All articles tagged with #maple leafs
NHL teams committed more than $862 million to 102 players on day one of free agency, highlighting early winners like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks, and early losers such as the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres, as big-market spending sets the tone for the offseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs sign Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $7 million AAV contract, betting his playoff experience after guiding the Panthers to two straight Cup runs will boost Toronto’s chances; the 37-year-old departs a Panthers team that struggled in 2025-26, with Florida turning to Jacob Markström and Akira Schmid, while Bobrovsky adds two Vezina Trophies and 800+ career games to Toronto's crease.
Gavin McKenna, 18, arrived in Toronto after being selected first overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s set to join development camp soon, aims to earn a spot with hard work, and has already connected with stars like Matthews and Tavares, plus a text from idol Patrick Kane. McKenna plans to explore the city’s fanbase and the Blue Jays game while staying focused on handling the pressures of playing in Toronto.
Toronto used the No. 1 pick to select Gavin McKenna, an 18-year-old Penn State forward from Whitehorse, marking a rebuild move as Bieber helped announce him and Auston Matthews sent a welcome video; the first round also included Vancouver taking Caleb Malhotra at No. 3, a run on defensemen, and several trades that reshaped the draft landscape.
Toronto Maple Leafs emerge as the clear winners of the 2026 NHL Draft by selecting Gavin McKenna No. 1 and building a mobile, high-IQ group, while the Tampa Bay Lightning’s class is viewed as weak; the piece provides a league-wide, team-by-team assessment of all 32 clubs, highlighting notable picks and overall outcomes using a relative-value framework rather than simply counting selections.
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, with the selection announced by Justin Bieber. The 18-year-old from Whitehorse, Yukon, starred for Penn State after a CHL stint with Medicine Hat, posting strong college numbers (51 points in 35 games) and earning Hobey Baker finalist honors as the fifth NCAA player to go No. 1 overall. He joins a Maple Leafs core featuring Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares. In the opening round, Stenberg went No. 2 to the Sharks, Caleb Malhotra No. 3 to the Canucks, and Daxon Rudolph No. 4 to the Sabres amid a busy night.
Toronto acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Lightning in a sign-and-trade for an eight-year contract, signaling a win-now approach under new Maple Leafs management and an emphasis on immediate contention over long-term rebuilding.
Toronto acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay in a sign-and-trade, sending a 2026 fifth-round pick in return. Raddysh then signed an eight-year contract worth $68 million ($8.5M AAV) after a career-best 70-point season, bolstering Toronto’s contention window and potentially helping retain Auston Matthews, while the Lightning must replace his production in a thin free-agent market, likely accelerating more trades this offseason.
The Maple Leafs acquired Darren Raddysh from the Lightning in a sign-and-trade for a 2026 fifth-round pick and signed him to an eight-year, $68 million contract. Raddysh, who blossomed into a breakout two-way defenseman with strong five-on-five and power-play numbers, is hoped to become Toronto’s No. 1 defenseman, but questions remain about longevity and how he’ll perform in a different environment. The piece grades the deal with the Maple Leafs at C+ and the Lightning at C.
Lightning trade defenseman Darren Raddysh to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick; Raddysh had a breakout 2025-26 season with the Lightning, setting the franchise record for goals by a defenseman (22) and leading the blueline with 70 points (48 assists, 10 power-play goals) in 73 games, after going undrafted and signing with the Blackhawks in 2018.
The 2026 NHL Draft order was revealed, with the Toronto Maple Leafs holding the No. 1 pick for the first time since 2016 in Buffalo; the draft runs June 26-27 in Buffalo, and there will be 223 selections after the Leafs (including seven by Toronto). Notable notes include the Sharks at No. 2, Canucks at No. 3, and Blackhawks at No. 4, with seven teams having multiple first-round picks (Blues, Sharks, Canucks, Rangers, Flames, Kraken, Capitals). Calgary has the most top-100 picks (nine), the Rangers have 11 picks overall, the Blues 12, and the Hurricanes will make the first pick of the Stanley Cup champion at 31. The Golden Knights forfeited a second-round pick (63) and traded their first-round pick (No. 30) elsewhere, while the Minnesota Wild hold their first pick at No. 89 and the Montreal Canadiens own the final pick at No. 224.
Corey Pronman releases his seven-round mock draft for the 2026 NHL Draft, projecting Gavin McKenna to the Maple Leafs and detailing all 223 picks with team-by-team rationales.
The Athletic Hockey Show released Mock Draft 2.0 ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, projecting Gavin McKenna to Toronto at No. 1 and Chase Reid to San Jose at No. 2, followed by a full top-32 rundown with expert analysis on team needs and player fits across centers, defensemen, and forwards.
Jim Hiller has been named the Maple Leafs’ 41st head coach, a surprise hire that caps a rapid organizational overhaul led by John Chayka after the firing of Craig Berube. The analytics-minded former assistant drew praise from Barry Trotz and is expected to help Toronto tighten defense, improve the power play, and work with their upcoming No. 1 draft pick amid a flurry of trades and front-office changes.
In a multi-player swap, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a 2026 third-round draft pick. Woll carries two seasons left on a three-year contract, while Ersson and Andrae add to Toronto’s young depth and Philadelphia’s goalie depth behind Dan Vladar. Flyers GM Daniel Briere framed the move as a step forward for both teams amid the offseason reshaping.