Five NHL Center Options The Maple Leafs Can Target This Off-Season

With the luck of the 2026 NHL draft lottery, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a change of fortune, and what once looked like a difficult retool has struck gold with the possible addition of Gavin McKenna or even Ivar Stenberg.

Following the 2026 NHL draft, happening on June 26 and 27, the Maple Leafs will have a clear top six, likely consisting of McKenna or Stenberg, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, and Easton Cowan.

The next steps for the Maple Leafs are to add a puck-moving defenseman and a third-line center. This center can either be an established, defensively responsible center that can take the tough matchups and allow Matthews and Tavares offensive freedom, or a young center who can develop and take over the second line duties as Tavares ages.

Today, we’ll look at centers that fit either criteria, and whether they can trade for them or sign them as a free agent. 

There has been plenty of talk about the Leafs wanting to get younger while remaining competitive, and making trades for players who have slightly underperformed and don’t fit on their current teams is how to do so.

With that, Shane Wright would be the ideal fit for the Maple Leafs.

Wright had a down year, considering he nearly notched 20 goals and 45 points in his rookie season. While Wright has struggled with some play-driving issues, his deployment this season under coach Lane Lambert was not beneficial to a youngster. 

Lambert evidently favors Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers over Wright, and with prospects like Berkly Catton, Jake O’Brien, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, and even Julius Miettinen either vying or soon to be vying for a center spot, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Wright could be the odd man out.

If Toronto can swoop in and acquire him while his value is at an all-time low, they could be rewarded. Wright could start his Maple Leafs career as the third-line center, and with his defensive capabilities, the Maple Leafs could feel comfortable using Wright in some D-zone situations. 

As Wright develops and Tavares ages, they could then swap roles as Wright moves up the lineup. 

The Seattle Kraken seek established veterans, and the Maple Leafs have far too many of them. It feels like a deal could be made. 

Charlie Coyle has been one of the most reliable two-way centers in the NHL, including this past season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. His defensive game is outstanding, and he has been a consistent 20-goal and 40-50-point guy. Although the Maple Leafs want to get younger, Coyle would bring immense value to their lineup.

Since Ryan O’Reilly's departure in the summer of 2023, the Maple Leafs have been in search of a third-line center who can line-match against their opponents’ top line. Coyle can and has done so. 

Coyle may be 34 years old, but he is due for a massive payday as a UFA. The Maple Leafs could be forced out of discussions revolving around Coyle due to the high price, but at a reasonable cost, Coyle would be a great fit in Toronto. 

Similar to Wright, Mason McTavish was a highly touted center with plenty of offensive upside when he was selected third overall in the 2021 draft. Unfortunately, that hasn’t really translated to the NHL, and the 2025-26 season has been a disaster for McTavish.

McTavish’s first three seasons in the NHL looked like a sign of great things to come, but after a dragged-out contract dispute, McTavish posted just 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games, and has been a healthy scratch in two consecutive playoff games. 

But many still believe there is a star player within the 23-year-old. The Anaheim Ducks' McTavish stands 6-foot-1 with a polished two-way game. Like Wright, he can start as the third-line center and slowly take over the second line reins as Tavares ages and McTavish grows. 

Boone Jenner fits the same role as Coyle. He hasn’t been as productive in his last few seasons as Coyle, and he would cost less on the open market, but Jenner would bring physicality and defensive fortitude to the Maple Leafs third line. 

In his career, Jenner has eclipsed the 30-goal mark once and the 20-goal mark three times. The 32-year-old did have a down year in 2025-26, posting just 13 goals and 38 points in 67 games. But in Toronto, his job offensively would be to provide timely offense.

With a mean streak to his game, Jenner could provide an element the Maple Leafs desire, while still pushing the play in the right direction. 

Barrett Hayton is a wild card. Hayton was drafted by new Maple Leafs GM John Chayka while with the Arizona Coyotes, but his NHL success has been rather average for a former 2018 fifth-overall pick. 

Things were looking up for Hayton last season after he scored 20 goals and 46 points, but the 2025-26 campaign saw him post 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games.

Additionally, Hayton played in just one of the Utah Mammoth’s six playoff games, only recording 12:49 of ice time after recovering from an upper-body injury.

Hayton possesses a strong shot and solid playmaking skills, but the translation to the NHL has been hard to come by.

Hayton is considered a wild card because he doesn’t fit the criteria that Wright and McTavish fall under, or that of Coyle and Jenner. He’s 25 years old and soon to be 26 this summer, so he’s neither a youngster nor a veteran, and he isn’t known for being a defensively reliable player.

Wright and McTavish would be calculated gambles, with a solid floor to fall back on. Even if Wright and McTavish don’t improve, they can still be effective players. Hayton, on the other hand, is all risk, as his game doesn’t offer much else beyond offensive production. 

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