The Toronto Maple Leafs have already made a busy offseason even busier, but there still looks to be room for one more swing.
With the forward group still leaving a question mark, Toronto could use another winger to help round out its depth. That is why a professional tryout could make sense, and among the remaining unrestricted free agents, Reilly Smith is a name that stands out.
Smith’s 2025-26 season with the Vegas Golden Knights was solid, if not at the level he had shown in the years before it. He scored 16 goals and finished with 26 points in 69 games. Even so, that came after he had put up at least 40 points in each of his previous three seasons, which is enough to make him an appealing bounce-back candidate for a team looking for value.
There is also the veteran track record. The Mimico, Ontario native has played 988 career games across 15 NHL seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. For a Maple Leafs team trying to rebound in 2026-27, that kind of experience carries obvious appeal.
If Toronto believes last season was more of a dip than a new normal, Smith could be the sort of player worth bringing in on a PTO or even a low-cost one-year deal.
He would also fit in a few different ways. In the projected lineup, Smith could slide into the bottom six, where the Maple Leafs are looking for more offense. At his best, he brings playmaking ability and enough skill to help deepen that part of the roster.
There is another layer to it as well. If Toronto wanted extra insurance, Smith could also serve as the 13th forward. Injuries are part of the grind, and having a player with his experience available would give the Maple Leafs another option if they need it.
So the fit is there. Whether Toronto actually makes a move for Smith is the next question.
In Other News...
Bruce Boudreau Just Raised A Familiar Maple Leafs Fear
The Maple Leafs spent the offseason trying to harden the roster, adding Brandon Duhaime on a three-year deal and bringing in players such as Darren Raddysh and Colton Sissons as part of a broader push for more physicality, depth and defensive reliability. It is the kind of makeover that suggests a team trying to answer some of the same questions that have followed it for years, especially once the games get tighter and the margin for error shrinks.
Bruce Boudreau still sees one of those old concerns hanging over Toronto, and he framed it in familiar terms for a club that has long been judged by how well its back end can support the rest of the lineup. He also pointed to Duhaime as the sort of player who can help in the right role, while noting there are still questions about consistency and decision-making around the roster overhaul, which leaves the Leafs with a familiar test as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue Line Plan Is Finally Taking Shape
The Maple Leafs blue line picture for 2026-27 is starting to look a lot clearer, and the most natural fit still appears to be the one built around Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe. Toronto has long valued that kind of steady, defensive-minded second pair, and the idea of keeping those two together gives the club a familiar shutdown option while leaving the rest of the defense to be sorted around them.
What makes the rest of the plan interesting is how much it leans on balance elsewhere. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is projected to bring veteran presence alongside Darren Raddysh, while Morgan Rielly could be matched with either Emil Andrae or Troy Stecher to create a more complementary look. It is the kind of setup that suggests Toronto is trying to blend experience, mobility and physicality across the board, even if the final alignment still leaves a few moving parts to settle. [Read more 🡒]