The Toronto Maple Leafs are open for business. It’s selling season (or window shopping season during the Olympic break) and the Leafs need to recoup futures, clear some contracts, and create roster spaces for next season while deciding whether or not to go all-in on a tanking attempt, which could blow up in their faces and reward the Bruins, or make a last ditch push for a wild card spot with fewer resources. 

Additionally, the Leafs have three salary retention spots at their disposal, they should use them all. Through health assessments between now and the trade deadline, the Leafs need to see if they can open up some cap space via LTIR and use that as well. 

Most importantly, the Leafs need to find buyers and determine who they are selling and who they are keeping. Today we’ll take a look at the forwards before moving onto the defence and goaltenders in a future post. 

Staying put

Matthew Knies

If the Maple Leafs were to trade Matthew Knies it is safe to say they would spend the next decade looking for a Matthew Knies type player. He’s a unicorn and under contract for a long time on a deal that is only going to get better and better as time progresses.

The sayings are that no one is untouchable and even Gretzky got traded but Knies is as close as the Leafs have to a non-starter.

Auston Matthews

There is no replacing Auston Matthews’ offence, he’s one of the top centres in the league and even when he’s not at his best he’s still better than most.

Matthews isn’t going anywhere unless the Leafs aren’t retooling and instead undertaking a rebuild. That’s unlikely to be the case and not a transaction that the Leafs would be facilitating at the trade deadline anyway.

William Nylander

Nylander’s story is pretty similar to Auston Matthews in that he’s one of the best at what he does and it would take a rebuild, not a retool to warrant moving on from him (and that would only happen in the offseason).

Nylander is under contract long term and is the most capable Leaf at moving the puck. His disposition also makes him ideal for surviving the toughest times in Toronto and that psychological aspect seems important.

John Tavares

If John Tavares wakes up one day and decides he’s had enough of the city of Toronto or that the Maple Leafs won’t come close to winning a Stanley Cup and he wants his chance elsewhere, the Leafs owe it to him to listen. His contract earned him that right.

It seems pretty unlikely Tavares is at that point now and that makes trading him an impossibility and not something the Leafs should even check in with him about.

Easton Cowan

With the exception of Robert Thomas/Jordan Kyrou/Elias Pettersson hypothetical trades, why would the Leafs move on from him?

Cowan is still figuring things out and seems to project more as a middle-six forward than a top line talent, but the Leafs need his youth, upside, and favourable cap hit.

Listen on them

Nicolas Roy

Roy hasn’t been great for the Leafs but if a coaching change is in the cards for this or next season, Roy is a player worth holding onto to see if he is a fit.

If someone is ready to pay a premium for a 3C, though, selling is an option.

Steven Lorentz

Lorentz has been consistent and reliable as a fourth liner. It is unlikely that anyone will pay a price that would warrant the Leafs moving on from a good depth option.

Dakota Joshua

Odds are there isn’t a lot of interest in Dakota Joshua and the Leafs might be better off just accepting that he’ll be an expensive fourth liner for the next couple of seasons rather than retaining salary or paying to get rid of him.

No matter what, there is no urgency on Joshua, but if someone is interested, that’s a win for the Leafs. If there is someone worth playing the wishful thinking game on when it comes to upping his value or contributing beyond what his return will be, it’s Dakota.

Sell

Bobby McMann

The combination of an ultra cheap cap hit, pending UFA status, and an ongoing career year equal to cashing out on Bobby McMann. And while it is understandable to want McMann back with the Leafs next season, there’s no rule that says that Bobby can’t return to the Leafs on July 1st if Toronto puts forth the best offer.

Scott Laughton

With the exception of the career year aspect, pretty much everything said about McMann applies to Laughton. If there is mutual interest in Laughton sticking around the Leafs next season, maybe acknowledging that going somewhere else for the next couple of months will set the Leafs and him up better for the future than running on the clock on the season.

Max Domi

Never has there been a better time for the Leafs to cash out on Max Domi. He’s playing to his contract and there are always limited options for top six forwards at the trade deadline. With the Leafs likely entering 2026-27 with a new coach, Domi is often one of the difficult players to find success with and spending another season of trying to find the right fit for him seems torturous, especially since you’d hope his spot on Matthews’ wing will be upgraded.

Matias Maccelli 

If the Leafs fail to trade Maccelli, it isn’t the worst case scenario, but with 50% salary retention and the fact that he is a pending restricted free agent with plenty of years left in his career, there is some potential for the Leafs to at least recoup what it cost to bring him in.

Nick Robertson

Like Maccelli, it’s not a bad thing if Robertson sticks around, but also like Maccelli, the idea of an affordable scoring pending free agent with a lengthy career still in front of him should make his return worthwhile for the Leafs.

Calle Jarnkrok

It’s 10 minutes until the trade deadline, the Leafs still have one salary retention space available, and there is a GM out there looking for veteran depth they can primarily use through the remainder of the schedule and then keep as a safety net in their press box during a playoff run. If the Leafs want it, a late round pick will be there. If not, someone still needs to play the remainder of the schedule for the Leafs and Jarnkrok can be that guy too.

The Rest

Seeing what the Leafs can get out of Jacob Quillan post-trade deadline seems like it makes more sense than trying to trade him and beyond that the Marlies forward situation warrants a shrug at best. There might be some deckchair shuffling but nothing that would run the risk of being impactful.

The Leafs do have some interesting forward prospects in their system highlighted by Miroslav Holinka and Tinus Luc Koblar and no one should expect any of them to be going anywhere.

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