Former Conn Smythe Winner Pegged as Match With Maple Leafs

It’s been somewhat of a miserable first three months of the 2025-26 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A poor start, injuries, and underwhelming performances from their stars have all contributed to a 15-14-5 record through 34 games, leaving them just one point above the basement of the Eastern Conference standings.

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While there’s still plenty of season left, the number of teams separating the Leafs from a playoff spot has many believing it may already be time to sell off pieces and retool for next year. That line of thinking is understandable, but general manager Brad Treliving isn’t ready to go there just yet. Instead, he continues to operate as a buyer on the trade market in hopes of steering his team back into contention.

As a result, the Maple Leafs are looking to solve several needs, with one of those being a top-six forward capable of playing alongside Auston Matthews. Life after Mitch Marner hasn’t been easy for the captain, whose play and production have fallen short of expectations this season, so adding a high-end winger—preferably with playmaking abilities—is a big-time priority to help get him and the team going.

With that in mind, TSN insider Pierre LeBrun floated Jonathan Marchessault as a potential fit for Toronto in a recent trade matchmaker piece for The Athletic.

LeBrun wrote:

“One can argue the last thing the struggling Leafs need is another aging player. But hear me out. The Leafs don’t have many assets to trade. For the Predators, this would be more about moving the remainder of the contract — three more seasons after this one at a $5.5 million cap hit. The Leafs would still have to trade assets, but it wouldn’t be as costly as other trade targets they’ve looked at… Again, I can see how some Leafs fans just want the whole thing rebuilt now and no more trades for veterans. But with the team not having its first-round picks in 2026 or 2027, and the standings still very tight, general manager Brad Treliving isn’t ready to wave the white flag just yet,”

The 34-year-old Marchessault is in year two of the five-year, $27.5 million contract he signed to join the Predators as a UFA in 2024. He’s been held to just 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 28 games played this season, appearing to be in need of a change of scenery.

Is Jonathan Marchessault What Toronto Needs?

While Marchessault’s talent, experience, and proven ability to deliver in big moments are undeniably intriguing, he may not make a great deal of sense for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto has already looked old and slow at times this season, so adding another aging forward who is no longer fleet of foot at this stage of his career doesn’t figure to address that issue. If anything, it risks compounding it.

Matthews, in particular, has played at a noticeably slower pace this year, making it more logical for the Leafs to prioritize a younger, playmaking winger who can help push the tempo on the top line — even if that’s far easier said than done.

As LeBrun noted, the acquisition cost for Marchessault could fall more comfortably within Treliving’s limited asset pool, given their lack of picks and top-end prospects. Still, at this point, it would appear wiser for Toronto to exhaust other options on the market before committing to a move for Marchessault.

Next: Analyst Calls Out Auston Matthews as Maple Leafs’ Biggest Issue