Brad Treliving's Next Roster Move Could Make or Break Maple Leafs' Season
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving's next move, whichever it may be either a trade or a signing may end up being what makes or breaks the 2025-26 season for Toronto.
Given that the Toronto Maple Leafs haven't made the splash fans had hoped for, there is still a lot to be excited about.
Newcomers Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy are expected to have breakout seasons, while guys like Dakota Joshua and Michael Pezzetta were added to bring a lot of toughness.
Toronto can add top-six forward, but they need to get a deal done first
But there are still a few moves to be made, and a lot of it centers around whether or not David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok are going to be sticking around, as the team needs to still add that punch up front.
Though if they were to move both men, it would open up a lot of extra cap space for the team to make a deal.
With an estimated $7.4-million put aside for a top-six forward, they can afford to take over the contracts of someone like Nazem Kadri or Rickard Rakell without needing any retention.
Toronto has options, but Brad Treliving has to act
That plays huge into things because no retention means a lighter trade package, and while it's not going to be cheap to bring in either man, things get a bit easier with the extra room.
Plus, Kampf and Jarnkrok really won't fetch much beyond depth or draft assets, the latter being more vital given what Toronto can do with them (they acquired Dakota Joshua for a 2028 4th rounder).
Or, if the team can't get one of those players on the trade market, they can use the extra room to-outbid teams for someone like Jack Roslovic, though with the Joshua acquisition it might make that a little more difficult.
Joshua was a great add for the bottom-six and there's a chance he could surprise some people, but they need someone besides Maccelli who can navigate the playmaking or scoring in the top half.
But nothing can even start to happen without a Kampf or Jarnkrok deal, and Brad Treliving needs to keep working hard to find a buyer. Sure, they aren't prime assets but can still offer something to a contender.
So time is ticking for the Maple Leafs, and if they end up making a move it'll help them considerably.
If not, this might be the biggest blunder that Treliving's made in his time with Toronto.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 18 | 1610 ANSWERS Brad Treliving's Next Roster Move Could Make or Break Maple Leafs' Season Do you think Toronto will still add a top-six forward this summer? | ||
| Yes | 1177 | 73.1 % |
| No | 433 | 26.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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