The 2026 NHL free agency period has officially arrived, and the expectation is that the Toronto Maple Leafs and GM John Chayka will be active in one way or another.

The Leafs may make some moves on the trade front, as there has been plenty of activity that way across the NHL lately, but in terms of signing UFAs, there are some possibilities in that sense, too.

It's clear the Maple Leafs want to get back into playoff contention and are looking to build a team that is competitive in the demanding Atlantic Division. With that in mind, here are some areas in which the Leafs can tinker with or improve in free agency, as well as the UFAs that fit the bill.

When looking at the Maple Leafs' current projected roster for next season, William Nylander is the only listed forward who is a right-handed shot. If Nylander ever misses a game for whatever reason, Toronto is one player away from sending out a lineup with 12 left-handed forwards.

Having a forward group that's predominantly one-handed isn't the end-all, be-all of a result, but it certainly makes the team more predictable for opposition defenses and goaltenders. That can lead to a dull or ineffective offense.

So, if the Leafs are going to look for some offensive depth in free agency, it may be in their best interest to find a UFA or two who shoot with their right hand. Here are a few players who meet that description.

Oliver Bjorkstrand is coming off a rather disappointing season with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. In 80 appearances in the regular season, the right winger scored just 12 goals and 32 points.

However, there is a fair explanation as to why there's been a drop-off in point production for Bjorkstrand. Spending the past campaign on a team that carried players such as Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel and other great wingers, Bjorkstrand couldn't find a role in the team that would utilize his skills to the fullest. As a result, he averaged just 13:38 of ice time per game.

That's a serious contrast when considering how he was used in the best seasons of his 11-year NHL career. When reaching a career-high 59 points for the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24, he averaged 16:11 time on ice. Even in his final three years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bjorkstrand averaged over 17 minutes of ice time.

In a position to succeed, the 31-year-old Dane is quite the offensive producer. And on the Maple Leafs, there could be a spot for him on the right wing of whatever line Nylander doesn't occupy.

Bjorkstrand's previous contract was a five-year deal that paid him $5.4 million against the salary cap. He'll certainly seek a raise in terms of his average annual salary, but potentially not a hefty raise considering his numbers from the past season.

While he's still capable of scoring 20 goals in a season, Jack Roslovic is a player who would fit in the middle-six of a competitive lineup, rather than the top-six presence that Bjorkstrand is.

With that, Roslovic would be a much cheaper option to inject into the Leafs' forward group, and also a younger player, as a 29-year-old. In this past year with the Edmonton Oilers, in which he signed a one-year contract in the 2025 off-season, he scored 22 goals and 36 points in 69 contests. That's about a 43-point pace in a full 82-game season, or in the case of the 2026-27 campaign and onward, about a 44-point pace.

Roslovic is more than capable of pitching in offensively, depending on what his role is, but with the Maple Leafs, he may fit best on the third line and potentially as a center. One perk about Roslovic's game is his versatility, as he is proficient as a center, which makes him a valuable roster player. 

Considering Max Domi's health is a concern at the moment, Bo Groulx and Jacob Quillan are the in-house solutions to fill the role of the third-line center. Therefore, if Roslovic is added to the roster, that's an extra body that can fill in for the center position when needed.

Roslovic's previous salary cap hit was just $1.5 million with the Oilers. That number should increase by a notable amount, but shouldn't exceed a reasonable figure.

Kevin Stenlund could be a UFA that flies under the radar as a valuable signing.

The 29-year-old is a center, but can certainly do a job on the right flank in a role at any rate. Stenlund isn't known for his flashy skills, nor does he put up a lot of points, recording four goals and 18 points in 80 games last year.

But to this point in his 368-game NHL career, he's made his living off his responsibility on the defensive side of the ice. 

Stenlund is a premier penalty killer and thrives in the faceoff dot in all situations. In fact, among players to take a minimum of 1,000 faceoffs this past year, Stenlund finished in the top 20 with a 54.2 percent rate for the Utah Mammoth.

He also led all NHL forwards in total and average shorthanded ice time, logging a total of 234:15, while averaging 2:56 of ice time on the penalty kill per game.

With all he can bring to the defensive side of the game, he could be a great fit to be Toronto's third-line center. And with the loss of players such as Scott Laughton and Nicolas Roy at the 2026 trade deadline, the Leafs could use a player to fill that role again.

Stenlund costed $2 million against the cap in Utah.

The Maple Leafs now have three goaltenders in contention for two NHL spots, with Anthony Stolarz guaranteed to take one if healthy. What happens to the remaining spot in Toronto's goaltending tandem remains to be seen.

It can certainly be filled by either one of 24-year-olds Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov, who have both earned NHL roles one way or another. But if Chayka believes he needs a little more security in the pipes, he can search for someone to support Stolarz throughout the campaign.

If the Maple Leafs acquired Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, he wouldn't be so much a supportive partner for Stolarz, but most likely taking the role of starting goaltender, as long as his performances can keep up early in the year.

Bobrovsky must be included in this list, just based on the number of reports that link him and the Maple Leafs together ahead of the beginning of the free agency period.

Coming off an expiring contract that saw him as one of the highest-paid goaltenders in NHL history at $10 million per season over seven years, it appears that he expects to sign another expensive contract this off-season.

With the demanding contractual ask from Bobrovsky and his camp, it would be a risk for Toronto to go down that route.

Cam Talbot is a veteran like Bobrovsky, but won't cost nearly as much and has performed slightly better in the past year, even if Talbot recorded a .883 save percentage and a 3.19 goals-against average with the Detroit Red Wings.

Nonetheless, Talbot, 38, can be a presence for the young Hildeby and Akhtyamov while contributing to the NHL roster. Not to mention, he will be a very cheap option between the pipes, with his previous $2.5-million cap hit as a reference point.

Despite an unimpressive performance in 2025-26, Talbot is just one year removed from a campaign in which he registered a .901 SP, as well as a .913 SP in 2023-24.

David Rittich is a slightly better option for the Leafs in goal in terms of his age, possible contract ask and the numbers he's put up lately.

Making just $1 million against the salary cap for the New York Islanders on a one-year deal, he posted a 2.76 GAA and an .894 SP across 30 appearances.

The 33-year-old Czechia native has been a member of the Maple Leafs before. He was traded to Toronto during the 2020-21 season and featured in four regular-season games. A return could be on the cards for Chayka if he values Rittich's game and his low cost.

See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.