On October 15^th, the five Hockey Canada players who were acquitted of all sexual assault charges in late July in London, will be eligible to sign NHL contracts.

With that in mind, it didn’t take long for the Leafs to get officially linked to Dillon Dube.

On the surface, it makes sense. Brad Treliving knows the player extremely well from his time in Calgary. After all, it was Treliving who drafted the 27-year-old forward in 2016 out of the Western Hockey League.

Having said all that, unless Toronto views Dube as a bona fide upgrade over what they already have in the top six, the fit doesn’t really seem to be there right now.

In fact, entering camp, the Leafs possess an influx of forwards, something they will likely have to address – at some point – over the next few weeks. Furthermore, it’s been out there all summer, but there’s no question that the Leafs are open for business. Nick Robertson, Calle Jarnkrok, and David Kampf, among others, are available for trade. And they have been for a while.

During his appearance Monday morning on TSN 1050’s First Up, NHL Insider Darren Dreger said that he “wouldn’t be surprised if Treliving and the Leafs put their hat in the ring and take a decent swing at Dillon Dube.”

For starters, Dube hasn’t taken a National Hockey League shift since January 18^th, 2024. Like a lot of players, he’s had some consistency issues over the years. In fact, prior to his NHL suspension, he was routinely playing less than 10 minutes a night. Who knows what was happening behind the scenes there, but he was far from a fixture in that Calgary Flames lineup. Suffice it is to say, Dube has a lot still to prove on the ice.

This one’s a tough one for me: To suggest Dube can successfully return and plop right into the top six is a big stretch. Let’s call a spade a spade: He’s a bottom-six player until proven otherwise. So, in essence, he would be just another option for Craig Berube to try with the big boys. He hasn’t done much in his career to cement himself as a player worthy of consistent big-time minutes. Like the Nick Robertsons of the world, he’s shown glimpses, but there’s still plenty of room to grow.

As mentioned, the potential intrigue makes sense, though. Dube did pot back-to-back 18 goal campaigns under Treliving. For my money, though, the Leafs already have plenty of Dillon Dube type players. He’s not a difference maker, he’s a complimentary piece. In a perfect world, he’s probably in your bottom-six. I just don’t know where the fit would be.

Things can change over the next month, but right now, Toronto’s not in a position to add another depth forward, especially someone coming off a lengthy suspension. I don’t see this one happening, folks.