The biggest news around the hockey world this past week was Mitch Marner's inevitable departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while it was time to move on for both sides, it's hard to overlook the fact that the buds just lost a 100-point player.
The recent addition of Matias Maccelli will help the forward group, but there is still a need for more help, and GM Brad Treliving has voiced this.
Even with the massive hole in the top six, Toronto Maple Leafs stayed quiet during free agency, missing out on big names such as Brad Marchand or Brock Boeser.
While throwing money at an older player like Marchand may work out in the long run, the Leafs need help right now. Their cup window won't be open forever.
At the time of writing, the only true top-six forward remaining on the free agency front is Nikolaj Ehlers, who the Leafs could sign, but southern market teams Washington, Tampa Bay, and Carolina appear to be favourites.
Other rumours have circled around former Leaf Nazem Kadri, who has played some of his best hockey since leaving Toronto in 2019. The former London Knight put up a career-high 87 points in 2021-22 with the Colorado Avalanche, en route to his first Stanley Cup.
After joining the Calgary Flames, Kadri has kept up his strong play, putting up 75 points a year ago, with 35 goals and 67 points in 2024-25.
Kadri checks a lot of boxes for the Maple Leafs, he can play center or wing, he puts up points, he has experience succeeding in the playoffs, and the majority of fans want him back in the blue and white.
As great as it would be to see Kadri back in a Leafs uniform, is it worth giving up what little remaining assets we have for a 34-year-old who has four years left on his contract, paying him $7 million each year?
I'm not so sure.
The Leafs could also fill the role from within in hopes that the likes of Bobby McMann, Max Domi, or Nick Robertson find consistency in a bigger role, but there's no guarantee any of them will.
Treliving still has a whole summer to figure out who will play in the top-6 next season, and I'm sure he will (he's had two good offseasons in a row), but it's appearing he'll need to make a trade, rather than sign a free agent.