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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 05, 2026 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be an interesting team to watch as we charge toward at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and the start of free agency. The Maple Leafs have already been one of the NHL’s most active teams this offseason, as they have made multiple big moves.

While this is the case, the Maple Leafs are continuing to be one of the most-talked-about teams in the rumor mill as the offseason carries on. Several of their players are among the NHL’s top trade candidates to watch as right now, and there is a good chance that Toronto will continue to shake up their roster because of it.

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently released his latest trade board, and three Maple Leafs made the cut: Matthew Knies, Morgan Rielly, and Brandon Carlo. Seeing these three Maple Leafs named among the NHL’s top trade candidates right now is not surprising, as they each have been the subject of trade rumors for a while now.

Maple Leafs’ Knies Would Be Huge Pickup for Teams Looking for Top-Six Help

Out of the three Maple Leafs’ trade candidates, Knies has the potential to get Toronto the biggest return in a trade. This is because he is a 23-year-old top-six power forward who has a reasonable $7.75 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season. Due to this, Knies would have the potential to be a fantastic addition for both playoff and non-playoff teams.

In 79 games during this past season with the Maple Leafs, Knies scored 23 goals and set new career highs with 43 assists and 66 points. The 6-foot-3 winger also threw 152 hits, so he provides plenty of grit in addition to his offense.

Maple Leafs’ Rielly Could Use a Fresh Start

With the Maple Leafs going through a retool, it is understandable that they are looking to move on from Rielly. The left-shot defenseman has been a key part of their blueline for over a decade, but the fit simply is not there anymore. Johnston also reported that Rielly has submitted a trade list to the Maple Leafs that has four Western Conference teams.

Rielly had a down year for his standards in 2025-26, as he had 36 points and a minus-18 rating in 78 games. While this is the case, he still has the potential to generate interest from teams looking for a boost in their top four and on their power play.

Maple Leafs’ Carlo Has Never Found His Fit in Toronto

The Maple Leafs listening to offers on Carlo is also very understandable. The 6-foot-5 right-shot defenseman has had trouble finding his fit with the Maple Leafs since his arrival and could use a fresh start because of it. Furthermore, with the Maple Leafs acquiring Darren Raddysh, the right side of their blueline is getting crowded.

Yet, when noting that Carlo is a solid second-pairing defensive defenseman when playing at his best, he could generate some interest from teams looking to improve the right side of the blueline. In 57 games last season for Toronto, he had seven assists and a plus-4 rating.