Leafs Rumours & Trades

Dakota Joshua flashed some promise down the stretch after a largely inconsistent and injury-riddled 2025-26 season. Can he carve out a more solid role with the Leafs in 2026-27? 👇

After an inconsistent and injury-riddled season, can Dakota Joshua carve out a firmer role with the Leafs? [2026-27 Player Preview] Dakota Joshua’s first season back in the organization that originally drafted him was a mixed bag. There were a few stretches when he looked like the heavy, effective bottom-six winger the Leafs thought they were acquiring, but a slow start and a major injury undermined his first season in Toronto...

Morgan Rielly’s Maple Leafs story isn’t over yet. But something has to change.

What should his 2026-27 role look like? 👇

Morgan Rielly’s Maple Leafs story isn’t over, but something has to change [2026-27 Player Preview] Morgan Rielly’s long-awaited bounce-back season never arrived in 2025-26. After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, Rielly and then-GM Brad Treliving held what Treliving described as a “real, honest discussion” about the defenseman’s performance and the level he was capable of reaching. Rielly...

Easton Cowan ended an eventful, up-and-down rookie year as an AHL champion. Is he ready for an impact role with the Leafs? Our latest 2026-27 player preview 👇

Easton Cowan ended his rookie year as an AHL champion; is he ready for an impact role with the Leafs? [2026-27 Player Preview] Easton Cowan’s first professional season was rarely straightforward. He made the Maple Leafs out of training camp — even though he did not dress in the first two games — despite a perfectly reasonable argument that he belonged with the Marlies, where he could play big minutes in all situations...

Troy Stecher arrived in Toronto with something to prove and injected some desperately needed pace, urgency, puck movement, and personality.

He proved his value and earned a two-year contract. Now, a more suitable role awaits in 2026-27 👇

Troy Stecher was a breath of fresh air for the Leafs; now a more suitable role should await him this season [2026-27 Player Preview] Troy Stecher was a breath of fresh air when he arrived in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs needed him far more than they ever should have. When the Leafs claimed Stecher off waivers from Edmonton in mid-November, their blue line was in rough shape. Chris Tanev was injured, Brandon Carlo was battling i...

Troy Stecher arrived in Toronto with something to prove and injected some desperately needed pace, urgency, puck movement, and personality. He proved his value and earned a two-year contract. Now, a more suitable role awaits in '26-27 👇

Troy Stecher was a breath of fresh air for the Leafs; now a more suitable role should await him this season [2026-27 Player Preview] Troy Stecher was a breath of fresh air when he arrived in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs needed him far more than they ever should have. When the Leafs claimed Stecher off waivers from Edmonton in mid-November, their blue line was in rough shape. Chris Tanev was injured, Brandon Carlo was battling i...

After a forgettable 2025-26, Anthony Stolarz gets a fresh start in a goalie tandem with a familiar legend this season. Our 2026-27 goalie preview for Stolarz 👇

After a forgettable 2025-26, Anthony Stolarz gets a fresh start alongside a familiar legend [2026-27 Player Preview] Anthony Stolarz’s 2025-26 season was strange, injury-disrupted, and ultimately forgettable — a fitting description of the Maple Leafs’ season as a whole. After leading the NHL with a .926 save percentage in 2024-25, Stolarz finished last season at .893 with a 3.28 goals-against average and a 1...

Oliver Ekman-Larsson can play almost anywhere on the Leafs’ blue line, but where does he fit best? OEL is next up in the 2026-27 player previews 👇

Oliver Ekman-Larsson can play almost anywhere on the Leafs' blue line, but where does he fit best? [2026-27 Player Preview] Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s individual season was one of the Maple Leafs’ more positive stories in a mostly miserable 2025-26 campaign. At 34, he produced eight goals and 39 points in 78 games while averaging 20:36 per night, marking his best offensive season in both goals and points since 2018-19 wi...

John Tavares just keeps delivering offensively. Now, the new coaching staff finding his optimal role/deployment is the next challenge in 2026-27 👇

John Tavares keeps delivering, but finding his optimal role is the Leafs' next challenge [2026-27 Player Preview] There is probably no Maple Leaf who deserves more goodwill from the fan base right now than John Tavares. A year after fully embracing the decision to hand the captaincy to Auston Matthews — handling a potentially awkward situation exactly as you would expect him to — Tavares signed what immedia...

Next up in the player previews: The endlessly fascinating William Nylander. His 2025-26 included a career-high PPG, but also uncharacteristic injuries and a few strange/disappointing incidents. What is the expectation in 2026-27? 👇

The Leafs need William Nylander’s reliably elite production — and a higher level of leadership [2026-27 Player Preview] William Nylander’s 2025-26 season is a good example of why evaluating star players can’t simply begin and end with the points column. Nylander was easily the Leafs’ most productive player. He scored 30 goals and 79 points in only 65 games, putting him on a 100-point pace over a full season. He...

Next up in the player preview series is Matthew Knies. He stayed put despite incessant trade rumours, and he's established his value in the Leafs' core group. Can he take the next step in 2026-27? 👇

Matthew Knies has established his value in the Leafs' core, but can he take the next step? [2026-27 Player Preview] Matthew Knies’ 2025-26 season was a bit of a complicated one to evaluate. On the surface, there wasn’t much to complain about. Knies set a career high with 66 points in 79 games, improving on the 58 points he recorded the season before. He did it despite losing Mitch Marner as a linemate, playin...