When the Toronto Maple Leafs glance into the free agency cupboard on July 1, they may only be left with a few choices at center.
Matt Duchene’s four-year, $18 million extension with the Dallas Stars and Jonathan Toews’ new deal with the Winnipeg Jets, which can’t be made official until the market opens, were similar to a restaurant being all out of your favorite meal.
You were excited about the thought of the food, but let down when told they're sold out.
Let's be honest, though: the free-agent center pool wasn't deep before Duchene and Toews signed. It shrank the pool even more with the two off the table.
Toronto needs a second-line center, or at least someone who can provide depth scoring like the Panthers had in Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Anton Lundell, combining for 62 points in 23 playoff games.
The Maple Leafs likely won't get Bennett in free agency after he, the Panthers, and their fans chanted "Eight more years!" at the Elbo Room Beach Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after winning their second straight Stanley Cup.
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He went a step further on Thursday night, reenacting the popular scene from the movie “ The Wolf of Wall Street,” where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort, announces he’s not leaving his post at a stock brokerage.
Panthers fans gave the forward a loud ovation after he yelled, "I’m not leaving!" in the nightclub.
And after that, there isn't much in the free-agent cupboard besides Mikael Granlund, who played most of his playoffs on the wing with the Stars. He scored 66 points in the regular season and had 10 points in 18 playoff games. Granlund also has a decent career faceoff percentage, 48.5 percent over 13 seasons.
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Toronto hopes to lock up John Tavares before free agency opens. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that he still believes the Maple Leafs will try to go down the route similar to defenseman Chris Tavev, who signed a six-year, $27 million contract, which sees him paid $4.5 million annually.
"I still think the Leafs would potentially like to do something along the Tanev line for him. But again, I had a few teams say to me, and some agents too, Brock Nelson, 33 years old, just signed for three times $7.5 million," Friedman said.
"These teams and these agents, they think [Tavares] can get what Nelson did, or right at it. I still think the key is, how do you chop it up? You can still get to that number, you could just do it differently, but I do think teams out there believe that Tavares can do that on the open market, so it’d be up to him. What’s he comfortable with?"
Maple Leafs Snubbed? Sam Bennett Reportedly Has No Interest In Toronto If He Hits Free Agency
When the Toronto Maple Leafs look for free agents to sign on July 1, they’ll no doubt go big game hunting. And while the Leafs would certainly be interested in a player like Sam Bennett, it appears the feeling isn't mutual. According to FanDuel Sports reporter Andy Strickland, Bennett <a href="https://x.com/andystrickland/status/1935447632773578782">does not have Toronto on his list</a> of possible destinations if he is unable to sign an extension with the Florida Panthers.
That’s if he goes to the open market, and with how he’s spoken before about returning to Toronto next season, I can’t see him joining another team on, or after July 1.
Once Tavares is locked up, should Toronto look to go younger with another center rather than signing a 33-year-old Granlund, especially with Tavares, too, creeping into the twilight years of his career?
If so, they'd have to do it via trade.
Ryan McLeod, Buffalo Sabres
Ryan McLeod is an intriguing name. A restricted free agent with the Buffalo Sabres, McLeod scored 20 goals and 33 assists in 59 games. He had a 52.3 percent success rate in the draw this season. McLeod's underlying defensive numbers weren't the fanciest. However, that could change under a defensive-minded head coach in Craig Berube.
Buffalo, of course, is a divisional rival, but after several seasons out of the playoff picture, would they be willing to move a 25-year-old center out? I can't see this happening with them trying to become a younger team, but it's an intriguing scenario for Toronto.
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The 2025 Stanley Cup Final has served as a stark reminder: experience, that intangible quality often dismissed for youthful exuberance, can be a decisive weapon in the grind of playoff hockey. From Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand's tenacious performance to 40-year-old Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry, veteran players are not just participating—they're driving their teams. This raises a critical question for NHL general managers, particularly those like the Toronto Maple Leafs—perpetually searching for the missing piece: Should teams pay a premium for veteran players, banking on their experience to translate into playoff success?
The Sabres could sell high on McLeod, who, before joining Buffalo, didn't score more than 30 points in a season over the last three years. He's big at 6-foot-3 and fits what both Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving and coach Berube like in a player.
I'd worry, however, that he regresses into the player he was with the Edmonton Oilers, especially with his shooting percentage over 20 percent this past season. It's a small sample size, though, so this could be him learning to be successful at the NHL level.
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
I know I said Toronto should look to get younger, but Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri always intrigues Maple Leafs fans. Even Kadri, who spoke with The Athletic's James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel on The Leaf Report podcast in October about his new book, "Dreamer: My Life on the Edge," said he wouldn't close the door on a reunion with his former team.
It'd be a difficult fit with the 34-year-old making $7 million annually for four more seasons, albeit it's still a fascinating scenario. After a strong year, where Kadri scored a career-high 35 goals, this would be a logical move if Treliving were to attempt it.
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Calgary GM Craig Conroy reportedly wasn't interested in moving Kadri during the season after the additions of Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Philadelphia Flyers, and I highly doubt that, after missing out on the playoffs by a tiebreaker to the St. Louis Blues, Conroy would be willing to move their highest point producer from last season.
Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
In my eyes, the best fit for Toronto would be New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad. He's 32, and although he had a down season (like most of the Rangers' players), Zibanejad has hit the 60-point mark six times throughout his career.
He also has strong defensive instincts, and what would make him the perfect fit for the Maple Leafs: his 40 points in his last 43 playoff games (or 63 points in 74 career postseason games).
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The only problem with Zibanejad is his $8.5 million cap hit for the next five seasons. It'd be wonderful if Toronto could acquire him via trade, but they'd need to figure out how they will build around him ahead of next season.
With the salary rising (it could be well over $120 million by the end of Zibanejad's contract), Toronto might not be too worried about the number. It's a great fit nonetheless.
The Maple Leafs need to be certain, whether via free agency or a trade, that the player is the right fit. McLeod is young, Kadri's return would be a great story, and Zibanejad is a near-perfect fit for Toronto.
Maybe they go off the board entirely? Treliving has done it before, like acquiring Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline. Does Toronto circle back with the Blues on Brayden Schenn, who's won a Stanley Cup with Berube?
William Karlsson with the Vegas Golden Knights?
The Maple Leafs need to fill the void currently within the forward group, a middle-six center. That player should also have a record of producing in the playoffs. Surround them with more depth scoring, and Toronto may have completed the puzzle for playoff success.
Statistics via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com & contract valuations via PuckPedia.com
(Top photo: Brett Holmes / Imagn Images)