With another month and a bit to go before training camp opens, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking forward to a redemption year after a disappointing finish in the standings last season. The Maple Leafs have more or less their roster set after numerous offseason moves made by GM John Chayka. As a result, several free agents found a new home this summer in Toronto, including Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and of course the crown jewel in Sergei Bobrovsky.
However, some former Leafs players haven’t been as lucky as with the summer half over, they have yet to find employment for the upcoming year. As a result, we will take a look at 7 former Maple Leafs that are still without a job heading into the 2026-27 NHL season.
G Petr Mrazek
After a forgettable stint with the Leafs back in 2021-22, Petr Mrazek has gone from being a part of a starting tandem for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks between 2022 and 2024, to resorting to third-string duties in each of the past two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks. Last year with the Ducks, Mrazek posted a 3-5-0 record with a less-than-stellar 4.07 ERA and .858 save percentage before suffering a season-ending hip injury that required surgery. At still just 34 years old, he will be looking for another opportunity to prolong his NHL career.
D John Klingberg
Similar to Mrazek, John Klingberg didn’t have exactly the most memorable stint with the Leafs as he ended up spending the bulk of his tenure on the injured reserve rather than on the ice. Klingberg would suit up in only 14 games for Toronto during the 2023-24 season, registering just five assists. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old revitalized his NHL career last season with the young San Jose Sharks squad, recording 10 goals for the first time since his 2018-19 season with the Dallas Stars, along with 17 assists for 27 total points in 56 games played. Klingberg showed that he still got some game left in him and could help quarterback a team’a power play.
F Ryan Reaves
When Ryan Reaves finished his Maple Leafs tenure down with the Marlies, many were wondering if that was the end for the enforcer’s NHL career. But Reaves proved to everyone that he wasn’t done just yet as he signed on with the Sharks for the 2025-26 season. The 39-year-old forward averaged over seven minutes of ice time per night while amassing just three goals and dishing out a whopping 160 hits in 50 games of action. Retirement could be calling him soon, but with just 38 games away from the exclusive 1000 club, Reaves would want that one more season to achieve the monumental feat.
G Matt Murray
After helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cups in his first two seasons in the league, the future looked bright for Matt Murray in his potential rise to stardom. However, he would be hit with numerous injury woes that ultimately derailed his career. Even when Murray joined the Maple Leafs from a trade with the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23, his tenure with Toronto would also be littered with ailments. In the end, the 32-year-old goaltender posted a 15-9-2 record with a 3.05 GAA and .901 save percentage in 28 games with the Leafs. Last season, things started well for Murray with his new club in the Seattle Kraken. He would compile a solid 2.21 GAA and .922 save percentage in five games with the Kraken. But once again, a lower-body injury suffered in mid-November would wipe out the bulk of his 2025-26 campaign. With such an injury history, prospective teams would need to gamble and hope that his health holds up to serve as valuable goaltending depth going forward.
F Michael Bunting
The best seasons of Michael Bunting came during his two seasons with the Maple Leafs back in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Bunting would post back-to-back 20+ goal campaigns while accumulating 112 total points in 161 games played with Toronto over those two years. The 30-year-old forward unfortunately has yet to replicate those numbers since leaving town. Last season, Bunting split his time between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, tallying 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 74 total games. Could a possible reunion with the Leafs resurrect his scoring potential?
G James Reimer
After failing a professional tryout in an attempt to secure a role in the potential reunion with the Maple Leafs last season, James Reimer showed that his time wasn’t up just yet by joining the Leafs rivals in the Ottawa Senators later in the year. Reimer would appear in 14 games for the Senators and amassed a tidy 7-4-2 record with a 2.42 GAA and .886 save percentage. Will a team give the 38-year-old veteran another shot before he calls it a career? Those that believe in his numbers from last season will sure offer that opportunity.
F James Van Riemsdyk
Earlier rumors showed that the Maple Leafs may have hinted that they could be pursuing a potential reunion with James Van Riemsdyk. After all, Van Riemsdyk had his best years in the NHL as a member of the Leafs, posting four 25+ goals and 50+ points seasons in his six years with the club. But even at 37 years old now, the veteran forward has shown to still have the touch around the net as he has continued to put up double digits in goals, a streak that he has maintained since arriving in the NHL. More importantly, his elite net front presence on the power play could be a trait that will attract prospective teams to give him a chance even at his age. Will that team be Toronto?
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