The Maple Leafs have some holes to fill in the lineup, and with free agency a month and a half away, let's look at 10 names who can help them.
John Chayka has his work cut out for him this summer if he wants to ensure the Maple Leafs aren't only competitive, but also give the team the right pieces to complement not only Auston Matthews but also transform the blueline from a slow, plodding group into a puck-moving nightmare for opponents.
That won't come easy, although Toronto is lucky enough to have a fair bit of cap space to work with at $22-million in 2026-27. With only a few contracts needing some attention, there's nothing too urgent and the Maple Leafs have the ability to make a splash.
So let's take a look at 10 names who the Maple Leafs should pursue this summer in order to give Auston Matthews support, help John Tavares, and also make the blueline something worth fearing if you're the opposition.
The wingers who give Matthews and Nylander the type of players they need but never had
Anders Lee (Age: 35, LW, 42 points in 2025-26, $7-million salary in 2025-26)
Lee is a player who doesn't often get the attention he probably deserves. As consistent as ever, he hovers around the 40-50 point mark year after year, adds a lot of physicality and is quite the big presence on the ice at 6-foot-3, 234 pounds.
He would offer Matthews a reliable offensive piece but more importantly one who will stick up for him at any moment.
Lee will throw hits and hands, plus can certainly help Matthews defensively as he has some of the best possession numbers in the game and for his career has a respectable 3.8 GF/60 against and 2.7 GA/60.
He made $7-million this past season, but at 35 and looking to compete; he could be a short-term solution. Signing him for $15-million for two years gives you a player who fits your win-now window, genuinely offers help to the top line and is yet another veteran leader for Gavin McKenna.
Plus, being American certainly doesn't hurt.
Mason Marchment (Age: 30, LW/RW, 45 points in 2025-26, $4.5-million salary in 2025-26)
Marchment was already part of the Maple Leafs organization years ago before Kyle Dubas made the self-professed bad decision to trade him for Denis Malgin; who is no longer in the league.
He posted 19 goals between Columbus and Seattle this season, but has put up two 20-goal seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He's also another physical presence at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and though he doesn't hit as much as Lee, he still likes to get rough.
Matthews would be able to rely on Marchment to score when needed as nearly 15% of his career goals are game-winners. He's able to come up in the clutch while also providing that ever important protection at a reasonable cost.
Second time is the charm hopefully, as the Maple Leafs should look to give him an offer similar to his previous one but with a lot more incentive and term. Give him four years at $5.5-million but load that deal with financial goals (games played, points, playoff appearances, etc).
Marchment probably never should have been dealt in the first place, so maybe a big cheque will make amends with the forward.
Alex Tuch (Age: 30, RW, 66 points in 2025-26, $4.75-million salary in 2025-26)
We've touched on Tuch before as someone who could help Matthews and much like the other two - he fits a certain blueprint.
Tuch had 66 points this past season while also hitting 30+ goals for the third time in the past four seasons. He's a physical beast and a defensive nightmare to play against, using all of his 6-foot-4, 219 pound frame to make life miserable for opponents.
His salary hit underscores just how good he is, and he's going to get at least double that come this summer. But as a fellow American with familiarity playing with Matthews thanks to Team USA, Tuch fits perfectly.
A line with him, Matthews, and Matthew Knies would be a three-headed monster that terrorizes the NHL.
The centre and power forward who solve Toronto's second line once and for all
Boone Jenner (Age: 32, C, 38 points in 2025-26, $3.75-million salary in 2025-26)
We heard recently that Jenner had fired his agent of 20 years in order to get new representation which can only mean he's looking for a fresh start with more money.
Enter Toronto, who need a replacement for John Tavares in order to give him some less responsibility while also allowing him to dominant weaker matchups.
Jenner would be younger than Tavares, still capable of giving the team 15-20 goals at least in addition to above average face-off numbers and an incredible amount of physicality. If you want a no-nonsense gritty centre who plays strong defensively and consistently scores? He's your guy.
Even if Toronto pays a 50% increase on Jenner's salary, that's still $5.625-million per season, so adding him on a three-year deal makes sense and doesn't really break the bank especially if there's moves to be made to open up space.
Jamie Benn (Age: 36, LW, 36 points in 2025-26, $1-million salary in 2025-26)
Now this one is a little tougher to figure out not because of a fit in the lineup; that's obvious given Benn's reputation as one of the most consistent, reliable, physical and durable players over the last decade and a half.
But Benn is a legend in Dallas, spending all 17 seasons there and becoming a franchise icon. Him signing for a million bucks over some pretty heavy offers means that much like John Tavares - loyalty means everything.
Benn would be great as a leader for the Maple Leafs young guns and he can still offer offensive help even if his torrid goal scoring numbers have slowed down in recent years and he can still hit like a truck.
With Dallas perennially competitive however, and Benn's status in the franchise's ethos, it's going to be hard to see him leave. But never say never.
The right-handed defencemen available this summer who finally give Toronto the help they desperately need
Rasmus Andersson (Age: 29, D, 45 points in 2025-26, $4.55-million salary in 2025-26)
I'm sure you know all too well about the connection between Toronto and Andersson due to Brad Treliving's insistence on going after him year upon year. But that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
Andersson is still someone who contributes at both ends of the ice. He's a very good puck mover, elite shot-blocker, and crunches a ton of minutes.
But with Vegas yet to give him an extension, Andersson may hope that a Stanley Cup berth (or win) will help get him a bigger deal. Toronto should be all over that and make sure he's well rewarded.
Andersson made $4.55-million and likely isn't going to be getting the level of money that Tuch or even Darren Raddysh might get, but giving him a Morgan Rielly-esque deal (minus the massive trade protection) could be in play.
Five years at $7.5-million would give Andersson the security, while giving Toronto a proven two-way player who is still fairly young and fits perfectly within the culture of a Swedish-heavy Maple Leafs team.
Jacob Trouba (Age: 32, D, 35 points in 2025-26, $8-million salary in 2025-26)
You're not getting that offensive dynamo in Trouba but oh boy, you're getting a player who is going to make life hell for opponents. He's averaged 142 hits and 149 blocks for his career while also being one of the nastier players on the ice.
If you're looking for a presence to frustrate and aggravate, Trouba is your guy. Paying him what he made in 2025-26 is going to hurt and Toronto can't get into a Morgan Rielly scenario again with an unmovable deal.
But he would instantly make the Top-4 as solid as ever alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, and Jake McCabe and add even more shot blocking and defence to an already solid (if older) blueline.
As much as a puck-mover is of the utmost importance, so is making sure that opponents second guess their game plan and Trouba is the perfect wrench to throw into their plans.
Brent Burns (Age: 40, D, 35 points in 2025-26, $1-million salary in 2025-26)
You don't often see 40-year olds as players who are key free agents but even getting a year of Burns instantly gives Toronto's backend credibility. He's played over 20 years, still scoring at a solid pace and give the Maple Leafs a true shooting threat from the blueline.
Only making $1-million this year is quite impressive given his production and if he were to sign a new deal it would likely be with a contender. Toronto can convince him to be that wise veteran leader who can pick it up when it matters most - especially come playoff time.
But he wouldn't be a #1 option by any means and is more of a third-pair option who can help elevate a younger talent beside him like Ben Danford, though shouldn't be given too much extra work.
Darren Raddysh (Age: 30, D, 70 points in 2025-26, $975,000 salary in 2025-26)
Raddysh is arguably the top defenceman available on July 1 not only because he's still fairly young, but he offers an incredible piece on the power-play. Armed with an incredible shot and a fiery attitude, Raddysh would transform Toronto's blueline.
He automatically becomes their best offensive weapon and is just coming off an insane 22-goal, 70-point season after just having 37 as his career high and realistically his third full season in the NHL.
Much like Bobby McMann was, Raddysh is a late bloomer, so overpaying a bit to make sure you have a reliable and dangerous force on the blueline for the next four or five years is going to ensure Toronto remains competitive even if they splurge.
There's no way on Earth he is going to make anywhere near his current salary and don't be surprised if you hear offers coming close to 10x that amount this summer.
John Carlson (Age: 36, D, 60 points in 2025-26, $8-million salary in 2025-26)
Carlson was a staple of the Capitals lineup for over 15 years and was one of the best and most consistent two-way players with over 750 points and over 2,200 blocked shots.
He reportedly is not going to want to take a discount this summer, so if Toronto wants him then it should only be short-term considering he's 36 and has some injury concerns. But you can't argue that Carlson wouldn't bring the team a lot of success.
He's won a Stanley Cup, is one of the most respected and beloved locker room leaders in the entire league, and once again that American connection to Auston Matthews can only help things.
Plus, you want power-play maestro? Carlson was the guy feeding Alex Ovechkin for years and has 49 goals and 229 assists on the man advantage - that's 37% of his career assist total. But Toronto can't overcommit, though there's something intriguing about Carlson coming in to calm things down.
He's a trusted veteran with a fantastic resume, maybe it's not the worst idea in the world.
Which free agent should the Maple Leafs pursue the hardest this summer?
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