Maple Leafs eager to take 'bigger swings' in free agency

TORONTO — Among the congratulatory messages that flooded Gavin McKenna’s phone upon being drafted No. 1 overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, one stood out.

“Patrick Kane texted me,” McKenna said. “He’s my idol, so that was cool.”

Even cooler?

The idea of Kane — who is still putting up 0.85 points per game at age 37 — joining the three other first-overall picks in Toronto on Canada Day.

Don’t rule it out.

While Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman hasn’t closed the door, the all-time leading U.S.-born scorer is believed to be changing sweaters once again.

The Maple Leafs, captained by Auston Matthews (another boyhood Kane-iac), were keen to acquire the future Hall of Famer when he first got traded away from Chicago in 2023, and general manager John Chayka is eager to round out a forward group that has taken a significant hit since March.

Bobby McMann (Seattle), Scott Laughton (Los Angeles), and Nicolas Roy (Colorado) were all dealt away as 2025-26 unravelled. Then Max Domi underwent a complicated off-season back surgery that has sidelined him indefinitely, and Matias Maccelli went unqualified as a restricted free agent (despite his wishes).

Sure, internal candidates from the Calder Cup–winning Marlies (Bo Groulx, Jacob Quillan, Luke Haymes) could push for NHL jobs in September.

But with Matthews on the clock and no protection on 2027 and 2028’s first-rounders, Chayka needs his group to compete for a playoff spot now and is hunting for established pieces on both the UFA and trade markets.

“There are some bigger swings we’ll take and look at some things,” a busy Chayka told reporters over the weekend. “There are some players we like. There are some needs we have. We will be aggressive, but we will also make sure we are not doing anything to hurt the future.”

Just because the Toronto Maple Leafs already jumped the queue and locked up the most expensive impending UFA defenceman does not mean they are done spending.

After shedding the salaries of Simon Benoit, Joseph Woll, and Brandon Carlo, Chayka has swelled his cap space to $20.9 million. And that’s without dealing away $7.5-million defenceman Morgan Rielly, whom Chayka remains open to trading.

Some budget will be reserved to accommodate raises for Toronto’s own RFAs; Quillan, Nick Robertson, and Emil Andrae were qualified Monday. But there is plenty left to chase new faces.

Kane is most familiar name up front. 

But ex-Leafs Mason Marchment (45 points) and speedster Ilya Mikheyev (36 points), as well as winger candidates Jaden Schwartz, Mats Zuccarello, and Viktor Arvidsson, could boost offence of a sagging middle six.

We also are seeing a glaring need at centre, which is why Chayka has poked around at (an expensive) trade for the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck. 

Injury-prone Toronto native Boone Jenner, 33, makes sense on the UFA market; he’s a hard competitor, versatile, and could free up Matthews and John Tavares for more O-zone starts.

Craig Berube underused Laughton. With a new coach behind the bench, would Laughton entertain a return?

Centres Kevin Stenlund and Teddy Blueger would be less expensive.

“It is depth, for the most part. There are a few holes we have, but we are going to be really focused on the depth early and see if we can round out the roster,” Chayka said.

“Ultimately, it is a two-sided marketplace. There are some smart agents out there who are trying to maximize the value for their players as well. We are going to be disciplined in the marketplace and make sure we do our best to make the team the best possible.”

That includes an uncertain crease.

Chayka has announced the rehabilitated Anthony Stolarz as his No. 1 goalie, for now. But prospects Artur Akhtyamov (AHL playoffs MVP for the Calder Cup champion Marlies) and Dennis Hildeby (.914 save percentage in 20 NHL appearances last season) are pushing.

Stolarz and veteran workhorse Sergei Bobrovsky, 37, won a Stanley Cup together in Florida, and Chayka is entertaining a reunion. (Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz are big fans, too.)

Word is, Bobrovsky may price himself out of a Panthers uniform and could ink a rich, two-year pact elsewhere. Toronto’s interest is real, but Goalie Bob’s age (he’ll be 38 when puck drops) and his .877 save percentage in 2025-26 give reason for concern.

“We have this really interesting goalie pipeline. Part of our evaluation is the young guys and what they’ve shown. We are trying to balance that. Anthony Stolarz has been, by our models, a top goalie over the last two years. Obviously, health and durability has been the question,” Chayka said. 

“But we can’t guarantee that it will be different with another goalie we bring in. That is always a bit of a question mark. We are trying to find some balance in all of that. But it is a key position. If there is a chance to make it better, like any position, we will do that.”

They’ve freed up money to improve. 

Spend wisely.