The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent the offseason reshaping their roster with one eye on a return to competitive status for the 2026-27 season, and the additions have been significant. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darren Raddysh headline the new arrivals, while Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Emil Andrae, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime also join the mix.
That kind of turnover can create a problem of its own. With so many new faces in the building, Toronto may need to clear space for cap reasons and to avoid stacking the lineup with too much overlap. That leaves a few players looking vulnerable, and three names stand out as possible trade candidates before the 2026-27 NHL season begins.
Steven Lorentz is one of them.
The 30-year-old forward has been a steady presence for Toronto over the past two seasons, giving the Leafs dependable defensive work while still contributing on offense. In 151 games with the club, he produced close to 20 points per season.
But the bottom six now looks crowded, and the influx of role players has created a logjam that could squeeze Lorentz out. With so much money tied up in the incoming contracts, it’s hard to imagine Toronto bringing in all of these players only to leave them sitting on the bench.
That makes Lorentz the odd man out.
Bo Groulx is another player who could be on the move.
Groulx made a strong impression late in the 2025-26 season after earning his shot with the Maple Leafs. Before his call-up, he was one of the best players on the Marlies, leading the team with 28 goals and 24 assists for 52 points in 59 games. He then added three goals and two assists for five points in 13 games with Toronto, and his play helped give the Leafs an offense that had looked mostly ineffective for much of the year.
He also played an important role in the Marlies’ playoff run after the Leafs season ended, finishing with eight goals and 14 points in 23 games as the team won the Calder Cup. That performance seemed to put him in line for a bottom-six opportunity next season. Instead, his path now looks uncertain, and a trade could be the move that finally gets him the NHL chance he wants rather than another year in the AHL.
Then there’s Morgan Rielly, the most heavily discussed name of the group.
Rielly has been the subject of plenty of offseason chatter, with some reports saying he could be moved and others suggesting he’ll stay. But even beyond the rumors, Toronto’s current setup makes a trade easy to understand.
The Leafs now have Darren Raddysh to run the power play from the blue line. Oliver Edman-Larsson brings veteran leadership and the strong, revived play he showed last season.
Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev form the shutdown pair, while Troy Stecher and Emil Andrae add stability and responsibility to the rest of the defense corps.
That leaves Rielly in a tricky spot. His best trait is offense, but his defensive game has been more of a liability.
With Raddysh and Edman-Larsson already covering the offensive side, and with the other defensemen better suited to the tougher defensive assignments, Rielly’s role becomes less clear. If Toronto can move his big contract, it could bring back a key piece or two and help round out the roster for 2026-27.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Could Still Make One More Polarizing Move Up Front
Torontos offseason has already been busy under new general manager John Chayka, with several new faces added as the Maple Leafs continue reshaping the roster around their core. Even with those moves, there is still a sense that the forward group could use one more layer of depth, especially if the club wants another experienced option who can help in key offensive situations.
One possibility still hanging out there is a veteran scorer who just finished a productive season with Minnesota and brings a long playoff rsum with him. A short-term addition of that kind would give Toronto another look in the top nine and another body for the power play, but it would also be the sort of move that tends to split opinion because of what it says about the teams approach up front. [Read more 🡒]
Morgan Rielly Trade Talk Just Took A New Turn For Leafs
Morgan Riellys name is still hanging around the trade rumor mill, and San Jose has not gone away as a possible fit. Even after the Sharks brought in Darnell Nurse, there is still belief they could keep looking for a puck-moving defenseman who can help drive the power play, which is the kind of role Rielly has long filled for Toronto.
For the Maple Leafs, the bigger question is what kind of return would actually make sense if talks ever got serious. The discussion around the league has centered on NHL-ready pieces rather than a simple cap-clearing move, with names like Barclay Goodrow, Adam Gaudette and Patrick Giles mentioned as the sort of value Toronto could seek. For now, though, it remains exactly what it has been: speculation, with no confirmed trade and Rielly still very much in the picture for the Leafs. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Missed Out On A Forward They May Not Have Fit
Vitali Pinchuks move out of the KHL had at least one familiar NHL team watching, and Toronto was among the clubs tied to the young forward as he weighed his next step. For the Maple Leafs, the appeal was obvious enough: a chance to add another player with upside, even if the fit was never going to be simple on a roster that has already been reshaped by several new additions.
Now the question is whether there ever would have been room for him anyway. Nashvilles offseason activity has already made Pinchuks path there uncertain, and Toronto faces its own squeeze with a crowded forward group and a cap picture that leaves little margin for another bet. In other words, the Leafs may have missed out on a player they were interested in, but the larger issue is whether he would have had a real lane in Toronto to begin with. [Read more 🡒]