The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to turn over much of their roster this summer. The club will be looking to add depth while also prioritizing a younger lineup.
That said, the Leafs could also be looking to scour the free-agent market to find valuable players at reasonable contracts. That approach might include some veterans coming off expensive, multi-year deals.
One such player the Maple Leafs should take a flyer on is current Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane.
The 34-year-old is on track to hit the market this summer, unless the Canucks re-sign him. That seems doubtful at this point, considering that Vancouver attempted to trade him at this year’s deadline.
Plus, this season hasn’t exactly been one of Kane’s most productive ones. In 70 games, he’s notched 13 goals and 31 points. While that’s not awful, it’s not really commensurate with his $5.5 million cap hit.
And that’s where the Maple Leafs could score a decent find.
If the club could sign Kane to a one-year, show-me deal, the club could find a valuable contributor at a reasonable price tag.
The veteran winger would likely want one more multi-year deal. Perhaps a two or three-year pact. But given the way his career has trended, that’s not really likely. If anything, multiple clubs out there might be willing to bring him in on a one-year deal for something around the $2 to $3 million mark.
It’s a low-risk move, especially on a one-year contract. If Kane shows he doesn’t have much left in the tank, it wouldn’t cost the Maple Leafs much to bring him in.
But if he does work out, Toronto might consider extending him on a multi-year contract.
How Kane Fits into Maple Leafs Lineup
One of the major criticisms surrounding the Maple Leafs has been their lack of toughness. The perceived weakness on the Leafs’ part came under scrutiny in the Auston Matthews incident with Radko Gudas.
That’s a dimension that Kane brings to the table. He’s a feisty player who knows how to get under opponents’ skin. Plus, chipping in, say, 15 goals in a season isn’t all that bad.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to see Kane suit up in a middle-six role. For instance, Kane could be on a line with Bo Groulx and Nick Robertson, providing the team with grit, toughness, and some offensive upside.
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Toronto Could Do Worse Than Kane
The biggest downside to the 2026 offseason is the relatively thin free-agent market. Many of the marquee names that were on track to hit the open market have already extended. There are a couple of intriguing names like Alex Tuch.
But beyond Tuch, there really aren’t very many high-profile targets for the Maple Leafs to check into. That’s why looking for a potentially motivated veteran could work out well for Toronto. It’s reasonable to assume that Kane might be looking to prove he’s still got it.
So, bringing him would make sense. It also makes sense to assume the Maple Leafs could do a lot worse than Kane. The club could bring in over-the-hill vets on multi-year deals. As long as the Leafs can land Kane for the right terms, he’s a risk worth taking in 2026-27.
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