The Toronto Maple Leafs have a chance to get younger and quicker without paying much for it, with Zach Dean now available on waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
Dean was one of two players placed on waivers Thursday as NHL rosters continue to settle. Garrett Wilson also hit the wire, with the Philadelphia Flyers moving on from the 35-year-old forward. Teams now have 24 hours to put in a claim on either player.
Wilson has been around the AHL for years and has spent time in multiple organizations, including the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Flyers. In 89 career NHL games, he has two goals and eight points, with his strongest stretch coming in 2018-19 in Pittsburgh, when he appeared in 50 games and recorded all eight of those points.
Dean is the more intriguing name for Toronto. The 23-year-old center brings speed and playmaking ability, and while he stands 6-foot and 179 pounds, his game is built more around quickness than size. He has not scored in the NHL yet, but his junior track record points to real offensive upside that he simply hasn’t had the chance to show at the league level.
For the Maple Leafs, that makes him a reasonable fit for the bottom six. He could add a younger, faster look than Bo Groulx or Vinni Lettieri, while also giving the organization another option for the future. A stint with the Marlies could be part of that process, giving him the chance to play regularly and contribute every night.
The contract side is part of the appeal too. Dean is making $850,000 and becomes an RFA after this season, so a claim and a potential extension beyond this year would not require much financial commitment. Toronto may be trying to win now, but the team also has to keep an eye on how to round out the roster without spending heavily.
That balance matters even more because the Maple Leafs do not have much room to maneuver contract-wise. Any move they make has to help them immediately while also making sense for the roster beyond this season. Dean could check both boxes if Toronto decides he’s worth the claim.
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The catch is obvious: this kind of move does not exist in a vacuum, and the path to even getting in the conversation would depend on Nashvilles season going off the rails. If the Predators keep sliding and start considering bigger roster changes, Toronto would have to decide how far it is willing to go, with a serious pursuit likely costing a major asset such as Ben Danford or Easton Cowan. For now, it is the sort of trade rumor that says as much about the Leafs need as it does about how rare the solution might be. [Read more 🡒]