The Toronto Maple Leafs are trimming down their roster ahead of the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.
Toronto is looking to move past last year’s disappointment, when the Maple Leafs didn’t make the playoffs and were sellers at the trade deadline.
The Maple Leafs will open their season on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto Maple Leafs Cut 8 Players
With the Maple Leafs done with preseason games, Toronto is cutting down its roster.
The Maple Leafs waived eight players on Thursday, including fan-favorite Steven Lorentz, who won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.
Full list of Maple Leafs on waivers today, per Puckpedia:
- Brendan Brisson
- Vinni Lettieri
- Steven Lorentz
- Philippe Myers
- Michael Pezzetta
- Marshall Rifai
- Henrik Rybinski
- Ryan Tverberg
The most surprising name on the list is Lorentz, who’s from the Toronto area and in the second year of a three-year, $4.05 million deal.
Along with Lorentz, the other notable names that the Maple Leafs waived are Brendan Birsson, Philippe Myers, Michael Pezzetta, Marshall Rifai, and Vinni Lettieri.
Toronto signed Brisson to a one-year deal in September as the 2020 first-round pick appeared in just 3 games with the New York Rangers a year ago. He’s skated in 27 NHL games and, at just 24 years old, there was some intrigue in the move, but he failed to crack the roster.
Myers, meanwhile, has skated in 233 career NHL games across 8 seasons as he looked to compete for the seventh spot. He skated in 39 games with Toronto last season.
Pezzetta signed a two-year deal with Toronto a year ago to add some physicality and toughness. He skated in just 9 games for the Maple Leafs a year ago and has also played for the Montreal Canadiens.
Rifai has been a solid defenseman in the AHL for Toronto and was looking to crack the roster. He’s appeared in 3 NHL games.
Lettieri has played in 155 games over 7 NHL seasons. However, he didn’t do enough to crack Toronto’s roster, which overhauled its bottom-six.
Toronto Going to Arizona Before Season
The Maple Leafs will kick off their season on Tuesday, but before they do, they are going on a team bonding trip.
Usually, the team went to Muskoka, which is a nice cottage town a few hours north of the city where many NHL players from the area have cottages. However, this year, the team will be switching it up and going to Arizona.
“A new year, fresh start. Wanted to do something different. And (MLSE CEO) Keith Pelley actually brought it up to say, you know, feels like Muskoka is great, everyone loves it, but it’s getting a little stale,” general manager John Chayka explained of the getaway. “It’s less about time away and more about time with the people, and trying to find the right spot at the right time. So, with the way we travel now, we’re pretty lucky too. Whether we’re stuck in cottage traffic or on a plane, we didn’t feel like it makes a big difference.”
The Maple Leafs will be back in Toronto Saturday night before practicing on Monday for their season opener on Tuesday.
Toronto Maple Leafs Cut 8 Players As Regular Season Looms