For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the offseason always seems to drift into two tracks at once: the splashy rumour that gets everybody talking, and the quieter move that might actually make sense. Right now, that split is front and centre.
Zach Werenski is the name setting imaginations on fire. Adam Boqvist is the kind of depth swing that could end up being the smarter play.
The Werenski talk is the louder story, but it may say more about John Chayka than it does about the player himself. If Toronto is seriously poking around on the reigning Norris Trophy winner, then Chayka is showing he’s not interested in thinking small in his first offseason as general manager.
He wants elite talent if it’s out there. That part is clear.
What’s just as clear is the price tag problem. The Maple Leafs don’t have the kind of first-round picks and blue-chip prospects that make blockbuster deals easier to pull off.
That’s the reality of trying to win for nearly a decade and spending assets along the way. Teams like the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers have deeper prospect pools and more draft capital to work with.
Toronto doesn’t have that luxury.
So the Werenski chatter becomes a test as much as a rumour. Chayka has already said he wants to be aggressive without sacrificing the future.
Easy to say in June. Much harder when a true difference-maker becomes available.
If he ends up bending that philosophy, Werenski would be the kind of player worth paying almost any price to get. So far, though, Chayka hasn’t blinked.
Could this be the moment? We’ll see.
Then there’s Boqvist, which is a very different kind of possibility. If Adam Boqvist is still unsigned later this summer, Toronto could look at bringing him to training camp on a professional tryout. It’s not the move that grabs headlines, but it’s the sort of low-risk shot that can quietly pay off.
Boqvist’s time with the New York Islanders last season didn’t turn many heads, but the talent has always been there. He’s a smooth-skating, right-shot defenceman who can move the puck and help on the power play, and he’s shown flashes of being a productive NHL offensive defenceman.
Injuries and inconsistency have slowed him down, but he’s still only 25. Sometimes the right setting matters.
From Toronto’s side, the appeal is obvious. A PTO costs almost nothing beyond a camp roster spot.
If Boqvist earns a contract, the Leafs have added a defender without giving up cap space or assets. If he doesn’t, they move on.
That kind of gamble fits a team that needs defensive depth and doesn’t want to spend big to get it.
And that’s really the theme here. One route is the blockbuster chase for one of the best defencemen in hockey.
The other is a bargain look at a player who still has something to prove. One could drain premium assets.
The other barely costs a thing.
Emil Andrae also fits into that same broader picture. He wasn’t on the radar a few days ago, but now he’s in the mix as a Maple Leafs puck-moving defender. Taken together, these names suggest Chayka is searching everywhere for ways to improve the blue line.
That’s the balancing act in front of him. Dream big when the right player comes along, but don’t ignore the smaller moves that can add up. That mix may be the smartest way to build this roster.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Finally Revisit One Regret Fans Never Forgot
Mason Marchments career has long lingered as one of those Maple Leafs what-ifs, the kind of move fans never quite forget because it kept paying off elsewhere. Since leaving Toronto, the 31-year-old winger has settled in as a productive middle-six forward with size, physicality and enough offense to make him more than just a depth add, giving clubs a better idea of what they might be buying if they come calling now.
Toronto could use that profile, and the connection is obvious enough to make the fit worth revisiting. Marchment is a pending unrestricted free agent, and the question is whether the Maple Leafs are willing to pay the price and make the commitment it would take to bring back a player they once moved on from, only to watch him become the kind of useful, well-rounded winger they still seek. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly In Direct Fight With Leafs For Coveted Free Agent
As NHL free agency opens, Toronto finds itself in an unexpected race for a veteran winger who could fit neatly into the middle of the lineup and bring some needed experience. The projected price tag is not insignificant, either, with Chris Johnston of The Athletic putting the next deal at four years and roughly $5.67 million per season.
For the Maple Leafs, the appeal is obvious if they want a steadier layer of depth behind their top scorers and a player who has shown he can still contribute. Montreal is in the mix too, which turns the chase into a little more than simple free-agent shopping, and it adds another wrinkle to a market where Toronto may have to move quickly if it wants to land him. [Read more 🡒]