The Stanley Cup Finals are still going on, so are the NBA Finals, and oh yeah, that World Cup thing. What a perfect time to talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are a few thoughts on them as they are still a couple of weeks out from their most meaningful time of the year.

There is an internal debate going on within me on whether I like or dislike the idea of Joe Pavelski as a Head Coach candidate.

The pro side is that Pavelski is the Maple Leafs trying something different. He’s not a retread that has bounced around the league. He isn’t a hot hand who had a hot goaltender who won him a Stanley Cup or built his reputation on inheriting a collection of future Hall of Famers. He’s not even the flavour of the month AHL, NCAA, or junior coach. He’s being thrown into the deep end for his first coaching gig. You can even argue that this situation is different than Martin St. Louis’ run in Montreal, as the Leafs don’t want to give Pavelski much time to figure things out.

The situation has appeal, but the candidate does too. Pavelski has a great reputation as a teammate, leader, and someone who thinks about the game in a smart way. There is buy-in that Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly will inherit via their relationships with Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, who played a good chunk of their careers with Pavelski. And while bringing in a Sharks veteran didn’t work the past two times, maybe the third time is the charm, and perhaps the key is not asking them to play hockey.

The contrast to the “why not give him a shot” argument is that he seems like a gamble. He doesn’t have a coaching resume. And that’s a big part of the reason not to consider him. Any asshole can run drills and put together line combinations; there have been plenty of Leafs coaches who have done little more. What is Pavelski’s style, temperament, or system? What players play Pavelski hockey? There are a lot of unknowns.

There is also the political aspect of picking Pavelski over the internal candidates like Derek Lalonde, John Gruden, and Steve Sullivan. The Leafs might not be too concerned about Lalonde, but Sullivan and Gruden are a couple of coaches the organization should be interested in keeping and keeping happy. How do the Leafs justify moving Pavelski ahead of them?

Pavelski is a wildcard. I’m sure the interviewing process has answered a lot of these questions for the Maple Leafs, but from the outside looking in, the appeal is that the organization is trying something new.

The Maple Leafs need help on the blueline. No one disputes this. The lack of puck movers, the lack of footspeed of the aging core, and the nonsensical coverage in their zone are all contributing factors. Changes need to be made with personnel, and it wouldn’t be the worst thing to see as many as four new regulars in the lineup next season. That creates a big shopping list for John Chayka. There are legitimate options for internal help.

Ben Danford has stated his goal is to crack the Leafs’ lineup next season. This idea should excite the Leafs GM, and the club should be doing everything in its power to help Danford achieve his goal. There might be a learning curve, and penciling Danford into the top four would be ridiculous, but a developing rookie with upside has more to offer in a sixth spot in the lineup card than Simon Benoit or Phillippe Myers. Developing Danford at the NHL level as much as possible seems like a worthwhile endeavour that could pay dividends by the end of the 2026-27 season or potentially set the Leafs up for success in the coming years.

When Danford shouldn’t be in the lineup, William Villeneuve is continuing to make his case for an extended look with the Leafs. Villeneuve’s 16 points through the first 19 games of the AHL playoffs show that he has something to offer the Maple Leafs. His style is very different from Ben Danford’s, which offers Toronto the opportunity for flexibility in what they can do with their bottom pairing.

The depth situation looks promising for the Leafs blueline. Unfortunately, finding a legitimate top pairing is the bigger issue.

The Stanley Cup could be awarded as soon as Sunday night, but at the latest, June 17th. For those of us who can’t muster an ounce of interest in the outcome of a series between the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes, the important aspect of the cup being awarded is that it triggers the 48-hour window before teams can begin buying out players.

The Leafs are unlikely to buyout any players immediately, although ruling out a Morgan Rielly or Dakota Joshua buyout is premature and might be an option the Leafs explore if they open a second buyout window through the RFA arbitration window.

Who might be available to the Maple Leafs in free agency as a result of buyouts is worth exploring

Michael Amato of Sportsnet compiled a list of four candidates, and depending on price, at least three of the players could be worth entertaining. (Ondrej Palat is the player the Leafs can give a hard “no” to at any price.)

Brandon Gallagher is an interesting buy low veteran option and could bring leadership to the bottom six at the right price. The player he was in his prime isn’t a bad player for someone like Easton Cowan to emulate, and bringing Gallagher in could be worthwhile if he’s cheap.

Jordan Greenway is worth noting because he’s the kind of player that John Chayka regularly stacked his lineups with in Arizona. He’s a Lawson Crouse-type of net presence and brings practical toughness to the bottom six. There might not be a need for him with Dakota Joshua already meant to fill that role.

The most interesting option is Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who never lived up to expectations. Looking at Kotkaniemi purely as a third-line centre, he’s potentially the best option for the Leafs to address an area of need without breaking the bank. Toronto jumping the queue and just acquiring Kotkaniemi on his remaining contract from the Hurricanes wouldn’t be the worst thing. He’s a bit of a reclamation project, but it’s hard to believe that he’s as bad as his 2025-26 season would lead you to believe.

None of the options might be overly exciting, but neither are the options already in free agency. Some gambles will be necessary if the Leafs are going to take a step back towards contention instead of rebuilding.