Previously we looked at the forwards and who is and who is unlikely to be moved and who potentially has a market for their services. Now we’ll take a look at the Leafs backend.
Goals
Goaltending should be in its own category, separate from defense, as looking at the net as a whole is key to how the Leafs decide to move forward here. Both Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are capable goaltenders and the Leafs may have too much depth in this area, when there are so many other aspects of the Leafs roster that need to be addressed and the luxury of a strong tandem isn’t sustainable when there are limited futures to trade.
Joseph Woll (border untouchable)– If there is an untouchable goaltender on the Maple Leafs, it is Joseph Woll. He has a manageable contract, age is on his side and recency bias says he will be the top choice in net this season. All these things also make it more likely that a team would pay a premium to sign him and therefore he is given the “borderline” qualification.
Even if the Maple Leafs blow up their roster, they’ll want to do it in a way that they can get the club back to competitive status as quickly as possible next season and if that’s the case, trading Woll seems foolish regardless of the return.
Anthony Stolarz (better off unless someone pays too much) – Next season, Stolarz’s no-trade clause will go from an 8-team no-trade roster to a 16-team no-trade roster. This is also the last chance to deal Stolarz with his $2.5 million cap hit, which would make him an easy fit for a new club with cap restrictions. And if teams are looking at Stolarz, given his results last season and his results in Florida, and are willing to pay for that goaltender and want to pay a premium for him in what is usually a fairly limited goaltender market (maybe not so limited if Binnington and Saros are shopped), then it makes sense to listen to offers on Stolarz.
Of course, keeping the Stolarz/Woll tandem isn’t a bad outcome for the Leafs either, and Stolarz has had setbacks before that he’s been able to correct in his career. It’s too early to say that poor results at the start of the season, when the entire team is playing poorly, represents where his career is.
Dennis Hildeby (better off unless someone pays too much) – Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov could have attractive futures if the Leafs look to upgrade their roster this season. Whether that is the path they should consider is debatable, but the goaltending prospects are the strength of the organization.
If the Leafs like Hildeby and see a future for him with the club, keeping him seems like a no-brainer. If the Maple Leafs really see the next three seasons as belonging to the Woll/Stolarz tandem, it makes sense to cash in on the goaltending prospects.
Defense
Border untouchable (3)
Morgan Rielly (full clause without movement)– Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Brad Treliving and Craig Berube are ready to move on from Morgan Rielly, but I’m not sure Morgan Rielly is ready to move on with the Maple Leafs. Also, the Leafs shouldn’t be as motivated as they are to get rid of an offensively gifted puck mover on a team that has regressed in that regard over the past three years.
Rielly’s foot speed evaporates and his defensive decision-making is always questionable, making him an easy target to be pushed out the door, but it’s as complicated as the full no-movement clause makes it seem.
Jake McCabe (full no trade clause) – This season isn’t Jake McCabe’s best. A big part of that is asking too much of him. He is perfectly capable of working with Tanev. And he’ll be fine without Tanev, as long as he faces competition on the top line while playing on the right side or with a third defender strapped to him.
It’s likely that McCabe is more open to moving on than Rielly, but he has a lot of control over where he goes and considering the Maple Leafs shouldn’t be in a rush to move on from a quality defenseman with a great contract. It would take a killer deal from a team McCabe wants to play for to make a trade happen.
Chris Tanev (full clause without movement) – Like every other Leafs defenseman not named Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tanev appears to have taken a step back from where he was last season. Now that he’s injured, it’s difficult to gauge where Tanev stands as a 35-year-old blueliner.
Tanev holds all the cards and his ‘nudge, nudge, wink, wink’ contract means it’s far more likely that his career in Toronto ends on long-term injury reserve when he’s ready to retire than a trade that requires him to fully commit.
Easy to sell (3)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (16 teams without trade list)– Wouldn’t it be nice if the Maple Leafs sold high for once? It may seem like a bad idea to deal with one of the few players who exceeds their expectations, but a big part of the reason Ekman-Larsson is exceeding expectations is that his 2024-2025 season lowered those expectations so much.
If you look at Ekman-Larsson as a puck moving, the number four defenseman who can help on the power play right now and is happy to get that from him, great. That was the initial expectation for him and he is now living up to it. His 17 points in 23 games certainly exceed expectations in the attacking category and as a cup-winning veteran who can play on the left or right, there should be a market for OEL that wasn’t there before.
If the Maple Leafs are willing to keep Ekman-Larsson’s salary, he could provide a useful return while freeing up a roster spot for youthful defensive players like Henry Thrun or William Villeneuve.
Brandon Carlo (8 teams no trade list)– It didn’t work out well for Carlo in Toronto. On paper, he seemed like a potential partner to be Morgan Rielly’s partner, but that never materialized and after 40 regular season games and 13 postseason games in Carlo’s time with the Maple Leafs, it appears he has rightfully landed on the bait board of just about every sporting goods store.
If the goal is to get back what the Maple Leafs gave up for Carlo, good luck. A first-round pick and strong prospects aren’t likely and, quite frankly, weren’t warranted at the time. That said, Carlo will still have a good reputation around the league and if the Maple Leafs take advantage of salary retention or sign backs, the Leafs could close the gap in that regard.
Simon Benoit – I have heard from a reliable source that teams will overpay for affordable stay-at-home defensemen. I remember teams giving up way too much for the likes of Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, Luke Schenn and even Ryan O’Byrne.
Benoit is a solid option as a third defender and for a contender he is a nice safety net to pick up as a seventh defender. There will be a market for him, but if there isn’t, he’s still not a bad third pairing option for Toronto if he dials back the aggressiveness.
The rest (3)
Troy Stecher– Stecher would need to clear waivers to consider trading him and he would likely be claimed.
Philippe Myers – Myers’ year hasn’t gone great and will be waived once the Leafs need his roster spot. It’s possible that a little time with the Marlies could get him back on track to where he was at the end of last season, but he’s unlikely to be claimed.
Dakota Mermis – Mermis did well, but is another player destined for the Marlies in the coming weeks. It’s hard to imagine a market for him.
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