Maple Leafs Predicted to Land 7-Time All-Star
As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their offseason, one of the main goals is to improve the defensive unit. Toronto wants to truly contend for a Stanley Cup next season, and one of the ways to make that happen is to upgrade the blueline.
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Defense let the Maple Leafs down in the postseason this year, with the players not being able to help generate enough offense. But the front office has been active in trying to search for some upgrades across the NHL.
One name that could be interesting for the Maple Leafs is veteran Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has been rumored to be dangling Karlsson in different trade talks, and now he is being linked to Toronto.
NHL writer James Murphy of RG.com linked the two sides together.
'There's more than just hearsay when it comes to the Leafs and Erik Karlsson right now,' a league source told Murphy.
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'There's probably going to be salary retained, but the thought that there's some kind of bad blood between Dubas and the Leafs still that would prevent something like this is crazy. This is a business, and if there's enough interest from both teams and they figure out the cap hit and money, then that's all that matters," Murphy wrote.
Karlsson could get another chance to go after a title with the Maple Leafs, while Pittsburgh could net some future assets. The Maple Leafs do make sense as a landing spot for Karlsson, especially given where he is in his career.
The veteran likely doesn't have many years left to play, so making the most of his time with a contending team makes sense. Last season with the Penguins, Karlsson put up 11 goals and 42 assists.
Karlsson could help improve the Maple Leafs' defense on both sides of the ice. This could be a solid move for Toronto to consider, and there seems to be some smoke around it.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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