With an influx of cap in 2027-28 to sign free agents, let's take a look at five names who would fit for the Maple Leafs including two superstar forwards.
News broke a couple of days ago from Elliotte Friedman that could change the landscape of the NHL.
Mentioning the salary cap is going to increase to a whopping $127M, that means teams are going to be able to spend a little more - and those massive long-term deals are going to come fast and furious too.
The Maple Leafs are a team who definitely want to be in the mix, and already have a premium target in mind as Nikita Kucherov is not only open to playing with Toronto, but may end up desiring them over everyone in free agency.
But there are other players who would make a strong impact, and we're going to take a look at a few more in addition to Kucherov would could turn the Maple Leafs into a perennial contender.
(F) Nikita Kucherov
Age: 33
2025-26 Salary: $9.5M
Kucherov is obviously the biggest fish in the pond, and the Maple Leafs are going to have an incredibly potenti lineup if he were to join the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Kirill Marchenko, Easton Cowan, and Gavin McKenna.
With over 1,100 points, two Stanley Cups, three scoring titles and two MVP trophies to his name it's not going to come cheap to acquire Kucherov, but you can't argue the level of talent you're getting.
Plus, how can you say no to a top-six that looks like this?
Cowan - Matthews - Kucherov
Marchenko - Tavares - Nylander
That's an unbelievable level of talent put in one group, but it is going to cost them. Kucherov wanted at least as much as Leo Carlsson, so you're looking at minimum $17M AAV, creeping upwards to $20M depending on the fight for him.
At 33 it might be a bit bold to spend so much on a player, but it's not just any player though - it's Nikita Kucherov for Pete's sake.
(F) Jason Robertson
Age: 27
2025-26 Salary: $12M
Well if you're a bit bashful about spending so much on Kucherov at his age, then maybe a younger alternative would be the best fit - enter Jason Robertson.
Robertson is an ultra-talented winger who is one of the deadliest and consistent scorers over the last few seasons. From 2022-2026 he averaged 39 goals, 89 points, a plus-104, nearly 300 hits, and twice a Top-20 Selke finalist.
He's a two-way nightmare who unlike his younger brother is a hulking presence at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds and can be Toronto's replacement for John Tavares both now, and down the line.
He'd provide a much more defensive game and have the speed to be able to quickly breakout alongside Gavin McKenna and do some serious damage. But again, he's going to break the bank.
But much like Kucherov, Robertson is a rare type of player who can be a game-changer night in and night out in several facets. If you're going to spend $17-20M a year on a 33-year-old Kucherov, then it makes even more sense to spend it on a 27-year-old in his prime.
That is, if he wants to come to Toronto - we all know how his brother Nick's time went and it could be a huge x-factor in him signing with the Maple Leafs or elsewhere.
(D) Vince Dunn
Age: 30
2025-26 Salary: $7.35M
Switching gears to the blue line now, the Maple Leafs still need someone to help generate offense, and with Oliver Ekman-Larsson seemingly refressing hard this year, they need to get younger and better at the back.
Dunn comes in as a bit of a defensive issue though nothing that's too egregious or would cause serious issues in their own end.
But what he does bring is an incredible level of playmaking, shot-blocking and speed. He's averaged nearly 11 goals and 46 points from 2022-26, and he's a minutes and shot machine - averaging over 22 minutes and 141 shots per season in that stretch.
It also adds yet another Toronto native to the mix alongside John Tavares and Darren Raddysh who are going to fight to bring a championship to the city. He's looking at double-digits on his next AAV and that could cause issues with Toronto already heavily loaded on the back end financially.
But if htere's a way they can get rid of Morgan Rielly's contract then they have his replacement that while a little more expensive - is at least a little more reliable at both ends of the ice.
Dunn at $55M over five years isn't exactly out of the ordinary and falls in line with how contracts have progressed as of late.
(F) Barrett Hayton
Age: 26
2025-26 Salary: $4.775M
Someone who the Maple Leafs got a lot more familiar with this season, Hayton is someone who can take over in the middle-six centre position and thrive.
Is he going to give you 40 goals and 100 points? Absolutely not, but he can give you 20 goals and 50 points, elite face-off metrics, an incredibly tenacious and hard-working player at both ends of the ice, and gives the team a little extra snot.
Hayton was a nightmare against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night as he not only got under the skin of several Leaf players, but was a huge reason why the Mammoth were able to win - using his frame and aggressive nature to skirt the game in his team's favour.
You need guys who are going to do whatever is necessary to win and get away with it, and considering that Hayton is as fierce as he is without really getting in too much trouble is a testament to his ability.
At only 26 he's just getting into his prime, and locking him down long-term for a deal worth $7.5-8M would be a savvy move on behalf of Toronto because they get their second and third line centre all packaged into one.
(D) Artyom Zub
Age: 31
2025-26 Salary: $4.6M
Going back to the defensive side for our last pick, Toronto looks to their provincial rivals for the solution. Zub is someone who can definitively shut down the opposition, block tons of shots, throw big hits, and be a nightmare to play against.
He consistently leads the team in xGF% and xGA/60 when it comes to defenders, and a lot of the reason why names like Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson can thrive offensively is because they have Zub shutting it down.
You aren't getting scoring but you are getting a true replacement for Chris Tanev, and someone you can trust to throw alongside any of your other offensive defenders and feel assured they're safe - and he's a right-handed shot; always a premium.
Zub isn't going to get such a massive increase like the other names we've seen on this list, but if the Maple Leafs can secure his services for $7M per season for the next three or four years, they at least have a true shutdown guy who is still one of the younger names in the lineup.
Which player do you think the Maple Leafs should target in free agency this summer?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Maple Leafs make crucial decision in net as goaltender debate continues