{"id":556022,"date":"2026-04-19T13:24:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T13:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556022\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T13:24:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T13:24:30","slug":"a-look-at-the-maple-leafs-2026-free-agent-class-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556022\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look at the Maple Leafs\u2019 2026 Free Agent Class – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

With that, the 2025-26 season is officially over for the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>. This is shaping up to be their biggest offseason since the summer they drafted Auston Matthews in 2016<\/a>. Now feels like a good time to take a look at their pending free agents, both unrestricted and restricted.<\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs have a total of 14 free agents<\/a> this summer. Unlike last offseason<\/a>, there aren\u2019t many big-name players on expiring deals. Most of this group is made up of depth pieces that, realistically, can be replaced. So, let\u2019s go through them.<\/p>\n

Maple Leafs\u2019 Unrestricted Free Agents<\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs enter the offseason with a fairly small group of UFAs, which actually makes it a bit tougher if they\u2019re looking to really change the roster. The five players on expiring deals are Calle Jarnkrok<\/a>, Troy Stecher, Matt Benning, Travis Boyd, and Vinni Lettieri.<\/p>\n

Realistically, the only two everyday NHL players here are Jarnkrok and Stecher. It feels pretty safe to assume both will hit the open market. For Jarnkrok, it finally feels like the end of the road in Toronto, something my colleague Andrew Forbes wrote about recently<\/a>. It\u2019s honestly a bit surprising he made it through the full four-year deal, but he did, and now he\u2019ll likely be looking for a new opportunity, whether that\u2019s elsewhere in the NHL or maybe even a return to Sweden.<\/p>\n

\"CalleCalle Jarnkrok, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

As for Stecher, he did his job. He was a useful waiver claim<\/a> and gave them steady minutes as a sixth defenceman. But if the Maple Leafs are serious about reshaping the blue line, he probably isn\u2019t someone you bring back.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Benning, Boyd, and Lettieri, there\u2019s a bit more flexibility. Boyd and Lettieri could return, mainly because of their role with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). If the organization wants them back, those deals could get done before free agency opens. Still, the expectation should be that they look for depth forwards who can actually step into NHL games if needed.<\/p>\n

Benning feels like the odd one out. After coming over in the Timothy Liljegren trade<\/a> with the San Jose Sharks, he never really factored in at the NHL level and likely won\u2019t moving forward. He could end up elsewhere, maybe even joining his brother, Mike Benning, in the Florida Panthers organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maple Leafs\u2019 Restricted Free Agents<\/p>\n

Then you get to the RFAs, and the biggest name here is Nicholas Robertson<\/a>. It feels like we do this every summer with him. That said, this season he did show he can be a useful secondary scorer in a middle-six role. That probably puts him in line for a short-term deal somewhere in the $2\u20133 million range.<\/p>\n

At the same time, this is where things could get interesting. If the new management group wants to make changes, Robertson is the kind of player you could see being used as a trade chip in a bigger deal.<\/p>\n

Matias Maccelli<\/a> is another name to watch. He\u2019s been pretty open about wanting to stay in Toronto<\/a>, and based on how he played in the second half, you can see why the team might consider it. Still, with changes coming, nothing feels guaranteed. They could move his RFA rights, or in a more surprising move, choose not to qualify him and let him hit the open market.<\/p>\n

AHL & Depth Free Agents<\/p>\n

Outside of the NHL roster is where most of the decisions will need to be made. There\u2019s a long list of AHL players who could factor in as depth options next season, and a few of them are worth paying attention to.<\/p>\n

Jacob Quillan<\/a>, Ryan Tverberg, and William Villeneuve are probably the most notable names. Then you\u2019ve got players like Braeden Kressler, John Prokop, and Vyacheslav Peksa also needing new deals.<\/p>\n

\"JacobJacob Quillan, Toronto Marlies (Jonathan Kozub \/ Manitoba Moose)<\/p>\n

Villeneuve got a late look in the NHL and showed there might be something there as an offensive option on the third pair. Tverberg and Quillan are also names that the front office will look at closely as they try to build out the bottom of the roster with cheaper options. Quillan\u2019s play during his time in the NHL should have earned him a very long look at training camp next season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As for Peksa, he remains an interesting project in goal. With how uncertain the goaltending situation could be this summer, and with Dennis Hildeby\u2019s contract converting to a one-way deal<\/a>, there\u2019s a path there for Peksa to take on a bigger role, assuming everything falls into place.<\/p>\n

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