With NHL free agency just over a month away, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to make some valuable additions to their squad ahead of the 2026-27 season. Especially after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, potential key signings from the upcoming free agency could help them turn the page and hopefully return to contending status.
But among all of the free agents, the Leafs also have a few of their own entering the market in July as well. Could any of those pieces potentially return to the organization for at least another season to be a valuable contributor going forward? Here, we will take a look at the 5 Maple Leafs players entering free agency and rank who Toronto would want back the most.
#5) Travis Boyd
The Maple Leafs brought Travis Boyd back for a second go-around last offseason on a one-year deal to serve as valuable depth in their system. Boyd would end up spending the entire 2025-26 season with the Toronto Marlies though, accumulating 10 goals, 19 assists for 29 points in 34 games played. If Toronto has any interest at all to retain Boyd, he will remain as a depth piece with the Marlies going forward.
Probability of returning to the Leafs: 10%
#4) Vinni Lettieri
Also signed during free agency in the past offseason as organizational depth, Vinni Lettieri also spend all of 2025-26 with the Marlies. However, Lettieri would appear in more games than Boyd, compiling 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points in 55 total games. Unlike Boyd though, Lettieri had been a key contributor for the Marlies during the current AHL Playoffs, with six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 12 playoff games. Based on his usage, the 31-year-old forward could see a potential return to Toronto next season, but once again as a depth option with the Marlies.
Probability of returning to the Leafs: 20%
#3) Matt Benning
Matt Benning was one of the pieces in the return package that the Maple Leafs received from the San Jose Sharks in the Timothy Liljegren trade two years ago. Benning would do just a little better than Boyd and Lettieri as he managed to appear in one game with the Leafs last season. The 31-year-old veteran defenseman would spend the bulk of his 2025-26 campaign with the Marlies, posting three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in 34 games of action. During the current AHL Playoffs, Benning has gotten into four games and has recorded zero points. Just like the previous two, the veteran would serve as a depth piece at best if he stays with Toronto.
Probability of returning to the Leafs: 20%
#2) Calle Jarnkrok
After being a valuable member of the Maple Leafs during his first two years with the team in which in he played in almost all situations, injuries and ineffectiveness had seen him regress during the past two seasons with Toronto. In 2025-26, Jarnkrok produced only six goals and two assists for eight points in 56 games played, which was his lowest offensive output (not including his injury-shortened 2024-25 campaign where he saw only 19 games of action) for his career.
With his usage and ice time also significantly reduced compared to his prior years with the Leafs, there doesn’t appear to be a future in store for Jarnkrok to remain with the club, at least not at the $2.1 million AAV per season that he got with Toronto. But if he is willing to take a massive paycut, then anything is still possible.
Probability of returning to the Leafs: 20%
#1) Troy Stecher
It was one of the smartest in-season moves by the Maple Leafs last season when they claimed Troy Stecher off of waivers from the Edmonton Oilers in November of 2025. Stecher helped stabilize the Leafs blueline at the time when they were ravaged by various injuries. The 32-year-old veteran obviously wasn’t a stats stuffer for the offensive side of things, but he still managed three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 58 total games played. But as a stay-at-home defenseman, he was solid in shutting down the opposition while blocking key shots and averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time for the Leafs in 2025-26 before regressing slightly towards the end of the season.
Both Stecher and Toronto has expressed interest in a potential reunion, with the veteran defenseman openly confirming he wanted to be back. Thus, Stecher has the best chance of returning to the club among all of the Maple Leafs unrestricted free agents, and would likely remain in a bottom pairing depth role..
Probability of returning to the Leafs: 50%
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