HomeMaple Leafs’ Offseason Rumour Tracker (last update: June 16)
Maple Leafs’ Offseason Rumour Tracker (last update: June 16)
Photo: Dan Hamilton/USA Today Sports
Keep track of Toronto Maple Leafs-related rumours throughout the 2025 offseason.
The information below is organized by player/person involved, noting the source and date for each rumour, allowing readers to follow along easily. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back for regular updates during a potentially chaotic offseason of change for the Leafs.
The updates below will mainly include the big five “insiders:” Elliotte Friedman, Chris Johnston, Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Frank Seravalli. Everyone has their own opinion on who to trust; we’ll include them all and let you, the reader, decide how much weight to give each.
The following rumour feed is maintained by @Nylanderthews
Mitch Marner
June 15th
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said the Leafs have tried to initiate conversations with Mitch Marner, but his camp has not been engaging. He also mentioned that some of Marner’s teammates privately suspect he may be planning to head out west, with Los Angeles and Vegas as teams to watch—though nothing is confirmed.
When/if Mitch Marner hits the open market July 1, the expectation is the Carolina Hurricanes are going to take a massive swing to try and sign him. Sources say we shouldn’t be surprised if they go above $14M on an AAV over a 7-year term. UFA market opens in 18 days.
Neither side appears to be very willing to assist the other at this exact moment in time, a frosty relationship between team and player filled with finger pointing. But it might be mutually beneficial to come together over the next few weeks. Marner could jump the market with a preferred destination and work a sign-and-trade that gets him an eighth year on a deal, if interested. The Leafs could help orchestrate and recoup an asset, potentially as much as a second-round pick. Neither part is a game-changer, but could be helpful.
On the Leaf Report (June 10th), James Mirtle said he believes Vegas is the most likely landing spot for Mitch Marner, based on conversations at the combine. Other teams are expected to offer more money, though—it could come down to a decision between $12 million in Vegas and $14.5 million in Anaheim, for example.
June 9th
On the JD Bunkis Show, James Mirtle said there’s some acrimony between the Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner’s camp, and both sides would need to work together for a potential sign-and-trade. The most likely scenario, according to Mirtle, is that Marner waits until July 1. At most, the Leafs would receive a second-round pick in return in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Some of the chatter (On Anaheim) is that they’ll potentially be the high bidder for Mitch Marner, with an unheard-of average annual value north of the $14 million that the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl currently makes as the NHL’s highest-paid player.
But, according to league sources, there were also discussions around a Marner-to-Vegas transaction before the trade deadline this year, a move that would have involved the Hurricanes in a three-way deal. Theoretically, the Leafs would have received Mikko Rantanen while the Golden Knights got Marner and sent something to Carolina.
It’s unclear just how far those talks went, or if Marner was asked to waive his no-movement clause to go to Vegas, but it sounds like what killed the deal was Vegas and Carolina failing to find the right assets to include to get it done — not anything on the Toronto side. (The Hurricanes ended up landing Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round picks from Dallas for Rantanen.)
Mitchell Marner will be the biggest name on the free agent market come July 1st, but he may not make it to that date.
Unsurprisingly, his name has been swirling around Buffalo this week. One source close to the ground floor on the situation had this to say on Los Angeles being the front-runner, “That Marner to LA report is pure rubbish.”
While the west coast may not be leading the pack at this moment, perhaps the east coast is.
There’s real smoke that the Florida Panthers could be gearing up to make a run at Marner. Word is that Toronto has opened the door to a sign-and-trade scenario, where they ink Marner to a max-term extension (eight years) and then flip him to recoup some level of value.
The Leafs know that Marner is all but assured to leave. For the acquiring team, moving a draft pick to avoid a bidding war is a very palatable cost. Whether Marner is keen for that route is another thing. Would he sacrifice the eighth year to be able to be courted like a king and maximize his value on a seven-year deal?
Speaking of Utah, don’t be surprised if they take a healthy run at Marner if he gets to Free Agency.
June 2nd
On The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston reported that the Carolina Hurricanes and the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to make some of the biggest offers to Mitch Marner in terms of salary.
On The Sheet with Jeff Marek, David Pagnotta suggests the Los Angeles Kings are high on Mitch Marner’s list of preferred destinations, ranked even higher than the Vegas Golden Knights. Pagnotta adds that the Kings are expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of the Leafs winger.
On Real Kyper & Bourne, Elliotte Friedman said regarding possible destinations for Mitch Marner: “If there is one team everyone is watching and saying ‘I’m really curious to see what they do,’ it is Utah. Teams believe that Utah is determined to introduce themselves to the NHL in a big way.”
In The Athletic, James Mirtle lists the Carolina Hurricanes, the Los Angeles Kings, the Utah Mammoth, and the Vegas Golden Knights as the most likely fits for Mitch Marner—taking into consideration teams’ roster needs, cap situations and likelihood of pursuing him, as well as Marner’s potential desired landing spots.
On the Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston said it wouldn’t surprise him at all if Carolina is a team in on Mitch Marner. He noted the situation could be different with Marner as a pending free agent, depending on the contract number.
May 30th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights held trade discussions last summer centered around Mitch Marner. Vegas was interested in Marner, and Toronto was interested in acquiring Shea Theodore, but Vegas was not willing to include him. Additionally, there was no guarantee that Marner would waive his no-movement clause to facilitate the trade.
May 28th
On the FAN Morning Show, Frank Seravalli reports the Carolina Hurricanes were not the only possible destination for Mitch Marner at the trade deadline. The Leafs were working on other options in order to try and get their hands on Mikko Rantanen, but there just wasn’t the willingness to make it happen.
May 26th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says the Leafs want clarity on Marner—is he 100% testing the market come July 1?
May 21st
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says the stars are aligning for Marner to walk (tough playoff loss, Marner taking the heat on social media).
May 20th
On TSN Overdrive, Chris Johnston says the door is mostly closed, if not fully closed, on Mitch Marner returning to the Leafs and that Marner has one foot out the door.
May 19th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says it could be very hard for the Leafs and Marner to see eye to eye on a deal unless one side really changes their bargaining position.
May 15th
On the JD Bunkis Show, James Mirtle insinuates that the Leafs won’t even want Marner back if it ends like this, following the Leafs’ 6-1 loss in Game 5.
There is absolutely zero reason to believe that he’ll be signing another contract in Toronto on or before July 1 – not after refusing to negotiate an in-season extension with the Leafs or even considering a request from management to waive his no-movement clause at the trade deadline. Everything is lining up for him to walk free. There’s been a growing sense that the 28-year-old winger wants a fresh start after enduring an avalanche of criticism for his team’s repeated playoff shortcomings.
John Tavares
June 16th
On First Up, Chris Johnston suggested Tavares’ next contract should resemble Yanni Gourde’s in terms of term—six years—though it will almost certainly carry an average annual value above $5 million.
Marner leaving Toronto could open the door for John Tavares to return. Heading into the season the Leafs were expected to allow the veteran center to walk. With Marner leaving that mindset has changed. #LeafsForever
On First Up, Darren Dreger said that if John Tavares signs an extension, there will likely be some pushback regarding the term, as it’s expected to be longer than some people would prefer.
On 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman once again brought up the idea that the Chris Tanev contract structure could be a potential model for a Tavares extension.
The Leafs and John Tavares’ camp continue to talk and touched base again this week. There remains mutual interest in getting something done, but finding that sweet spot on a fair deal isn’t quite there yet. The idea that Tavares might sign for a bargain $5 million AAV seems like a stretch to me. It’s going to have to be above that to get it done given the year he just had, although term is part of the equation as well.
On the Leaf Report (June 10th), James Mirtle reported that the Tavares extension is still being worked on and will likely be complex and unconventional. One possibility floated was a six-year deal at $4 million per season.
June 9th
On the JD Bunkis Show, James Mirtle said a contract similar to Chris Tanev’s (six years at $4.5 million AAV) is the right ballpark for Tavares, and with deferred money, he believes the Leafs could get Tavares signed for six years at under a $4 million AAV. They would then talk to Craig Berube about the role, because Tavares shouldn’t be the second-line center in the playoffs (third-line center vs. second-line left wing, etc.)
June 5th
On the Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston said he doesn’t think the Leafs will have much time for Brock Nelson-level AAV with Tavares. Johnston mentioned that a more realistic comparable might be Yanni Gourde and that it wouldn’t surprise him if Tavares took that type of deal, possibly even deferring some money. Johnston added that both sides have thought about that type of contract structure.
June 4th
On The FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman said he still believes John Tavares will re-sign before hitting free agency. He added that he can’t help but wonder if Tavares ends up with a contract structured more like those of Chris Tanev or Yanni Gourde—featuring more term and a lower average annual value—rather than a shorter two-year deal at a higher AAV.
May 29th
On The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston said he now believes there’s a 70/30 chance that Tavares stays with the team, but suggested it was around 90/10 before Brad Treliving’s end-of-season press conference.
May 26th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says as long as neither side is unreasonable, you have to believe a Tavares extension gets done.
May 23rd
On the JD Bunkis show, David Pagnotta says John Tavares’ AAV is probably slotting around $5 million.
May 21st
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says he doesn’t think the Leafs will make Tavares the biggest offer.
May 20th
On TSN Overdrive, Chris Johnston says he doesn’t get the sense Tavares is looking to use his leverage and believes Tavares’ side will work with the Leafs to find a deal that makes sense. CJ adds that Tavares’ AAV will be cut in half or more.
Matthew Knies
June 13th
On OverDrive (June 12th), Darren Dreger said he expects Matthew Knies’ contract extension to be one of the first items addressed by Brad Treliving this offseason.
And the Leafs remain confident they will get Matthew Knies inked to a reasonable second contract without any offer-sheet drama.
May 30th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman noted that both the Leafs and Matthew Knies would be happy with an eight-year extension, but wonders whether the two sides will be able to agree on what that looks like.
May 29th
On The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston discussed potential extension scenarios for Knies, suggesting that an eight-year deal could come in around $8 million per season, while a shorter three-year bridge deal would likely fall in the $4 to $5 million range annually.
May 26th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman reports the Leafs and Knies had preliminary extension talks around the trade deadline (when the whole Rantanen situation was happening), and the Leafs know what a contract would look like. The Leafs are also well aware of the offer sheet talk.
May 23rd
On the JD Bunkis show, David Pagnotta suggests Matthew Knies’ contract is expected to be in the 3-5 year range and between $7 million and $8 million.
May 22nd
On The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston suggests that the Leafs’ comfort level for a Matthew Knies extension is below $8 million per year.
I have heard the talk in the fan base and media. But I don’t think he has any interest in leaving.
I’ve covered Rielly since draft day back in 2012, and a few things have stood out the whole way. He’s a proud person, someone who I believe is going to be really determined to have a better season next year. And he really does love Toronto and playing for this team. While not a local, I think he feels like a Torontonian now (and he’s married someone from Ontario and started a family). He’s not going to want to give up on being a Leaf and trying to help them have more success. That’s his DNA.
I understand why fans are frustrated with his season (and $7.5 million cap hit), but the deal he signed in 2021 has a full no-movement clause for another three years. Yes, other players with NMCs have been dealt by other organizations, and it’s not impossible to make that happen through tough conversations and brute force. At the moment, however, there’s no indication the Leafs are going down that path. If Rielly continues to struggle, I could see that being on the table down the line. (A buyout doesn’t really make sense to me, given he would be movable.)
Rielly is not on this list because anything is imminent or guaranteed to happen, but he is the logical first place the Leafs could look if they want to make deeper changes to the roster. The Leafs want to add another puck-moving, skating defenceman regardless of whether Rielly stays or goes. How high level of a defenceman they will add may depend on their ability to move Reilly’s contract.
I believe the team will, at some point, begin exploring their options on what to do with Rielly. His contract — five more years, $7.5 million AAV — is not as onerous as Matthews’ or William Nylander’s, which would be extremely complicated trades to pull off. Rielly, 31, does have a full no-movement clause and hasn’t made an indication he’s willing to waive, so there would need to be a mutual understanding that a change of scenery is in everybody’s best interests. I’d start with a team near his hometown like the Canucks.
May 29th
For TSN Hockey, Pierre LeBrun reported that there is “no chance” Morgan Rielly would waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a move to a different team, emphasizing that Rielly loves being a Maple Leaf.
The one who almost certainly won’t be is Bennett, who is either going back to Florida or hitting a massive UFA home run with a team that has acres of cap space, such as Utah.
That’s just his personal choice, from what I’ve been hearing.
Lots of speculations that Sam Bennett re-signing in FLA is a foregone conclusions but I’m told the two sides haven’t talked extension in weeks.
Teams continue to prepare sizeable offers should he make it to July 1st. Appears his preference is to stay in USA.
June 13th
On NHL Network (June 12th), David Pagnotta reported Sam Bennett is pretty much locked in to stay in Florida, with a deal in the range of 8 years at $8 million per season currently under discussion.
June 12th
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, it sounds like there has been progress on a contract extension between Sam Bennett and the Florida Panthers.
Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic (June 11th) says he still thinks Bennett probably re-signs in Florida.
June 10th
On the FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman suggested that the most likely scenario is Bennett staying in Florida. The rumour was that the Panthers didn’t want to go over Carter Verhaeghe’s AAV ($7 million), so both sides will need to find a compromise to get a deal done—especially the Panthers, holding firm on their end.
June 9th
On the JD Bunkis Show, James Mirtle said it’s more likely that Mitch Marner signs with the Florida Panthers than Sam Bennett signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Everyone at the combine was suggesting Bennett doesn’t want to come home to Toronto.
No one I spoke to around the league expects Sam Bennett to be available. He likes playing in Florida too much — and the feeling is mutual.
June 7th
On OverDrive (June 6th), Darren Dreger said he’s been led to believe that Sam Bennett doesn’t have any interest in signing in Toronto.
June 6th
On First Up, Darren Dreger said he doesn’t foresee the Florida Panthers allowing Sam Bennett to walk in free agency.
June 4th
On Leafs Morning Take, Steve Simmons said he doesn’t get the sense that Sam Bennett will be leaving the Florida Panthers.
June 2nd
On Real Kyper & Bourne, Elliotte Friedman said that he believes, at the end of the day, Sam Bennett is likely to remain with the Florida Panthers.
On Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli suggested that Sam Bennett’s next contract is expected to be around seven years at $7.5 million AAV, and he doesn’t believe it’s anywhere close to the $10 million AAV a lot of people have been talking about or projecting.
May 29th
On Leafs Morning Take, John Shannon suggests there are people even within the Panthers organization who are concerned that Sam Bennett might have already made up his mind that something will happen with the Leafs, and they’re hoping that they can still convince Bennett to stay in Florida.
May 27th
On the Sekeres and Price Show, John Shannon says Sam Bennett will only play in two places: Toronto or Florida. Shannon suggests it will be one of those two places; we just don’t know which one yet.
Nick Robertson
May 29th
In his article for The Athletic, Jonas Siegel wrote that Nick Robertson is likely headed elsewhere this summer.
Jonathan Toews
June 13th
On First Up, Darren Dreger reported that the Maple Leafs remain in the mix for Jonathan Toews, alongside teams like Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, Colorado, and others.
June 11th
On OverDrive, Pierre LeBrun says Jonathan Toews has interest from four NHL teams, with the Jets and Avalanche among them. He couldn’t say for certain if the Leafs are one of those teams, too.
Multiple league sources indicate that Winnipeg isn’t just the frontrunner, but the presumptive landing spot. The fit makes sense on multiple levels. Toews was born and raised in Winnipeg. He would be able to provide leadership and experience that could help stabilize a roster that sits in their contention window but has yet to push through and go on a lengthy playoff run.
“Hearing the #LeafsForever are one of several teams that have reached out about potentially signing Jonathan Toews.”
Brad Marchand
June 16th
On First Up, Chris Johnston said the Leafs should be right near the front of the line for Brad Marchand and that there’s definitely a chance they could sign him to a deal.
Marchand, however, is going to enter free agency with a ton of suitors, and you’d really be guessing trying to forecast where he lands. I do think he’ll be interested in the challenge/opportunity of coming to Toronto and trying to help them finally have more playoff success. But it’s going to cost the Leafs (or whoever ends up signing him).
If the Leafs are willing to meet that asking price, I really think they’ll have a decent shot. There just aren’t going to be many contenders willing to spend that much. And, frankly, it’s not like they’re going to have a ton of other high-end options, so he might represent their best shot to change this team’s DNA when the games matter the most.
The door isn’t closed on staying with the Florida Panthers, but with pending unrestricted free agent and Conn Smythe contender Sam Bennett a top priority for the Panthers and Aaron Ekblad also a pending UFA, it’s probably most likely Marchand is going to market where total dollars will be the top priority moreso than the actual average annual value. I think he’s going to get three or four years and easily north of $8 million a year.
And yes, as others have wondered, I do believe the Toronto Maple Leafs will be among the possibilities for Marchand. I mean, he mentioned during the second-round series with Toronto that he grew up a Leafs fan. But to be clear, there are multiple teams in play for Marchand if and when he hits the market.
On the Leaf Report (June 10th), James Mirtle emphasized that Brad Marchand would be a good fit for the Leafs.
June 10th
On the FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman said there was a rumor circulating at the combine that Marchand has a 3-year, $8 million per year offer on the table. It’s unclear if that’s accurate, but his reported ask from Boston before the trade was $7.5 million annually.
Would a big run at Marchand make sense, even with his age and sky-high asking price? It certainly looks like a real option, especially considering his ability to rise to the occasion in the playoffs — and the alternatives.
June 6th
On Real Kyper and Bourne, Nick Kypreos said it’s more realistic that Brad Marchand signs with the Leafs and ends up playing on the wing with Auston Matthews than the Leafs landing Sam Bennett.
May 19th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman says after watching Brad Marchand fence with the media after Game 7, he wonders if the Leafs will take a run at him this summer.
Max Pacioretty
June 11th
On the Leaf Report (June 10th), James Mirtle mentioned that Max Pacioretty is now more likely to return. His comments after the season appeared to be more of a family conversation than a firm decision. If he re-signs, it would likely be for under $1 million.
One piece of good news over the past few days is that UFA Max Pacioretty is leaning toward a return after the Leafs expressed considerable interest in keeping him following a terrific postseason, according to a league source.
What I’ve heard is he really wants to be in Toronto and hasn’t been looking elsewhere. At the combine in Buffalo earlier this month, he was the only AGM whom I saw front and center in the meetings with Treliving.
He’s a local guy who’s well compensated and valued in his role. I don’t get the sense he’s aggressively chasing a GM job at this point.
There’s a chance that Drury has already worked it out with Zibanejad, who has five years at a $8.5 million average annual value remaining plus a full no-move clause, that moving on would be best. They’d still need to find a fit —the Leafs might have some interest and some space to fill — but trading Kreider’s BFF soon after dealing Kreider would produce the impact on cap flexibility and team culture Drury so badly wants.
The qualities on the list should not come as a surprise, given that Leach was hired by Treliving. Size, especially in defencemen, is relatively high on Leach’s list of priorities.
There are four defencemen all over 6-foot-5 listed in a row from 39 to 42 on NHL Central Scouting’s final list of North American skaters. Those players could hypothetically be available when the Leafs are scheduled to make their first pick at the end of the second round.
“I would be shocked if it’s not a player like that,” said one NHL scout who knows Leach.
On NHL Network (June 12th), David Pagnotta said the Leafs had interest in Chris Kreider, but the Ducks stepped in first with a solid offer to the Rangers.
June 11th
On the Leaf Report (June 10th), James Mirtle noted that a trade for Brayden Schenn appears unlikely.
The Leafs would also like to bring in a playmaker on D, but that feels more like a want than a must-have at this point, especially with seven NHL blueliners already signed.
June 5th
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said he doesn’t believe the Leafs are considering buying out a forward anymore.
June 4th
On Leafs Morning Take, Steve Simmons said he thinks there’s a better chance the Leafs acquire a second-line center via trade rather than free agency—especially if Sam Bennett isn’t available, which he believes is the case.
June 2nd
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said he believes Joe Sacco has been informed he will not remain as the Boston Bruins’ head coach. He speculated that Sacco could potentially join the Leafs to replace Lane Lambert as the Leafs’ penalty kill coach.
May 26th
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggests we will start to see the Leafs get to their summer work this week.
The Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment board of directors will meet Thursday as part of the organization’s end-of-season review.
Internally, the bar ownership had set for progress on this Leafs season was an appearance in the Eastern Conference final.
The way that series ended has left ownership disappointed and embarrassed.
In the event the organization decides to move on from him, the team will likely move forward without a team president for the foreseeable future.
Further complicating the path forward with Shanahan is the fact that the New York Islanders have expressed interest in speaking to him about their top hockey job.
While Shanahan’s future with the club is still being determined, there is a positive internal view on the job Treliving has done in his first two years as GM. He’s under contract beyond this season.
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman says he thinks there could be a buyout of a depth forward. He also thinks Lane Lambert might get head coaching interviews. With the front office, he’s heard that with Rogers becoming the primary owner, there is some feeling that the front office will be streamlined. He thinks that will happen.
May 19th
On the Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston mentioned the Leafs might not blow their cap replacing Marner this summer on some of the top options, because there are other free agents next year who are worth waiting for.
On the JD Bunkis Show, James Mirtle says some decisions haven’t been made yet and that there’s more on the table than people think.
Brendan Shanahan
May 22nd
The Leafs officially announced that Brendan Shanahan will not return next season as team President.
Team president Brendan Shanahan has felt like a dead man walking here for a while now, in the final year of his contract and barely visible around the management team. It’s hard to imagine a world where he’s retained after 11 years at the helm.
Mirtle followed this up on the Leaf Report by saying he would be completely shocked if Brendan Shanahan lasts more than another few days.
On The FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman says he doesn’t think we will have to wait too long to know one way or another regarding Shanahan’s future.
