Maple Leafs GM Reveals Options to Improve Top-Six Forward Group

Toronto does have a bit ($1.9 million) of salary cap room available, but a depleted draft pick pool complicates trade options. The Leafs don't have first-round picks until 2028 and hold only three selections in 2026, none inside the first two rounds.

“We’re going to continue to look internally while also continuing to look outside and see if there’s an availability for somebody that can come in and help us,” Treliving said.

The Leafs have retooled their roster by acquiring multiple players instead of replacing the departed Mitch Marner with a similar top-tier player.

Toronto added the likes of Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua and Mattias Maccelli to balance out a top-heavy forward corps with a more rounded bottom-six group that struggled to make an impact last season.

“Sometimes (the addition) needs a little bit of different ingredients — whether it’s a defensive presence, someone who can forecheck, create loose pucks, create space,” Treliving said about the type of player the Leafs might target before the trade deadline. “It’s easy to say, ‘Let’s go get a top-six forward.’ Well, who is that? And what is the cost?”

Whether the answer to that question comes from inside the organization or through a trade, Treliving stressed that the decision will come down to how any addition improves the existing roster and fits smoothly with the players already on it.