The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t done adding to their roster and a familiar playoff rival could be on their list of potential additions.
It’s clear that general manager John Chayka and Senior Executive Adviser of Hockey Operations Mats Sundin are shoring up things for the Leafs after their worst season in a decade. Toronto not only missed the playoffs, they finished with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. That was just a year removed from pushing the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to seven games.
Before free agency has officially even started, the Leafs have traded the likes of Joseph Woll, Brandon Carlo and Samuel Ersson. They’ve selected Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft and acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star Darren Raddysh, promptly signing him to an eight-year deal.
Their offseason obviously isn’t done and Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun has a few potential additions in mind. As Koshan mentions, former Leafs menace and playoff rival Corey Perry could be a potential option. The 41-year-old Perry is a proven playoff performance who appeared in five Stanley Cups across six seasons in recent years. He also won a Stanley Cup as a member of the Anaheim Ducks during his second season in 2006-07.
“The 41-year-old scored 17 goals in 72 games with Los Angeles and Tampa Bay last season,” said Koshan. “There’s no question what kind of leadership and bite he could provide, even on a one-year deal. Would be a good fit if the Leafs could get him at the NHL minimum of $850,000 US.”
Corey Perry Well-Remembered for John Tavares Injury Incident
Perry is on the older end of things, but he remains a productive performer, notching 17 goals and 22 assists for the Los Angeles Kings and Lightning last season.
Leafs fans may be most familiar with Perry for his stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Lightning, eliminating Toronto during the 2021 and 2022 postseasons. He is well remembered for his knee clip of John Tavares during the 2021 postseason, which caused a concussion and led to Tavares missing the remainder of the series.
Perry had attempted to jump over Tavares and was apologetic following the incident.
“I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it,” Perry told reporters after the Game 1 win back in 2021. “When I saw him, with the way he is, it’s a scary situation. I’ll reach out to him and talk to him, and hopefully he’s OK.”
Why Leafs Would Benefit From Adding Playoff Proven Performer in Corey Perry
It’s clear that while the Leafs have plenty of work to do in shoring up their roster, they’re looking to get back into contention as soon as next season. Perry may not be the guy that solely puts them over the top, but as a proven playoff performer with loads of experience — he has played in 1,464 regular season games and 244 postseason games — it can’t hurt adding a guy such as Perry for depth on the third or fourth line.
Furthermore, it would take one of the Leafs’ biggest rivals out of the equation from other teams in signing him. If Toronto can sign him to a veteran’s minimum deal, it might be something worth exploring.
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