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The Toronto Maple Leafs returned to the playoffs for a ninth straight season, but would fall in the second round of the playoffs to the Florida Panthers. This led to the contract of Brendan Shanahan not being renewed by the franchise. Now, general manager Brad Treliving will have more of a say in the operation. It was not an easy summer to navigate, but the team did make some solid moves.
The major move of the Leafs this season was a loss for the Leafs. Mitch Marner decided to leave Toronto, but the Leafs did get something in return. They worked out a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, bringing back Nicolas Roy instead of losing Marner for nothing. They also brought in Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, while adding Henry Thrun from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Ryan Reaves. They would lose Pontus Holmberg in free agency as well.
Still, the Leafs, even with limited cap space, made some solid moves. They would bring back some key pieces of their roster, while making eight total signings.
The Leafs bring back John Tavares
The first move of the summer for Toronto was bringing back their captain. Tavares returns on a four-year deal worth $17.52 million. The Canadian center was the first overall pick of the New York Islanders in 2009. He would break into the NHL that season, playing in all 82 games, scoring 24 goals and adding 20 assists. He would sign as a free agent with the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2018, with the hope of winning a Stanley Cup. In his NHL career, he has played 1,184 games, scoring 494 goals and adding 620 assists. That is good for 1,114 points in his NHL career.
The future Hall-of-Famer has also played in 75 playoff games, scoring 28 goals and adding 25 assists. Still, he has yet to play for a Stanley Cup. He is coming off a solid year in Toronto. In 75 games, he scored 38 goals while adding 38 assists. He has scored 25 or more goals in ten of the last 11 years. Further, he has 50 or more points in each of the last 12 seasons. At an AAV of just $4.38 million, this was a fantastic contract for Toronto.
John Tavares contract grade: A
Matthew Knies returns to Toronto
The Leafs also brought back restricted free agent Matthew Knies. This was a major signing for the team. If he had left, the Maple Leafs would have been without two of their top five scoring options from last year. The American-born forward was the 57th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by Toronto. He would go on to play two years at the University of Minnesota, before joining the franchise for three games and the playoffs at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Since then, he has played 158 regular-season games, scoring 44 goals and adding 49 assists. He has also played in 20 additional playoff games with seven goals and three assists.
Last year was the best of his young career. He scored 29 goals and added 29 assists. Still, his contract does come at a cost of $7.75 million per year, but the Leafs did buy out the first year of Knies being an unrestricted free agent. The former Hobey Baker Award finalist should continue to improve on the offensive end of the ice as well. He has already shown growth on the defensive end in his career, too. Overall, the Maple Leafs got a solid signing with this deal.
Matthew Knies contact grade: A-
Toronto retains Steven Lorentz
While the retention of Tavares and Knies was big for the team, they also brought back Lorentz. He received a three-year deal with an AAV of $1.35 million. He was a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 and would make it to the NHL in the 2020-21 season. He would be traded to the San Jose Sharks in the summer of 2022, and then to the Florida Panthers the next summer. After winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, he would join the Leafs last summer.
It was a solid season for the Canadian center, scoring eight goals and adding 11 assists. His contract value is that of a fourth-line center, and his production has matched that. Lorentz has been a solid defensive piece in his NHL career as well. Overall, this was a solid depth signing that brings continuity to the team, but does not do much to improve them overall.
Steven Lorentz contract grade: C
Vinni Lettieri joined the team on a one-year deal
The formerly undrafted center from Excelsior, Minnesota, joined the team on a one-year deal worth $775,00. After four years at the University of Minnesota, he would break into the NHL with the New York Rangers in the 2017-18 season. Since then, he has spent time with the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, and Minnesota Wild. He was back with the Bruins this past season. He would spend 46 games with the Providence Bruins of the AHL and play 26 games with the NHL club.
In those 26 games, he would score three goals and add just two assists. Overall, he has played in 155 games in the NHL with 15 goals and 17 assists. This is not a major signing for the Leafs, but one that deserves some notice. Lettieri will most likely spend much of the year with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, but when a need arises on the NHL club, he is a solid call-up option in a pinch.
Vinni Lettieri contract grade: C-
Travis Boyd gets a contract from the Maple Leafs
Boyd got a one-year deal from the Leafs worth $775,000. He would be the 177th overall pick of the 2011 draft by the Washington Capitals. He has spent time in the NHL with the Caps, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, and Minnesota Wild. Further, he played the start of the 2020-21 season with the Maple Leafs. The team wanted to place Boyd on their taxi squad, but they had to place him on waivers, where he was claimed by the Canucks. Overall, this is another reliable depth signing.
He has played 82 games in a season as recently as the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 34 points that year. He will likely also spend time in the AHL, but brings more experience than Lettieri and could be another call-up option in case of an injury.
Travis Boyd contract grade: C
Michael Pezzetta is heading to Toronto
Pezzetta was the 160th overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2016 NHL Draft. He made it to the NHL in the 2021-22 season and has been with the Canadiens since. In his four seasons with Montreal, he has played in 200 games, scoring 15 goals and adding 23 assists. Still, last year was a disaster for the Canadian-born winger. He would play in just 25 games and did not register a point. Furthermore, his defense declined last year. While Pezzetta showed some promise in his AHL career, he has yet to live up to that, and was not a good signing by the Leafs, especially for two years.
Michael Pezzetta contract grade: F
The Leafs add Benoit-Olivier Groulx
Groulx was the 54th overall selection of the Anaheim Ducks in 2018. He would play in his first NHL game in the 2021-22 season, playing 18 games with the Ducks, scoring one and adding two assists. He would go on to play 65 total games with the franchise, scoring one goal and adding four assists. Last summer, he signed with the New York Rangers, but played for their AHL affiliate. The French forward would be called up to the NHL level, but not play a game, being a healthy scratch for the Rangers each time. This is a player who has been a borderline NHL player for years, but has yet to show he can stay at the NHL level.
Benoit-Olivier Groulx contract grade: D+
Dakota Mermis gets a two-year contract
Mermis is a defender and made it to the NHL as an undrafted free agent, first playing in 2017 with the Coyotes. He would spend time with the Devils and Wild before signing with the Maple Leafs last summer. He would end up being placed on waivers, and claimed by the Utah Hockey Club, before being placed on waivers by them and returning to the Leafs. Similar to Lettieri and Boyd, this is a depth piece that can be called up from the AHL level when needed.
Daktoa Mermis contract grade: C-
Final grade on the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2025 signings
The loss of Mitch Marner was massive, but being able to get something back for him was also a big deal. They did add some solid depth pieces, but not enough to replace a player like Marner. This has been a team that has struggled in the playoffs and has not done anything to combat those struggles this offseason. They still have $6 million in salary cap space, but also need to re-sign Nicholas Robertson. While the grade gets a slight bump for not letting Marner walk away for nothing, they did not make enough moves to get a solid grade overall.
Overall grade for the Maple Leafs' 2025 free agency class: C-
