On Thursday, former Maple Leafs forward Stefan Noesen was placed on waivers by the New Jersey Devils, and Toronto could be ready to bring him back into the fold.
2PM has passed on Thursday which means the waiver wire is officially updated. Panthers forward Mackenzie Entwistle went unclaimed and now heads to the AHL as three more names found themselves eligible to find new homes.
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Former Maple Leafs forward lands on the waiver wire
One of those was former Maple Leafs forward Stefan Noesen, who was placed on the wire by the Devils. This season he had no points and a minus-2 rating in two games for the Devils and is coming off a seven-point season with the team in 2026-26 - a year he struggled to stay healthy.
He is only two seasons removed from a 41-point season and is a former 20-goal scorer who can add some physicality and size to the wing. For his career, the former 21st overall pick has 83 gaols and 175 points in 484 games with Anaheim, Carolina, New Jersey, San Jose, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
He came to the Maple Leafs as part of the three-team blockbuster that also brought former Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno to Toronto. He only played one game with the team before they elected not to give him a contract in free agency and he headed to the Hurricanes.
Maple Leafs could use Noesen once again
Despite him not getting a shot with the team previously, there is a world where he can be a solid bottom six presence who helps add some scoring. Right now, the fourth line isn't exactly an offensive bunch, so adding him to the mix would help with that, and you can still have that physicality.
He would be a solid replacement over Bo Groulx, who has been pretty unremarkable to start off the season, and Noesen is someone who has proven he can be a reliable scorer when given some protection.
He also wouldn't cost them too much as he only comes at a $2.75M cap hit and is a free agent after this season. It's a low-risk claim for John Chayka, and after missing out on names like Connor Zary- it would behoove the Maple Leafs to make some type of insurance move.
For now though, Noesen is going to need to be patient as his future is determined. Teams will have 24 hours to claim Noesen (or the others) off waivers before they are assigned to their respective AHL teams.
Should the Maple Leafs claim Stefan Noesen off waivers?
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