The Toronto Maple Leafs enter the 2026-27 season looking considerably different after an eventful offseason led by new general manager John Chayka. Toronto reshaped its roster by parting ways with Joseph Woll and Nicolas Robertson while bringing in veteran additions Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, Nick Paul, and Emil Andrae.
The organization also added a potential franchise cornerstone by selecting Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Widely expected to crack the opening-night roster, McKenna could step into a meaningful role as early as his rookie campaign.
Significant changes extended beyond the roster as well. Jim Hiller was promoted from assistant to head coach following Craig Berube’s dismissal, and the Maple Leafs overhauled the rest of the coaching staff by hiring Daniel Alfredsson, John Gruden, and Brad Werenka as assistants. Derek Lalonde and Mike Van Ryn were among those who did not return.
And while there continues to be heavy speculation regarding the future of veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly, whom the club selected fifth overall in the 2012 NHL Draft, it looks as though there’s an opportunity for Chayka to land a defenseman once regarded as the best player at his respective position.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Have Been Linked To Former Norris Trophy Winning Defenseman Erik Karlsson
According to a recent report from longtime NHL Insider Jimmy Murphy, the Maple Leafs have been listed as a landing spot for defenseman Erik Karlsson, whom Toronto fans saw plenty of while he was captain of the divisional rival Ottawa Senators.
Karlsson, who is currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been heavily embroiled in trade rumors for the last year, though Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was not able to find a trade partner for him last summer, and he remained with the club through the 2025-26 campaign.
Despite Murphy’s prediction, another prominent NHL Insider said that he didn’t get the sense that Dubas was seriously interested in trying to trade Karlsson.
“There will be serious interest in Erik Karlsson this summer,” said Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s Early Trading in March following the Trade Deadline. “Having said that, I will tell you that I chatted with Penguins’ GM Kyle Dubas, who is not happy to have Karlsson’s name out there in terms of trade chatter. He is adamant that Karlsson has been such a great player for them this year that he views Karlsson as a guy that they will continue to want to retool and put young players around, that he doesn’t see himself wanting to trade him this summer.”
Erik Karlsson Is Entering The Final Season Of His Contract
Karlsson, who signed an eight-year, $92 million contract with the San Jose Sharks not long after he was acquired from the Ottawa Senators, is entering the final season of that deal that carries an $11.5 million salary cap hit.
While Karlsson’s numbers have dropped considerably in his last handful of seasons, he’s still shown that he can post decent offensive numbers while playing a key role on the power-play.
If the Maple Leafs were to make a serious run at him, they’d likely ask Dubas, their former GM, to retain a portion of Karlsson’s salary to facilitate a move.
Maple Leafs Linked To Former Captain Of A Bitter Divisional Rival