Late in the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected defenseman Alexander Bilecki of the Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers. This was an excellent value pick. According to Elite Prospects, Bilecki’s consolidated ranking was 54th. At McKeen’s, where your author is the director of scouting, we had Bilecki ranked 35th. Needless to say, I’m a […]
The post Breaking down what makes Alexander Bilecki strong value for the Maple Leafs at pick #60 appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, every NHL offseason seems to reach a point where every rumour takes on a life of its own. Some of them are realistic. Others are…
The Montreal Canadiens could be expecting some big fights from Russian forward Gleb Pugachyov in the future.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ethan MacKenzie referred to the moment he was taken 69th overall by the team during the 2026 NHL Draft as a special moment. Having passed over in the last two drafts, he was slightly older than most players in this year’s draft class. But there was enough talent in MacKenzie’s game…
Former NHL executive Michael Futa believes that getting Zach Werenski would answer the Auston Matthews question for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Werenski, the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman, has requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he has spent the first decade of his pro hockey career. The Blue Jackets […]
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· 29 days ago
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The Edmonton Oilers saga involving Darnell Nurse could be down to a 1-for-1 swap, solving the cap crunch situation.
The post Oilers Nurse Trade Could Be Down to 1-for-1 Swap appeared first on HEAVY .
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· 29 days ago
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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has money to burn this offseason, and on Wednesday at noon, once free agency opens, Chayka should be checking in on free-agent forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Colton Sissons. The Maple Leafs have spots in the lineup for both. Arvidsson and Sissons bring very different games to the table,…
In free agency, some clubs take a big swing at a player on the open market, and after the first year, it looks to be a waste of money. This…
John Chayka’s first draft as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks like it could be the most successful one the team has had in years. Only a few months ago, they had no first-round pick and no picks until the third round. They got a boost from lady luck by winning the draft…
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka wanted to refresh his blueline heading into next season, and needless to say, early on in his tenure, he’s done exactly that. Heading into free agency on Wednesday, Chayka can continue to reshape his defense core, for this upcoming season, and for the foreseeable future. Chayka has moved…
Toronto invited 26 undrafted prospects to their July 2026 development camp this year. I'm looking at them all to see who could be interesting as potential future signing or draft targets.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be trading for Zach Werenski after all.The Maple Leafs have been active this offseason, overhauling their roster, and they may not be done ahead of free agency opening on July 1. Ahead of the beginning of free agency, the Maple Leafs have been connected to a blockbuster trade for […]
The post Insider Pours Cold Water on Maple Leafs Acquiring $57.5M Star Defenseman appeared first on HEAVY .
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· 30 days ago
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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ organization walked away from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft with a talented group of 10 prospects that can hopefully make an impact in the NHL one day. One of those selections was Alexander Bilecki, whom the Maple Leafs took in the second round with the 60th pick in the draft. The…
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to bring in Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, but fans shouldn't get excited just yet.
The post Maple Leafs Should Get Their Hopes Up with Werenski Just Yet appeared first on HEAVY .
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· 30 days ago
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The Toronto Maple Leafs believe they have landed a franchise cornerstone after selecting Gavin McKenna first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. While his talent has never been questioned, NHL analyst Jonny Lazarus believes the 18-year-old’s confidence could be just…
When the Toronto Maple Leafs let go of Zach Hyman following the 2020-21 season, they had a gaping hole to fill on the top line. Unbeknownst to them at the time, they had drafted his replacement in Matthew Knies, but he wouldn’t arrive for another two years. In the meantime, they needed somebody to fill…
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a notable trade this offseason, as they dealt goaltender Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers in a multi-player deal. Woll had been the subject of trade rumors early on during the offseason, so it was not necessarily surprising to see him get moved.With Woll being traded, the Maple Leafs now […]
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· 30 days ago
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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has proved early on into his tenure he loves making trades. Chayka’s pulled off two surprising moves in less than a month on the job and with free agency opening on July 1, it’s going to be interesting to see how this Maple Leafs’ roster looks come September….
Gavin McKenna now operates as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ most important player, after being selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. It’s imperative for the Maple Leafs to ease his transition into the hockey capital of the world. And there’s a distinct possibility the Maple Leafs could pursue McKenna’s hero, who also serves as…
Leafs qualify Robertson, not Maccelli
The Toronto Maple Leafs failed to qualify winger Matias Maccelli, who scored 14 goals and 39 points in his first season in Toronto. Former Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving sent a third-round pick to the Utah Mammoth last summer for Maccelli, a former 17-goal and 59-point scorer for the Arizona Coyotes just two seasons ago. […]
The post Maple Leafs Fail to Qualify Double-Digit Goal Scorer appeared first on HEAVY .
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· 30 days ago
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It's becoming apparently obvious that the people who run the conferences and the Canadian university hockey league simply don't care about taking easy wins. Some may point to the fact that university hockey in Canada has been over for a while and that school is out for the summer, but you'd think there would be someone at the wheel guiding the good ship U SPORTS and its conferences and member schools forward. I say this because the man pictured above in Joel Ward was named the head coach of th...
Monday at 5pm ET was the deadline for NHL teams to make qualifying offers for their pending restricted free agents. Those not tendered a QO would become unrestricted free agents. The following, per PuckPedia , is a list of the top five RFAs whose teams did not give them the qualifying offer, thereby letting them go to the open market on July 1. The list is ranked by 2025-26 scoring stats. Top 5 RFAs Non-QO'd, Now RFAs Matias Maccelli, Toronto Maple Leafs 39 pts/...
The Zach Werenski saga continues in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets are getting plenty of interest from teams looking to snag the Norris Trophy winner. Werenski informed the team that he would not be extending beyond the current two years remaining on his contract ($9.583 million AAV). According to the latest report, insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes that there are five teams now that he can name that have discussed the possibility of a trade with Columbus. As follows: Dallas...
The start of another series, and all I’m thinking is ‘don’t be swept’. That stuff about Addison Barger being back soon? Not so much. He has a ‘stress reaction in his back’. I guess that means stress fracture, but he’ll be shut down for two more weeks. So let’s hope that he might be back […]