Toronto Maple Leafs face mounting pressure to replace Mitch Marner after free agency failures
The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially on the clock. After trading away star winger Mitch Marner in a blockbuster sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, the Leafs are scrambling to fill the massive void left by his departure—and time is quickly running out.
Insider warns Leafs can't afford to wait while the
trade market
heats up
T
oronto entered free agency eyeing top-six replacements but came up short on several key targets. Both Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser—widely viewed as ideal candidates to slot alongside Auston Matthews—opted to sign elsewhere, despite Toronto's competitive offers. Ehlers landed with the Hurricanes on a six-year, $51 million deal, while Boeser stayed loyal to Vancouver, rejecting more money from the Leafs.
TSN's Mike DiStefano didn't sugarcoat the urgency surrounding the situation. 'Obviously, that's a big hole, right, for the Maple Leafs, and they've got to fill that Mitch Marner hole,' DiStefano said on OverDrive. He acknowledged that while Matias Maccelli—one of Toronto's recent additions—has potential, 'That's not gonna replace 100 points. That's not gonna replace your top penalty killer, the guy who controls your power play.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
'
With few high-end wingers remaining on the open market, DiStefano believes General Manager Brad Treliving must now shift focus to the trade market. 'I'm curious to see what Brad Treliving has up his sleeve to make that placement,' he added.
So far, the return for Marner—center Nicolas Roy—is underwhelming when measured against the superstar's production. Roy notched 31 points last season and is unlikely to provide the scoring punch Toronto urgently needs.
Meanwhile, the team still has $4.9 million in cap space, but that figure may not be enough to land the kind of impact player they need without making further roster moves.
Also Read:
NHL Contract Extension: Golden Knights begin talks to make Jack Eichel highest-paid player in franchise history
If the Leafs want to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference and keep Matthews in championship contention mode, the front office must act decisively—and soon. With the trade market quickly tightening, Toronto's path forward will likely define its 2025-26 campaign.
For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the
India vs England Test match
here.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 'India too good, but …' - Michael Vaughan stands by 3-1 England prediction
Michael Vaughan (Photo Credits: Getty Images) India's stunning 336-run win over England in the second Test at Edgbaston may have levelled the five-match series 1-1, but former England captain Michael Vaughan isn't backing down from his pre-series prediction of a 3-1 victory in favour of the hosts. 'India have been too good this week .. Outstanding performance .. My prediction is still alive .. 3-1 England ..' Vaughan posted on X, acknowledging India's dominance but staying firm on his forecast. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In his column for The Telegraph, however, Vaughan was more critical of England, accusing them of regressing after Headingley. 'This week, they were back to their bad old ways,' he wrote. 'Apart from four hours on the third day where Harry Brook and Jamie Smith batted beautifully, they have been totally dominated by India.' Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir shut critics with thumping win over England Vaughan pointed out that England misread their opening win in Leeds, where dropped catches by India tilted the momentum. 'They turned up here and thought they should do everything the same way, and it has backfired,' he said, warning that relying on 'fortune' won't win big series. Poll Will England still win the series 3-1 as predicted by Michael Vaughan? Yes, they will bounce back No, India will take the series 'You win games relying on fortune, but not big series like this one or the Ashes,' he added, urging England to 'evolve' rather than base their method on a single game. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Former pacer Stuart Broad, speaking on Sky Sports, also raised red flags about England's bowling setup. 'I'd be worried about this Indian bowling attack at Lord's,' he said, highlighting the threat of Akash Deep and the returning Bumrah. 'If it swings, you've got Bumrah who swings it so late and will be dangerous.' 'Any attack of ours can take 20 wickets anywhere': Shubman Gill hails Mohd Siraj, Akash Deep after historic Edgbaston win With the third Test at Lord's starting July 10, both pundits stressed the need for England to reassess quickly. India, meanwhile, appear primed to keep the pressure on. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG Test: 'It ended up...' - Ben Stokes blames Edgbaston pitch for England's 337-run hammering
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 06: England batsman Ben Stokes reacts after being dismissed during day five of the Second Test Match between England and India at Edgbaston on July 06, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by) England captain Ben Stokes on Sunday blamed the Edgbaston surface for his team's 337-run loss in the second Test against India in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. India defeated England by 337 runs to level the five-match Test series 1-1. The third Test between the two sides will be played at Lord's, starting on July 10. 'To be honest, it probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as we got deeper and deeper into the game,' Stokes told the BBC. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'There was certainly a little bit in it to start off with. I think we exposed that very, very well early on. But then just as it got deeper and deeper, it became a real tough slog for us. 'Obviously with the Indian attack in the conditions they are used to, they knew sort of how to expose those conditions better than us. And that can happen sometimes. It's nothing to be too disheartened about, you know. We can take being out-skilled.' 🗣 "It ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch." Ben Stokes thinks the Edgbaston pitch didn't really suit his England side. #ENGvIND #BBCCricket — Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 6, 2025 At the post-match presentation, Stokes pointed towards two situations where England lost the match, as they conceded a huge 180-run lead to India and allowed their batters, including skipper Shubman Gill, to make gigantic scores. Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir shut critics with thumping win over England 'Two moments — having them 200-5 and not being able to burst them open after a good start with the ball. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo And being 80-5. It was going to be tough to scrape it back from there. You look back at 200-5 — if we were able to burst them open quicker, things could have been different,' he said. Asked if he's concerned about England's bowlers struggling to fire collectively, Stokes stated, 'I wouldn't say it's a concern. We ran in, we tried everything, we changed plans, but when a team's on top of you — and India are a class team — it's hard to change the momentum. Shubman Gill had an unbelievable performance.' Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Sanjog Gupta set to to join ICC as CEO; Ishan Chatterjee elevated as CEO of JioStar Sports
Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports and Live Experiences at JioStar, is set to become the new Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The announcement was made by Uday Shankar in an internal email to employees, in which he expressed both surprise and pride at Gupta's departure. 'I would like to share with you that Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports and Live Experiences, will be moving on to pursue an exciting new opportunity. Personally, and professionally, it is as much a shock to me as it must be to most of you,' wrote Shankar. 'Sanjog has literally grown up with me over the last two decades and has been one of the most talented, creative, entrepreneurial and trusted colleagues and friends. For the company, he has been a man for all seasons.' Gupta's move to the ICC comes at a pivotal moment for international cricket, with the long format struggling to retain popularity even as T20 continues its explosive growth. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Krampfadern und Besenreiser : Wenige kennen diesen "Höhle der Löwen-Tipp" Gesunde Apotheke Undo 'As much as I am saddened by this, I can't also not be proud because he is set to take over as the CEO of ICC,' Shankar added. 'This is one of the most important roles in the world of sports because cricket needs to be reset for the next leap globally and there isn't a better executive to do this.' His contributions span a wide range of marquee properties: from transforming the coverage and presentation of ICC World Cups and the Indian Premier League (IPL) to nurturing domestic leagues such as the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the Indian Super League (ISL), as well as deepening the Indian connection with global events like the Premier League and Wimbledon. Live Events Stepping into Gupta's shoes is Ishan Chatterjee, who currently serves as Chief Business Officer – Sports. Chatterjee will now take over as Chief Executive – Sports and will be reporting to Kiran Mani, CEO- Digital. He will also work directly with Shankar on strategic priorities including sports transformation and stakeholder relationships.
