Former Maple Leafs defenseman placed on waivers

Former Toronto Maple Leafs defender William Lagesson has been placed on waivers as his NHL career has been put on pause for the 2026-27 season.

Lagesson, 30, had 21 points in 61 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, Detroit's junior affiliate. The former 91st overall pick in 2014 has 12 assists in 107 games spending the majority of his career with the Edmonton Oilers.

Former Maple Leaf Lagesson joins long list of waiver assignments

The former Maple Leafs defender's career though has been put on hold at least in terms of the NHL side of things as Lagesson was waived on Tuesday ahead of the 2026-27 season, joining several other names including New York Islanders prospect Ethan Bear:

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There is a very good chance that Lagesson clears waivers and is then assigned back to the Grand Rapids Griffins for this season, though there's always a chance that another team is willing to take a flier on him.

Lagesson was a likely candidate to be waived according to Puckpedia, and their prediction came true on Tuesday, and there are sure to be more players from not only Detroit, but the rest of the league as the accelerated preseason finishes up.

Would Lagesson fit with the Maple Leafs again?

With the Maple Leafs looking to try and add more offensive help on the back end this summer, it's unlikely then that they will pick up Lagesson. He's not your typically strong offensive player on the blue line and he's also not the strongest defensively.

Toronto already has enough bodies and has other pressing issues on the back end to deal with especially the future of Nick Blankenburg as he's likely to sign a deal after his PTO expires.

Interestingly, Lagesson is a big part of shaping the Montreal Canadiens as he was traded by Edmonton to Montreal in exchange for a package that included a 2022 2nd rounder - used to select superstar defender Lane Hutson.

Frankly, there's just no room for Lagesson to return and it's very likely he will end up as AHL depth for the 2026-27 season. Not a bad role whatsoever, but his NHL career is going to take yet another detour as he continues to work his way back into the league.

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Maple Leafs projected to waive 11 players this week