Report: Maple Leafs offered 1st-round pick for Jacob Markstrom, looking to target Chris Tanev

We’re on the verge of the opening of free agency and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ plans are beginning to come into focus, and it’s becoming eminently clear that the team will aim to bolster its defense and goaltending in the opening days of July.

The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle unveiled their comprehensive reporting about what the Maple Leafs have been up to through the month of June and it’s clear Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has been working the phones.

Toronto reportedly offered a first-round pick to the Calgary Flames for goaltender Jacob Markstrom and were considered a leading candidate to secure the 34-year-old, according to Siegel and Mirtle. Calgary evidently preferred New Jersey’s offer and traded Markstrom in exchange for a package centred around a 2025 top-10 protected pick. Linus Ullmark, considered by many to be the best goaltender publicly available via free agency or trade, was sent to the Ottawa Senators from the Boston Bruins, an hour before Monday’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final commenced.

Joseph Woll is reportedly on the verge of reaching a multi-year extension and the Maple Leafs will be seeking a second goalie to work in tandem. Toronto is widely expected to be targeting Laurent Brossoit, or could potentially target Florida Panthers backup Anthony Stolarz, among others. It’s expected that the Maple Leafs won’t offer a long-term deal to any goalie they attempt to sign in free agency, as Woll appears to be the goalie of Toronto’s future.

Toronto is widely expected to be a major player when it comes to targeting defensemen and like the vast majority of teams in the league, will attempt to sign Panthers standout Brandon Montour or Carolina Hurricanes defender Brady Skjei. It’s more likely that the Maple Leafs will prioritize Chris Tanev above all other defenseman via Siegel and Mirtle. Tanev has been linked to the Maple Leafs for the duration of Treliving’s tenure with the club, and were considered to be in the mix for the veteran defenceman prior to the NHL trade deadline. Tanev was dealt to the Dallas Stars and was one of the marquee defensemen during the playoffs, eventually losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals. He is precisely the type of shutdown defenceman the Maple Leafs have craved for the entirety of the Auston Matthews Era.

There are multiple positions available on defense and the Maple Leafs will likely approach Matt Roy as well, an underrated 29-year-old right-shot defenseman firmly in their prime.

Siegel and Mirtle also confirmed that the Maple Leafs have interest in David Perron, Jake DeBrusk and Dakota Joshua. Perron won a Stanley Cup with head coach Craig Berube with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, while DeBrusk and the Maple Leafs were previously reported to have mutual interest.

We’ll have some more certainty in the coming days, but one can expect the Maple Leafs to make a splash on defense, add a No. 2 goaltender and bolster its blue line, while carrying the weight of being expected to finally get over the proverbial hump next spring.