The Toronto Maple Leafs are making major moves under their new regime and they’re not finished yet.
New general manager John Chayka is in his first offseason on the job and he has put his imprint on the Maple Leafs’ roster. They’ve already made major moves, selecting offensive superstar Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft , pulling off a sign and trade for former Tampa Bay Lightning star Darren Raddysh — and signing him to an eight-year deal — and also trading away Joseph Woll and Samuel Ersson shortly after trading him.
The Maple Leafs’ goalie situation is obviously far from settled. They still have Anthony Stolarz under contract, who has played the past two seasons in Toronto. However, Chayka is leaving the door open on an upgrade at goalie, especially with Florida Panthers star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky an option in free agency.
“We’ve got this really interesting goalie pipeline,” said Chayka shortly after the draft. “And part of our evaluation is the young guys and what they’ve shown. So I think we’re trying to balance that. Anthony’s (Stolarz) been, by our models, a top goalie the last two years. Obviously health and durability has been the question, but we can’t guarantee that it’s going to be different. On another goalie that we bring in, that’s always a bit of a question mark. So we’re trying to find some balance in all of that, but it’s a key position, and if there’s a chance to make it better, like any position, we’ll do that. But that’s where we’re at today.”
Why the Maple Leafs Are Open to a Goalie Upgrade
While Stolarz has proven to be a top goalie at times during his career, the bottom fell out during the 2025-26 season. The Leafs ranked second-to-last in goals allowed after ranking eighth in that same category during the 2024-25 season. It’s not surprising that the Leafs missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a decade, ranking second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.
As good as Stolarz can be at times, the Leafs likely wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to sign Bobrovsky if the opportunity presents itself. Ironically enough, Stolarz was the backup to Bobrovsky during the Panthers‘ Stanley Cup run during the 2023-24 season.
Maple Leafs Have Tons of Cap Space to Work With
Bobrovsky is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and the Leafs are likely looking for an upgrade at the position after what happened last year. The 37-year-old Bobrovsky reportedly desires a long-term deal with $6-to-$7 million annually. While the Panthers might balk at such a deal considering his age and their limited cap space, the Maple Leafs might be more inclined to give him that deal.
After trading Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues, the Leafs have $22 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season.
It’s worth noting that the Leafs also selected two goalies during the 2026 NHL Draft — Patriks Plumins and Juusi Ainasto — and have recent draft selections as part of the pipeline such as Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby.
The Leafs certainly aren’t desperate considering they have a starting-caliber goalie in Stolarz. But if Bobrovsky is willing to sign with the Leafs, there’s little doubt they’ll jump at that chance.
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka’s Candid Statement on Starting Goalie Job