Maple Leafs Top Free Agent Forward Targets This Summer – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into an offseason where things are probably going to look different in a few areas of the roster. After missing the playoffs, there is a clear push to change more than just a couple of pieces around the edges.

While the focus appears to be more on the blue line. There are still a few areas up front that can be addressed. Mainly within the middle six, which can give the Maple Leafs a bit of a different look. Especially in terms of pace, physical detail, and finding scoring that does not come with a big cap hit attached to it. One thing is clear: the additions of Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Matias Maccelli didn’t work. Which is what they opted to trade Roy last season.

Now, newly hired general manager John Chayka is going to need to find a way to move the Joshua contract and potentially even leave Maccelli unqualified, allowing him to walk to free agency. If Toronto is serious about changing the look of this team, there are a few pending free agents that stand out and could have a positive effect on the lineup.

Beck Malenstyn

Beck Malenstyn is the type of player that does not usually generate a lot of noise in free agency conversations, but he probably should in this case. He played a steady role for the Buffalo Sabres this season, finishing with seven goals and 14 points in 81 games while spending most of his time in defensive situations. The offence is not really what drives his value anyway.

At 6-foot-3, he brings a physical element there that does not feel forced, which is not always the case with players in that role. As well as a speed factor. He has proven on a nightly basis that he is a very fast skater who can beat out an icing call to keep the play going. While also making life tough on the opposition’s forecheck. In today’s NHL, teams don’t need a fighter player on their fourth line. Yes, it is exciting for the fans, but adding a player like Malenstyn can drastically change how that last line looks, for the better.

Michael Bunting

Next, Michael Bunting, who has always felt destined to return to his hometown team. Since leaving in 2023, he has moved around a bit, most recently finishing the season with the Dallas Stars after a stop with the Nashville Predators. His production has settled into a pretty consistent range, 13 goals and 31 points in 61 games this year.

The interesting part with Bunting is that the fit in Toronto was never really about whether he could play. It was more about how everything around him functioned. He plays close to the net, he gets involved physically, and he is not shy about pushing into areas that can irritate opponents. That can be useful, but it can also tilt games in the other direction depending on how things are going.

At this point, he isn’t going to be expected to be a top-line player. If he can rekindle that chemistry with Auston Matthews, great. But, for Bunting, it’s more about the willingness to stay inside, take contact, and still find production chances around the crease. He would be an ideal middle six forward, especially if Max Domi is healthy for next season. Having two pests on the same line, who can produce, would be a useful third line. And, who knows, maybe Nicholas Robertson becomes the main offensive threat alongside them on the third line.

Anthony Mantha

Lastly, Anthony Mantha is the biggest addition out of the three of them. He had a strong season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, finishing with 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. It was exactly what he wanted to happen when he signed the one-year “prove it” deal. With that kind of production, it’s going to put him back into a different conversation this summer.

Teams are going to see the 33 goals and pay him to be a secondary scoring option. For the Maple Leafs, as long as the price point isn’t outrageous, it makes sense to bring in someone who can play 17 minutes a night, score 30 goals, and be a net-front presence on either power play unit.

At 6-foot-5, he brings a different look to a lineup. When he is going well, the shot is a real weapon, and he does not need a lot of touches to make an impact. The question with him is always whether that level holds over time. It has been the same discussion for a while now, and it is probably not changing at this stage of his career. Still, the upside is what makes him interesting. If used in the right spot, especially with the right distribution of minutes, there is enough goal-scoring there to justify the risk depending on the price.