The Toronto Maple Leafs roster looks set for the start of the 2026–27 season, but there is still time to look at alternatives who could potentially improve the current group, assuming more moves are on the horizon.
There are still question marks over some parts of the Leafs’ roster at present, particularly with the status of Max Domi and a possible future trade involving defenceman Morgan Rielly, so anything could happen between now and puck drop on Sept. 29.
Leafs GM John Chayka needs to prepare for any eventuality and work at ensuring the team has the strongest possible roster with what is available.
That’s where PTOs could prove important by the time training camp rolls around. Many players are still currently unrestricted free agents, and many of them could prove valuable NHL players to a team such as the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But which players should the Leafs consider offering PTOs to, allowing both sides to assess a potential fit before the regular season gets underway?
Michael Bunting
There have been rumblings on social media over a potential reunion between Michael Bunting and the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the Scarborough, Ontario native’s best years coming between 2021 and 2023, when he donned the blue and white.
Bunting was a consistent offensive producer for the Leafs, scoring 23 goals in each of his two seasons in Toronto, with 112 total points in 161 games, earning enough votes to finish third in Calder Trophy voting in 2021–22.
He was a pesky presence on the ice, using an aggressive forecheck and willingness to put his body on the line (170 combined hits) while clearing space for regular linemate Auston Matthews in front of the net.
Bunting hasn’t been quite the same player since leaving Toronto, so bringing him back to try out this summer and see if there’s a potential fit once again could be a shrewd piece of business.
His last contract saw him earning $4.5 million per season, and the Leafs currently have no cap space. However, if other moves are made to clear space, Bunting could be worth using some of it on to add a genuine top six-calibre NHLer who already has familiarity with some of the team’s stars.
Logan Stanley
The most likely move the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make is a deal that sees long-time fan favourite Morgan Rielly move out west, which could shake up the team’s defensive group as a result.
While the Leafs aren’t likely to bring in a top-pairing player to replace Rielly, adding further depth to the current core is a more likely approach.
Logan Stanley is an enormous player at 6-foot-7, 231 lbs who puts his body in front of the puck fairly consistently (84 blocked shots last season), while also demonstrating some physicality with 467 hits in 278 career games.
A big body in the defensive zone could be a valuable addition to the new-look group, which includes more puck-moving players such as Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae, and Stanley would come at an extremely low price if he were to impress on a PTO.
He last earned $1.25 million a season and would likely take another deal in a similar range, especially as he may only be a bottom-pairing guy at best. Giving him a look in camp at no cost would be a sensible move as the Leafs could assess his potential fit without affecting their cap situation.
Eeli Tolvanen
The effectiveness, consistency, and health of Dakota Joshua could provide Eeli Tolvanen with a route to impressing the Toronto Maple Leafs if he were to be given a PTO this summer.
Joshua is the Leafs’ serious physical presence on offence, especially deep in the lineup, with 195 hits in just 55 games last season. He could be a vital piece to the puzzle, but he needs to show more in terms of offensive production, as he had just 18 points for the team last year.
Tolvanen, meanwhile, has been a consistent 30+ point producer, with scores between 35 and 41 over the past three seasons. He also demonstrates the same physicality as Joshua (187 hits in 78 games) while also demonstrating strong defensive play with 81 blocked shots last season alone.
Joshua has never blocked more than 40 shots, while Tolvanen hasn’t dropped below 45 since blocking just 16 in his rookie season.
He plays big for a 5-foot-10, 182 lbs winger, and he can also play on either side of the wing, despite being a left-shot.
Other moves would have to happen for Tolvanen to fit into the Leafs’ regular-season lineup, but a PTO could let the team see what his defensive play could offer and potentially even motivate Joshua to start the season running.
The Toronto Maple Leafs can’t afford to sign all three of these players, but offering them PTOs when their markets appear to have dried up could help both parties to work something out.
If the Leafs find a deal that frees up more space, any of these players could fill a need and, at worst, could be experienced NHL bodies in camp that help lighten the load of the expected opening-day roster.
If there’s no space in Toronto, it could also serve as an audition for the players to other teams around the league who have more space and needs to fill out.
