The Toronto Maple Leafs have made several meaningful moves in the first official offseason with general manager John Chayka in charge of things, including both on the ice, in their front office, and behind their bench.
The Maple Leafs feel as though they’ve made significant enough changes to be a challenger for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the upcoming season after missing for the first time in a decade. Coincidentally, they landed the first overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, and used the pick on forward Gavin McKenna of Penn State.
And while defenseman Morgan Rielly remains in the crosshairs of meaningful trade rumors, there is a strong possibility of two other current Maple Leafs being moved at some point.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade A Pair Of Players Before Long
According to Shawn Sinclair of NHL Trade Rumors, the Maple Leafs could trade one or both of forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Sinclair began by discussing the “terrible” first season that Joshua had with the Maple Leafs, and that his role with the club could be reduced thanks to some recent additions they’ve made.
“Joshua had a terrible first season in Toronto, battling injuries and an inconsistent role under former head coach Craig Berube,” Sinclair wrote. “The only issue is, Joshua brings some size, toughness, and physicality to the Leafs lineup, and with the new additions of Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, the Leafs can do without Joshua. The rugged winger has two years left on his contract at $3.2 million AAV, and owns a 12-team no-trade clause.”
Joshua, who was originally taken with the 128th overall pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft, has played for both the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks before landing back in Toronto last summer.
In 296 career NHL games, Joshua has scored 50 goals with 46 assists.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson Could Also Be Traded
Sinclair continued by saying that Oliver Ekman-Larsson could also be a candidate to be moved by GM John Chayka.
“If Rielly doesn’t get dealt before next season, OEL could be. There’s been significant trade interest in the Swedish blueliner this summer, and if Chayka is blown away by an offer, there’s certainly a good chance he’d accept. OEL is under contract for two more years at just $3.5 million, so Chayka’s certainly not in any rush to pull the trigger on a move, but again, if the offers are too good to pass up, he may have no other choice.”
Being the savvy veteran that he is, Ekman-Larsson was well aware that his name was involved in trade rumors in the days leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. However, he made it clear that his preference was to remain where he is.
“I love it here,” Ekman-Larsson said. “I think I said that a couple of days ago. We love it here. As a family, we’re super happy to be here, and we want to stay here, so yeah.”
Last season, he scored eight goals with 31 assists.
Maple Leafs Could Make Pair Of Additional Trades