The Toronto Maple Leafs spent their offseason adding a group of forwards built more for grind than goals, and that leaves a pretty clear opening for a player like Alexander Holtz.
Holtz, the former seventh-overall pick, is currently in the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ system after splitting time between the NHL club and the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. At just $837,500 AAV through the end of the upcoming season, he comes with a price tag the Leafs can actually live with - and the kind of offensive upside they still haven’t really solved for.
That matters because Toronto’s summer additions - Teddy Blueger, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, and Colton Sissons - all point in the same direction. They bring checking, size, and defensive reliability.
Useful pieces, sure. But they don’t exactly scream “call me if you need a scorer.”
If Auston Matthews, William Nylander, or another top-six winger misses time, the Leafs would need to elevate someone who can actually help create offence. Right now, that option doesn’t really exist on the roster.
Holtz has shown he can score, at least in the right setting. His best NHL season came with the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24, when he scored 16 goals in 82 games.
Since landing in Vegas, though, the numbers have dropped sharply: four goals in 53 games in 2024-25 and three goals in 28 games last season. His ice time has hovered around 11-and-a-half minutes per game, which tells the story of a player stuck in the bottom six without much room to breathe.
That limited role is especially notable because Holtz entered the league with a reputation for power-play talent. Before the 2020 NHL Draft, that was one of the traits that made him stand out.
In Vegas, though, he has barely been used on the man advantage. Maybe the Golden Knights simply don’t trust him there.
Or maybe he’s never really been put in position to show what he can do.
That’s the question Toronto would have to ask: did Holtz fall short in Vegas because his game doesn’t translate, or because it never got the chance to fully surface?
For the Maple Leafs, the appeal is pretty straightforward. They don’t need another expensive depth forward.
They need one cheap player whose offense can give the bottom six a different look. Holtz fits that bill if Vegas is willing to move him.
If it doesn’t work, the risk is small. If it does, Toronto gets a low-cost option who can shoot, score, and maybe finally fill a hole the offseason left wide open.
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