The Toronto Maple Leafs have been a little more quiet since their flurry of roster additions at the start of NHL free agency this year. But that’s because the Maple Leafs did the bulk of their acquisition work during those first few days, with star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky being their most prized signing to date.
However, that doesn’t mean that Toronto is done for the offseason, not by a long shot. In fact, they could look to some old friends to help provide some impact with the club for the upcoming season. Here, we will take a look at 3 potential reunions that the Maple Leafs should explore in free agency to round out their roster.
Michael Bunting
The best seasons of Michael Bunting in the NHL just so happened to have occurred during his brief two-year tenure with the Leafs. Bunting put together back-to-back 23-goal campaigns while registering 112 points in 161 total games with Toronto. Since then, the 30-year-old winger has still managed to average 17 goals and 40 points per year, making stops with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars in the process.
But most importantly, he was effective playing in the Maple Leafs top six, including with Auston Matthews who ended up taking home the Hart Trophy in 2021-22 with Bunting as one of his main wingman. So perhaps by giving him a chance to reunite with Matthews in Toronto, it could bring out the best of both players once again to wreak havoc on their opponents.
John Klingberg
The first go-around for star defenseman John Klingberg with the Leafs certainly did not go as planned. As one of Toronto’s key signings during the 2023 offseason, Klingberg would end up spending the bulk of his time on the injured reserve than actually playing as he would appear in just 14 games for the Maple Leafs. The 33-year-old defender would register just five assists and was deemed a disappointment despite his limited game action.
But last season with the San Jose Sharks, Klingberg definitely showed that he still got some game left in him, recording double digits in goals with 10, along with 27 points in 56 games played. With the new Leafs regime seemingly preferring puck-moving defenseman, Klingberg deserves another chance to show what he could really provide the Maple Leafs on another one-year deal.
James Reimer
The Maple Leafs actually had brought James Reimer back on a professional tryout last year, as they wanted his veteran presence to potentially provide some much-needed goaltending depth in the organization at the time. But when the Leafs went out to get Cayden Primeau off waivers prior to the start of the 2025-26 NHL season, it made Reimer expendable as he was eventually let go from his PTO.
Fast forward now to 2026 where the Leafs have taken a hit with their goaltending depth, having dealt away both Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby this offseason. In doing so, it has left young and inexperienced goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov as the Maple Leafs lone backup option behind Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz at the NHL level. Reimer showed last season that he wasn’t done just yet when he amassed a solid 7-4-2 record with a 2.42 GAA in 14 games with the Ottawa Senators.
As a result, Toronto could really use some valuable veteran depth once again this year and the 38-year-old netminder would fit the bill. Not to mention with Bobrovsky also getting up there in age and Stolarz’s injury history, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Leafs end up utilizing that depth. More significantly, it could ultimately give Reimer the proper sendoff when he eventually retires.
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