Toronto Maple Leafs: 20 Best NHL Players Without a No-Trade Clause

The Toronto Maple Leafs are always looking to swing a big trade and find a player who can instantly transform their lineup.

Unfortunately for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it becomes extremely difficult to do once players negotiate certain clauses into their contracts that allow them veto power over being traded to a new team.

Most of the stars in the NHL have earned the right to dictate their own playing destiny. Their agents ensure it by writing in language into the contract that doesn’t allow their respective franchise to send them elsewhere without their pre-approval. This takes form in two ways, a no-move clause and a no-trade clause.

The difference between the two clauses is simple. A no-move prohibits the club placing the player on waivers, being assigned to the minors, or being traded without approval. The no-trade only protects the player from being traded without signing off on it.

Toronto Maple Leafs: 20 Best NHL Players Without a No-Trade Clause

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an astonishing number of players with some kind of restrictive clause in their respective contracts. They have 14 players who have no-move, no-trade, or a modified no-trade, which means the player submits an agreed upon number of team names to his club where they cannot trade him.

When searching for new players the Toronto Maple Leafs know that some of the athletes under contract with other franchises won’t be attainable.

While some may choose to waive their right to refuse a trade, it is tricky for a team to try and trade someone without knowing in the end if they’ll even agree to go. The last thing a team wants to do is work out an exchange with an opponent and then ask a player if he’s willing to go and that player refuses. It just serves to upset the individual.

There are excellent players in the NHL who don’t currently have restricted clauses in their contracts. These are the 20 best.

Note: All statistics are from Hockey Reference and all contract information is from Cap Friendly.

#20 – Clayton Keller

In 2019, John Chayka, the general manager of the Arizona Coyotes, signed Clayton Keller to an eight year, $57.2M contract. The winger is about to begin the fourth year of that deal and the last before a no-trade clause kicks in. Keller also has a no-move on the final two years of his contract. His deal is carroes a $7.15 average annual value (AAV).

The 24-year-old from Chesterfield, Missouri is a former seventh-overall pick of the Coyotes. He’s been with the organization ever since. This past season was by far his best. If the Yotes wanted to trade Keller, there would be no better time than while his stock is so high.

Last season, Keller played in all 82 games. He recorded 37 goals and 49 assists for a total of 86 points.

#19 – Tyler Toffoli

Tyler Toffoli is a 31-year-old right-winger from Scarborough, Ontario. For those who haven’t been paying attention, he is currently a member of the New Jersey Devils. That’s because a day before the 2023 draft, Toffoli was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Devils for Yegor Sharangovich and a third round draft choice.

This past season, Toffoli was outstanding with the Flames. In 82 contests, he recorded 34 goals and 39 assists, for 73 total points. His stock may never be higher than it is right now, which is why it was wise for the Flames to deal him for a younger (Sharangovich is 25-years-old) player.

Toffoli is an 11-year veteran in the NHL who, in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup. His NHL career total is 227 goals and 239 assists, which gives him 466 points in 733 games.

Toffoli is in the final year of his contract, which hasn’t had any trade restrictions in it at all. He is earning $4.25M this year. Expect to see his name floated in trade rumours all the way up until the deadline or until he is moved.

#18 – Jordan Kyrou

Jordan Kyrou is a player who was born and raised in Toronto. The Leafs would love to see the center in blue and white. If it’s ever going to happen, there is a small window where Kyrou can be moved.

That doesn’t seem likely as Kyrou is about to begin his new eight year contract worth $65M. It carries an AAV of $8.125M. The first two years of that deal hold no movement restrictions. A no-trade clause kicks in for the 2025-26 season and carries on until the contract expires.

Kyrou broke out as a star in the NHL this past season. In 79 games, the 25-year-old put together a fantastic campaign. He reached 73 points on 37 goals and 36 assists.

17# – Pierre-Luc Dubois

Pierre-Luc Dubois entered the NHL in dynamic fashion. Drafted third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016, he became the organization’s leader for a rookie when he posted 48 points on 20 goals and 28 assists in 2017-18.

Dubois has continued to develop into an offensive weapon for his teams. He is coming off a 63 point campaign. In 73 games he notched 27 goals and 36 assists.

Dubois is about to begin playing on a brand new contract. It’s an eight-year pact that pays him $68M, with an AAV of $8.5M. Although, he doesn’t have a no-move or no-trade clause this season, one does come into play beginning next year. The contract was likely structured this way so that he could be traded from the Jets to the Kings.

That’s exactly what happened before the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Dubois was traded to Los Angeles by Winnipeg for a package of Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and a second round in next year’s draft.

#16 – Sebastian Aho

There are somehow two players named Sebastian Aho in the NHL and they aren’t related. This one is the 25-year-old forward from Rauma, Finland. He plays for the Carolina Hurricanes, where he has spent all seven of his years in the NHL.

Aho is in the final year of his five-year contract. He is playing on a $8,460,250 cap hit. It doesn’t carry any clauses that restrict a trade. On Wednesday, he signed a massive extension. Aho will begin a new eight-year contract worth $78M in the 2024-25 season.

Last season, he put together a 67 point campaign. That came through 75 games of action where he scored 36 goals and 31 assists. In the playoffs, he played 15 games where he collected five goals and seven assists.

Aho is a two-time all-star whose play has been a big reason why the Hurricanes have been so successful in recent years. He is the franchise leader in playoff goals and is tied with Eric Staal for the most short handed goals.

#15 – Brady Tkachuk

Brady Tkachuk is the younger brother of 2023 Matthew Tkachuk and the son of Keith Tkachuk. At just 23-years-old, Brady has learned how to stir the pot and get opponents to feel uncomfortable just like Matthew does with the Florida Panthers.

Despite his age, the younger Tkachuk brother is the captain of the Ottawa Senators. He plays left wing for them.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to try and acquire Tkachuk, who was born in Auston Matthews’ hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, they have a short amount of time to do it. Tkachuk has two seasons remaining before a no-move clause kicks into his contract. During that short window, Tkachuk will earn a base salary of $10.5M. His deal also carries a $8,205,714 AAV.

#14 – Roope Hintz

Those that don’t watch many Dallas Stars games may not get to appreciate the ability Roope Hintz brings to the rink. The 26-year-old center from Tampere, Finland has played five years in the NHL.

In May of 2021, Hintz needed surgery to repair a tendon issue in his groin area. Since then, he’s been unbelievable. He played 80 games during the 2021-2022 campaign where he recorded 37 goals and 35 assists for 72 points. Hintz followed that up last season when he once again potted 37 goals. He also added 38 assists for a total of 75 points.

#13 – Cole Caufield

Cole Caufield has the potential to be one of the best players in the NHL. He has shown glimpses of it in his short time playing in the league.

Caufield was an exciting selection for the Montreal Canadiens when they got him in the 15th slot of the 2019 draft. Since he wasn’t ready to play in the NHL right away, he continued playing for the Wisconsin Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 2021, Caufield was voted the winner of the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top men’s player in NCAA Division I.

In January, with the Habs firmly out of a playoff position, the team shut Caufield down due to a shoulder injury. This gave the 22-year-old right-winger the opportunity to get the surgery he needed.

In June, Caufield agreed to a contract extension with the Canadiens. He signed an eight year pact worth $62.8M. That’s a $7.85M AAV. Caufield doesn’t have any restrictions until the final three years of the deal. That’s when a modified no-trade clause kicks in.

Last season, in 46 games Caufield scored 26 goals and added 10 helpers for a total of 36 points.

#12 – Timo Meier

Timo Meier is a 26-year-old right-winger from Herisau, Switzerland. He was the prized player at the 2023 NHL trade deadline. Meier was acquired at the time by the Devils for a package from the San Jose Sharks that included former Toronto Maple Leafs player Andreas Johnsson. Fabian Zetterlund, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, and two first round draft picks were also sent to San Jose.

Meier must have liked the short time he spent in New Jersey because during the draft, he signed an eight year, $70.4M deal to stay with the Devils. That gives Meier an $8.8 cap hit. While there are no restrictions on the contract this year, a no-move clause kicks in next season.

Meier has had three season where he has eclipsed the 30 goal mark. That includes last season where he scored 40 for the first time. In 78 games, split between the Sharks and Devils, Meier also recorded 26 assists, giving him 66 points.

#11 – Kyle Connor

Kyle Connor has been playing left-wing for the Winnipeg Jets for seven years. This past season, he played a full compliment of 82 games where he registered 31 goals and 49 assists for a total of 80 points. That was actually a down season for the 26-year-old from Shelby Township, Michigan.

In the previous year, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Connor was unbelievable. He picked up 93 points, the most he’s ever had in a campaign. in 79 games that year, he scored 47 goals and 46 assists.

Connor has three years remaining on the seven year, $50M deal he signed with the Jets in 2019. He doesn’t have any protections on his contract until July 1, 2024. That’s when he will submit a 10-team no trade list.

#10 – Mikhail Sergachev

Mikhail Sergachev is about to embark on playing his first season of his eight year, $68M contract extension. Signed last July, the agreement sees Sergachev vulnerable to being traded only for the 2023-24 season. The following year and until the deal is done, Sergachev will have either a full no-trade or a modified no-trade clause.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman is an offensive threat. Last season, he played in 79 games where he scored 10 goals and 54 assists. Unlike the Leafs’ John Klingberg, Sergachev can also defend. He had an even strength Corsi rating of 52.7, which was 1.4 better than his team.

The 25-year-old from Nizhnekamsk, Russia has won two Stanley Cups with the Bolts.

#9 – Tim Stützle

Tim Stützle is turning heads in the NHL. The 21-year-old from Viersen, Germany was the third overall pick of 2020 NHL Draft. He was selected by the Senators.

Stützle is about to begin a new contract of his own. The GM of the Sens, Pierre Dorion, and Stützle agreed to a eight-year, $66.8M deal, carrying an $8.35M AAV. There are four seasons on that deal with no trade restrictions. That changes in 2027-28 when a 10 team modified no-trade clause kicks in.

Playing in just his third season, Stützle competed in 78 game. He demonstrated that he has the skillset to put himself in the upper echelon in the league for many years to come. He collected 39 goals and 51 assists for a total of 90 points.

#6 – Charlie McAvoy

The Boston Bruins struck gold in 2016 when they drafted Charlie McAvoy 14th overall. McAcoy was someone the Bruins saw frequently, playing for their neighbour, Boston University.

The defenseman joined the Bruins in 2017-18 for his rookie season at age 20. The team recognized his ability and had him play big minutes that year. He played an average of 22:09 minutes per game.

Since then, McAvoy has established himself as one of the best puck moving blue liners in the NHL. That has helped him rack up assists every year. Over his six seasons with the Bruins, the 25-year-old from Long Beach, New York has played 380 games where he’s potted 41 goals and earned 189 assists for a total of 230 points.

In 2021, McAvoy signed an eight year agreement with the Bruins. It carries a $9.5M AAV. There was no trade restrictions last season and none this year either. However, a no-move clause kicks in for the 2024-25 season.

#5 – Jason Robertson

Jason Robertson is the older brother of the Toronto Maple Leafs left-winger Nick Robertson. Jason was drafted in 2017 by the Dallas Stars in the second round, 39th overall. It was a big win for the Stars finding Robertson where they did. That’s because he has developed into a top goal scorer in the NHL.

The left-winger from Arcadia, California has hit the 40 goal mark twice over the last couple of seasons. In 2021-22, he notched 79 points in 74 games on 41 goals and 38 assists. Last season, he improved to 109 points in 82 games. That came on 46 goals and 63 assists.

Robertson may have the most team friendly contract in the NHL. He has three more years remaining on it that pays an AAV of $7.75M. There are no trade restrictions in place through the entirety of his deal.

#4 – Kirill Kaprizov

In 2015, the Minnesota Wild struck gold in the fifth round of the NHL Entry Draft. That’s when they selected the left-winger from Novokuznetsk, Russia, Kirill Kaprizov.

Kaprizov played his first NHL games in 2020-21. He showed that that’s where he belongs. In his rookie season, he registered 27 goals and 24 assists for 51 points in 55 games. Kaprizov followed that up with 47 goals in his sophomore season. He also added 61 helpers for 108 total points in 81 games. Last season, the 26-year-old played in just 67 contests and still managed to score 40 goals. He also had 35 assists for a total of 75 points.

Kaprizov has three years remaining on his contract, which is carries a $9M cap hit. This is the final season on the deal before a no-move cause is activated.

#3 – Jack Hughes

For the third time on this list, we find a player who shares a name with another active player in the NHL. This time, instead of having one forward and a defenseman, there are two centers in the NHL named Jack Hughes.

This Hughes is the 22-year-old from Orlando, Florida who plays for the Devils. He was New Jersey’s first-overall pick in the 2019 draft.

In 2021, Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils’ GM signed Hughes to a big extension. They agreed on an eight year $64M pact that carries an $8M AAV. There won’t be any restrictions on moving Hughes for the next three years of the deal. It’s not until the 2026-27 season that Hughes will have to submit a 10 team no trade list.

If the Devils wanted to move Hughes, they would surely be getting a massive return. Last season, playing in his fourth NHL season, he competed in 78 games where he picked up 43 goals and 56 assists for a total of 99 points. While there may be no restrictions, there’s a very low chance of New Jersey trading their star.

#2 – Adam Fox

Adam Fox is a perennial James Norris Memorial Trophy candidate. He won the award given to the NHL’s best defenseman in 2020-21 and was the runner up to Erik Karlsson this past year. He is a game changing player for the New York Rangers.

Some may wonder how he ended up in New York after being drafted 66th overall in 2016 by the Flames. With the window closing on Fox’s rights belonging to the Flames, their general manager Brad Treliving didn’t believe he would be able to sign the prospect out of Harvard. That led him to trade Fox to the Hurricanes along with Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin.

The Canes couldn’t get Fox to play for them either. They then sent him to the Big Apple to at least get some value back before he became an unrestricted free agent and could sign with any team of his choosing. The Rangers gave Carolina a second and a third round pick for Fox. It’s safe to say, New York won that exchange.

Fox is incredible on both ends of the ice. His offense helped drive the team and quarterback the Rangers’ powerplay. Last season, he played all 82 games where he registered 12 goals and 60 assists for 72 total points.

Fox’s possession metrics were equally as impressive. While playing at even strength, the 25-year-old from Jericho, New York had a Corsi rating of 55.2. That’s 8 points better relative to his team.

In 2021, Fox signed a seven year, $66.5M contract. He will be earning a salary of $12M this season accompanied by a $9.5M cap hit. That is the largest contract ever handed out to a blue liner in the NHL upon them leaving their entry level agreement. Karlsson remains the highest paid defenseman in the league.

There are no trade restrictions on the Rangers for this or next season. Fox received a no-move clause from Jul 1, 2025 to May 31, 2027. After which, he will have a limited no trade clause until the contract expires.

#1 – Cale Makar

Cale Makar has established himself as one of the best players in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche couldn’t have known just how good he would be when they drafted the defenseman fourth-overall in 2017.

Makar may have the best hockey vision in the NHL. He seems to picks his spots better than anyone, passing with accuracy and helping his team set up for offensive opportunities. The 24-year-old from Calgary, Alberta has also shown that he’s a smooth skater with above average stick handling.

Makar is a danger to his opponents at all times. This past season, he recorded 66 points in 60 games. That came on 17 goals and 49 assists. For his career, he has played 238 games and scored 65 goals with 181 assists for 246 points.

Makar has spent time collecting awards in the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. During that run, he also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. That was a great year for Makar because he also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy. Makar is a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, which he was awarded as the league’s top rookie in 2019-20. He is also a three-time all-star. If that isn’t enough awards, the defenseman also took home the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s player in NCAA in 2019

Makar is so good that he has been in the Norris Trophy race every year he’s played. In his rookie season, he finished ninth. He was the runner-up in his sophomore season, and won it in his third. Last season, his fourth in the NHL, saw him finish third in the Norris race.

Considering how good he is, Makar’s contract does not pay him his full value. That remains true despite him earning a $9M AAV. In 2021, he signed a six year deal worth $54M. Incredibly, Makar didn’t negotiate any trade protection throughout the life of his contract.

There are many players in the NHL who will receive no-trade or no-move clauses but it’s always the ones who don’t have them that are far more interesting around the NHL trade deadline. While most of the aforementioned players aren’t going to be traded on their current contracts, it will still be interesting to track.