The Columbus Blue Jackets put Miles Wood on waivers earlier today, and that immediately puts the Toronto Maple Leafs on alert.
Waivers have been buzzing all over the league in recent weeks, with plenty of players landing there as teams try to send them back to the AHL. This time around, 18 players were placed on waivers, including Maple Leafs names such as Justin Holl, Pierre Engvall, Alex Nylander, and Alex Steeves. Toronto didn’t place anyone on waivers itself, but Wood stands out as the most interesting name for the Leafs to consider.
Wood brings a long NHL résumé to the table. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-shot winger has played 567 games in the league and has produced 99 goals and 97 assists for 196 points. He’s skated for the New Jersey Devils, the Colorado Avalanche, and most recently Columbus.
His season with the Blue Jackets was enough to show he can still handle a bottom-six role. In 54 games last year, Wood posted 14 points, including eight goals.
For Toronto, the appeal is pretty straightforward. With Dakota Joshua injured, Wood could be a cheaper way to add some grit and NHL mileage to the forward group. He carries a $2.5 million cap hit, and that price tag makes him an accessible option if the Leafs want another depth piece.
Bo Groulx is expected to fill Joshua’s spot, but Wood offers more proven NHL experience than most depth alternatives.
There are also reasons the fit isn’t perfect. The Leafs have already brought in Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, which makes Wood feel somewhat redundant. Even Colton Sissons would complicate the picture.
Still, there’s enough there for John Chayka to think about, especially with Wood remaining on waivers until tomorrow at 2 PM EST.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Just Built Deeper Roster Insurance Than Fans Realize
The Maple Leafs quietly turned a roster squeeze into a depth win this week, placing eight players on waivers and sending all of them through to the Toronto Marlies. The group includes Brendan Brisson, Vinni Lettieri, Steven Lorentz, Michael Pezzetta, Henrik Rybinski, Ryan Tverberg, Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai, giving the organization a fuller reserve of NHL-caliber options than it may have had at this point last season.
For Toronto, the immediate effect is less about the big clubs opening-night picture and more about what it means underneath it. The Marlies suddenly have a far more experienced mix to lean on, while the Maple Leafs can keep a deeper layer of roster insurance close by if injuries or performance issues force changes later on. In a league where early-season attrition can reshape depth charts quickly, that kind of organizational cushion matters more than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Roster Shift Opens Door For Marlies Standout To Break Through
Dakota Joshuas core injury is creating an early roster ripple for the Maple Leafs, and it looks like the opening could go to a familiar depth name. With Joshua expected to land on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve, James Mirtle reported that Bo Groulx is likely to start the season with Toronto after coming up from the Marlies.
For a team that is already sorting through changes up front, Joshuas health has added a fresh layer of uncertainty to the bottom six. The bigger question now is not just how long hes out, but what his injury and the clubs recent roster moves mean for his place in the lineup once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Fans Just Got An Unexpected Old Faces Debate
As the NHL season creeps closer, a few familiar names have popped back into the conversation for Toronto fans. On Saturday, Pierre Engvall, Justin Holl, Alex Steeves and Alex Nylander, all former Maple Leafs, were placed on waivers by their current clubs, creating an odd little reminder of how much roster churn still sits around the league this time of year.
Engvall was waived by the New York Islanders, Holl by the Washington Capitals, Steeves by the Boston Bruins and Nylander by the Calgary Flames, and each case ties back in some way to a recent chapter in Toronto. For Maple Leafs fans, it is the sort of late-summer snapshot that invites a quick look back at old faces, even as all four players are now in the middle of trying to secure their places elsewhere before the season fully settles in. [Read more 🡒]