.
Anthony Stolarz is in a similarly tricky spot. Toronto added Samuel Hlavaj for depth in goal, and Artur Akhtyamov is waiting as the organization’s next potential star at the position. That makes Stolarz easier to move than keep, especially with his $3.75 million AAV running through 2030.
For a backup goalie, that contract is manageable. In Toronto, it also looks a little steep when Akhtyamov is sitting there at $900,000 until 2029.
The Leafs could free up about $3 million by moving Stolarz, and they might even improve the position while doing it. He could still stick around this season if he settles back into the steady backup role he’s known for, but he looks like the odd man out.
Even after the Leafs traded Joseph Woll this offseason, Stolarz still appears likely to be gone by the end of the year.
Morgan Rielly is the biggest name of the group, and he was the one most heavily discussed all summer. A trade felt close, maybe even inevitable, but it never happened. So Rielly is back as the longest-tenured Leaf, now with four years left on his contract.
His $7.5 million AAV is expensive, no question, but with the salary cap climbing, the deal becomes easier to live with as time goes on. The argument for moving him now is that the market may be more favorable than it has been in the past, and the cap math makes a deal less painful for another team too.
A major hockey trade is never simple in the middle of a season, but both sides seem to want a resolution sooner rather than later. Because of that, it wouldn’t be surprising if Rielly is moved before the deadline this year.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Could Face One Tough Decision With Reilly Smith
The Maple Leafs are weighing a low-risk look at veteran forward Reilly Smith, with a professional tryout on the table as they try to gauge how he might fit into their lineup. Smith brings a long track record in the NHL, along with the kind of depth and versatility that can matter over a full season, especially for a team that is always trying to balance top-end skill with reliable support pieces.
The catch is roster math. Toronto already has a full contract roster, so any move from a PTO to a signed deal would force the club to clear space first. That makes Smith an interesting possibility for the Leafs, but also a potentially tricky one, because a simple evaluation could quickly turn into a decision with ripple effects elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Could Face A Brutal Trade Price For Dylan Larkin
The Dylan Larkin conversation is the kind of trade chatter that naturally grabs the attention of a Maple Leafs front office always looking for a jolt down the middle. But the more you dig into it, the more it sounds like any path to prying him out of Detroit would come with a steep, immediate cost. The Red Wings are said to be looking for NHL-ready players, not a package built around prospects or draft picks, and that narrows Torontos options fast.
For the Leafs, that creates the real issue. Larkin would bring a sizable contract with him, and even before debating his fit, Toronto would have to sort through the ripple effects on the salary cap and the rest of the roster. It is the sort of move that can look appealing in theory, but the price could force the Leafs into giving up pieces they would rather keep, which is why this pursuit feels as much about restraint as ambition. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Just Closed Off One Offseason Option Fans Wanted
The Maple Leafs have reached a point in the offseason where even the margestane room is gone, at least on paper. Toronto now sits at 50 signed professional contracts, the NHL limit, and as of Sept. 7 it was the only team in the league in that position. The recent signing of Brendan Brisson helped get the roster to that mark, giving the club a full allotment before training camp decisions really start to sharpen.
For fans hoping the Leafs might still bring in another veteran look or a professional tryout, the path has gotten a lot narrower. NHL rules mean any added contract would have to be paired with another move, whether that comes through a trade or some other roster shuffle, so the teams flexibility is tied to what it can create elsewhere. Trades are still in play, but the easy option of simply adding another body has effectively been shut off for now. [Read more 🡒]