When Mitch Marner was moved by the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, the idea that Toronto could replace one player by committee (and save money) sounded ambitious. Rather than pursue another star winger and create a new ‘Core Four’, Toronto opted to bring in three players, spreading the offense across the team and giving the team flexibility with their roster.
Nestor Quixstan from Heavy.com looked at trading midway through the 2025-2026 NHL season. He believes the move shows it worked.
Matias Maccelli came in a trade with the Utah Mammoth. Dakota Joshua arrived from the Vancouver Canucks. Nic Roy returned as part of the sign-and-trade that sent Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. None of them were intended to be ‘the next Marner’. As a trio, the idea was that they could produce more together.
Things weren’t looking great when the season started. Marner got off to a good start and the three Leafs were inconsistent. Now, halfway through the season, the numbers are hard to dismiss.
Marner has nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points in 38 games with Vegas; about what people should expect, if not a touch lower. The Toronto trio has nearly matched that output. Maccelli has 15 points in 29 games, Roy has 14 in 37 games and Joshua has 10 points in 36 games. Combined, that’s 39 points – essentially even with Marner.
What about the Maple Leafs salary cap situation?
The cap photo makes an even more compelling argument that the Leafs might have gotten this right. Marner has a cap hit of $12 million. Maccelli, Roy and Joshua combine for about $9.7 million. That’s comparable production with a savings of about $2.5 million, making it easy for the Leafs to add another player, especially around the trade deadline.
There have been bumps along the way, and there will likely be more. Joshua was up and down with his production before landing on injured reserve. He could be out for a while. That has forced Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson to step up, which they have done so far.
The bigger question is sustainability. Toronto remains in a tight playoff race, just a few points ahead after a recent surge. The Leafs are open to help, but what all is available and who is available at a fair price is unclear.
There are still multiple ways this trade can play out, and the only way to fairly evaluate it is over time. If the Leafs struggle and miss the playoffs, the move will be considered a big loser. That is, unless the Golden Knights miss too.
Next: 3 takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 6-5 win over the Jets
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