Mats Sundin and John Chayka are tasked with overhauling the Toronto Maple Leafs, during a summer that promises profound change. Sundin and Chayka will have to improve the team’s defensive corps, provide Auston Matthews with a plan to win immediately, and re-tool a team that underwent a 30-point decline. It will be an uphill battle, but Sundin and Chayka are armed with some assets this summer.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the Maple Leafs’ best blueliner in 2025-26, during a season where the team’s defensive form fell off a cliff. Ekman-Larsson was engaged physically, provided secondary scoring, and took on an outsized role during a year where Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo proved to be thoroughly unreliable. Ekman-Larsson was named to Sweden’s Olympic team, and is captaining his country at the IIHF World Championship.

The 34-year-old was subject to plenty of trade rumours, including a potential deal to the Montreal Canadiens. Ekman-Larsson expressed his gratitude to remain in Toronto after the deadline, and has continued to state his desire to stay with the team. Although it’s rare for a player in their mid-30s to improve their trade value, Ekman-Larsson is more valuable to a genuine contender than a Leafs team in a state of transition. Although he doesn’t want to leave, if Ekman-Larsson can return an under-25 asset or a top prospect, Sundin and Chayka may have to consider moving the veteran of 1,137 games.

Dennis Hildeby was solid for the Maple Leafs, posting a .914 save percentage during 20 games. Hildeby ought to have received more starts, but evidently Craig Berube didn’t know what he had in the 6-foot-7 goaltender. Although he spent the majority of the year with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Hildeby showed that he could be a capable, developing backup goaltender at the NHL level, with the potential to graduate into a starter. He moves well for his size, he displayed improved rebound control, and goaltender is the one position where the Maple Leafs hold relative depth.

Hildeby’s potential, team-friendly contract and continued improvement make him a valuable trade asset. Could the Maple Leafs gain a defensive prospect in return for the emerging goalie this summer?

It was a brutal season for the Maple Leafs and in truth, few players created positive trade value for themselves. Bo Groulx is perhaps the rare exception. Groulx was excellent for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, recording 28 goals and 52 points in 59 games. As a result of his production, Groulx was called up to the Maple Leafs in March, where his offensive contributions, tenacity, and defensive conscientiousness earned him a spot in the team’s bottom-six.

It’s a small sample, but Groulx posted three goals and five points in 13 games, with a plus-four rating at 5-on-5. He may not return a headliner, but if Groulx can command a late-round pick in exchange, it would be considered a win for a Maple Leafs team lacking any draft capital. Perhaps Groulx can continue his renaissance on a team that is actively looking to contend for the first overall pick in 2027.