The NHL draft is in the rearview. Toronto grabbed Gavin McKenna first overall in 2026. Now John Chayka is busy cleaning up the roster before free agency opens July 1.
Two moves hit the wire Monday. One was expected. The other might quietly be the smarter play.
The Forward Who Didn’t Work Out
Matias Maccelli is headed to unrestricted free agency. The Maple Leafs declined to give him a qualifying offer, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic. That means the 25-year-old forward can sign anywhere starting Wednesday.
Maccelli’s story in Toronto was short and not particularly sweet. He came over from Utah — the team formerly known as the Coyotes, now the Mammoth — in a trade last summer. The condition attached to that deal was a sliding draft pick. If Maccelli hit 51 points, the second-rounder Utah sent stayed a second. If not, it dropped to a third. He finished with 39 points in 70 games. Fourteen goals. Twenty-five assists. Good but not good enough to justify the original investment.
He was the 98th pick in 2019 by Arizona. He broke in with the Coyotes in 2021-22 and made the move to Utah before landing in Toronto. Now he’s on the market again. Some team will take a flier. The Leafs just decided it wouldn’t be them.
The Stecher Extension Is the Real Story
The other move is an extension for defenseman Troy Stecher. Elliotte Friedman reported the deal is close and should land between $1 million and $1.5 million per year.
Stecher was a waiver pickup from Edmonton back in November. The Oilers let him go. Toronto grabbed him. And then he quietly became a reliable minute-eater on the blue line. In 58 games with the Leafs, he averaged 19:45 of ice time. Three goals. Eleven assists. Nothing flashy. But he played hard and stayed in the right spots.
He’s 32 now. Not old, not young. But for that price — and with that track record since arriving — it’s hard to argue against keeping him around. The Leafs need bodies on the back end who won’t cost a fortune and won’t hurt you. Stecher fits both.
Free agency opens Wednesday. ClutchPoints will have all the signings and surprises as they happen.
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