Toronto-Born Forward Hits Waivers as Intriguing Option for Maple Leafs

While the Maple Leafs lineup is pretty much set in stone when it comes to the 2025-26 season, there is always the chance that injuries come up out of nowhere, or a player ends up needing time away such was the case for goaltender Joseph Woll, leading to Toronto signing James Reimer for insurance.

With a group of players who don't necessarily have the healthiest track record, there's always a chance for the team to add some depth however they do have a minimal amount of cap; so the moves need to be thought out.

But if the team wanted to look to add some young depth down the middle, while giving them a blossoming offensive and gritty option, they could look to Calgary's Rory Kerins, who was placed on waivers recently.

Kerins, 23, is a bit of a strange call to place on waivers given that he already made his NHL debut last year to some moderate success; he had four assists in five games, even earning some power play time.

His growth from being a 174th overall pick in 2020 has been astounding, and there's a lot of potential around him especially after his junior career which included a 118-point season in 2021-22.

In two full seasons with the Wranglers, he's recorded 93 points in 117 games (49 goals, 44 assists) and has shown some serious glimpses of brilliance at times.

Toronto might consider a claim on Kerins simply due to his connection with Brad Treliving, who drafted him back in 2020. Clearly the GM saw something in him, and with Calgary giving up on him seemingly so early, he could be a great Marlies add.

Plus with Toronto not sure about Nick Robertson, perhaps they would like to exchange one potential star for another, and his ability to play center gives him a leg up in that category.

Toronto is already dealing with a big injury to Scott Laughton, a fourth-line center and while David Kampf is going to take that spot, he doesn't offer much outside of some defense and Kerins could inject some youth.

There's also a chance that Kerins and Easton Cowan could find some quick chemistry and with both more than capable of scoring and playmaking, it could bring a new dynamic to the team's identity.

Toronto could have some competition too when it comes to placing a claim, and they do need to hope that the pick order falls in their favor as other teams pass him up.

So while it's not guaranteed, Toronto should put in a claim for Rory Kerins given his past history with Brad Treliving and the potential he can bring to a team needing an injection of youth.