Two former Maple Leafs are still on the board as NHL training camps wind down, and the timing makes their free-agent status stand out a little more than usual.
Michael Bunting and James van Riemsdyk remain without a team, even as most clubs are already settling in on their opening-night looks. At this stage of September, there just aren’t many jobs left to hand out. Most general managers and coaches are more focused on sorting out what they already have than adding another piece before the season starts.
Bunting is the name that jumps out first. He was brought in at the deadline last season with the idea of helping a contender make a run, but he is still searching for his next landing spot. In 73 games split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, he finished with 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points.
His game has not been as steady since leaving Toronto, but there is still a clear case for a team to take a look. Bunting does not need to live in a top-six role to matter. If a club wants more punch and more energy from its lower lines, he can fit that need.
Van Riemsdyk brings a different kind of value. He is a veteran with more than 1,000 NHL games and more than 300 goals on his resume, and even if he is no longer the same scorer he was in Toronto or Philadelphia, he still has enough left to help in the right spot. That is part of why the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings signed him in the last two seasons.
The question with van Riemsdyk is role. He is not a 20-minute-a-night player anymore, and no one is expecting 20-plus goals.
But he can still provide reliable effort, help younger players, chip in 10-15 goals, work on the second power-play unit and handle about 10 minutes a night. At the veteran minimum, that kind of package still has value.
For both players, the path back in may not open until a team gets hit by an injury or decides it needs more depth. Once camps close and the season gets closer, those opportunities can appear fast.
For now, though, Bunting and van Riemsdyk are still waiting for a call. It is a bit surprising to see two players with this much NHL mileage still unsigned this late in September, but when the chance comes, they’ll need to be ready - especially Bunting, whose phone could ring at any point.
In Other News...
Leafs Decision On Dennis Hildeby Suddenly Looks Worth Revisiting
When Tampa Bay put Jonas Johansson on waivers to clear the way for Dennis Hildeby, it quietly reopened an old Leafs question. Hildeby was once part of Torontos goaltending picture before being sent to the Lightning in the deal involving Nick Paul and draft picks, and his path since then has made the original decision feel more consequential than it seemed at the time.
Toronto had already committed to Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz in net, which left Hildeby on the outside looking in. With the goalie waiver rules hanging over him, the Leafs faced the risk of losing him without getting anything back, and his latest move only adds another layer to a decision that suddenly looks worth revisiting. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Final Blue-Line Battle May Be Closer To Over
The Maple Leafs last blue-line decision may be coming into focus after a training camp in which Troy Stecher made a steady, reliable case for himself. His play has stood out in the sort of ways coaches tend to notice most this time of year, including his heavy usage on the penalty kill and a generally dependable presence at both ends of the ice.
Emil Andrae and Nick Blankenburg are still in the mix as depth options, so nothing is officially settled yet, but the direction seems increasingly clear. For a team trying to sort out the edges of its defense before opening night, Stechers camp has given Toronto a practical answer, even if the final roster picture can still shift. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Roster Battle Just Took A Brutal Turn
The Maple Leafs trimmed their camp roster with a wave of waiver moves, putting Philippe Myers, Steven Lorentz and six other players on the wire as the team continues shaping its group for the 2026-27 season. It is the kind of late-summer housekeeping that can quickly turn into a deeper evaluation of organizational depth, since anyone who clears in the next 24 hours will be headed to the Toronto Marlies or Cincinnati Cyclones.
Even with those cuts made, the roster picture is still not fully settled. Toronto still has to sort out decisions involving William Villeneuve and Bo Groulx, while Nick Blankenburg remains a possible addition if the team chooses to go that route. For a Leafs group trying to finalize its mix, the next round of moves will say plenty about which players are truly in the mix and which ones are on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]