Six Former Maple Leafs At Risk of Not Securing an NHL Contract for 2025-26 Season

Still six weeks out from NHL training camps, there are several former Maple Leafs who are searching for NHL contracts, including playoff standout Max Pacioretty.

As we enter the dog days of summer, a lot of hockey talk has dried up, largely due to the fact that this year's crop of free agents was very thin and there really aren't many, if any, difference makers left unsigned.

While Pacioretty may still qualify as a bit of a difference maker, the Leafs' acquisitions of Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy and Michael Pezzetta have reduced the likelihood that Pacioretty is back -- even if the Leafs haven't closed the door on a return.

Pacioretty isn't the only ex-Leaf looking for a new NHL deal, though. According to PuckPedia, Ilya Samsonov, Noah Gregor, Jimmy Vesey, James Reimer, and Jani Hakanpaa are also UFAs late into the summer.

While there are sure to be a few PTOs handed out, one could certainly make the case that we could see half, or more than half, of the players on this list hanging up the skates or heading overseas to continue their careers elsewhere.

You can make a convincing argument that the only players who are highly likely to play in the NHL next season are Max Pacioretty and Ilya Samsonov. Jimmy Vesey is a strong candidate to sign a PTO and/or ink a 1-year deal around the league minimum salary.

However, when we get into names like Gregor, Reimer and Hakanpaa, there are no guarantees.

Gregor, by all appearances, is a fringe NHLer. Reimer is 37 years old and played just 24 games last season. He could be ready to hang up the pads at any point in time.

Hakanpaa is an interesting one. You could count the number of games he played for the Leafs in 2024-25 on one hand, and his injury issues have been well-documented.

A report from last year suggested that Hakanpaa's knee issue was serious, and that he was dealing with a bone-on-bone situation, which could also force him into early retirement. However, Hakanpaa was training and rehabbing his knee for much of last season and could yet resume his NHL career. Again -- someone who would be better suited for a PTO.

It's anyone's guess how this all shakes out and where these players may land next season, but it's probably safe to say that the Leafs will avoid the field and look elsewhere to fill any remaining roster spots.