3 PTO options for Toronto Maple Leaf in Season 2025-26 – Hockey Writer – Toronto Maple Leaf
Toronto Maple Leafs tried to keep the scramble after being forced into some changes in the offseason, and most importantly, Mitchell Marner lost to the Vegas Golden Knights. They have taken some moves to try to replace him and do a good job, such as getting Matias Maccelli from Utah Mammoth, but they may still have some question marks, with fans raising concerns about the depth of the end of trying to end the Stanley Gorge drought.
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As the camp approaches and the team tries to make the final touch on their roster, some teams will take players to professional selection (PTO) contracts to see if they can win the opportunity to sign a contract, and if they want to do so, Maple Leaf will have some options as well. In this article, we have looked at three potential PTO options for them.
Klim Kostin
Maple Leafs do a great job of finding forwards to fill out their depth charts, but they may benefit from advancing from increasing their strength in cost-effective contracts. The first player that comes to mind is Klim Kostin, whose campaign with the Edmonton Oilers a few seasons ago was impressive, but a restart on a competitive team may be the confidence he found again.
Kostin, 26, scored 1 point in 35 games against the Sharks last season and added 6 points in 35 games. Throughout his career, he has allocated 25 goals between the St. Louis Blues, Oilers, Detroit Red Wings and Sharks and added 28 assists in 190 games to score 53 points.
The energy he brings every night is something that not many of the next six players can bring, and he is a guy who can help Maple Leaf find a way to go deeper in the playoffs. He only had 12 playoff games, but at that time, he scored three goals and added 2 points to five points.
One thing Maple Leaf sometimes lacks when the playoffs come is physical, so it makes sense to have them add players like Costin. He was the first-round pick for the 2017 Blues, and although he had been one of their highest prospects for a while, he wasn’t out of the way, and since then he’s trying to find a full-time position somewhere in the NHL.
The Oilers seemed to be a good fit for him, but both sides could not extend, and he left and he has been trying to find a way ever since. The Maple Leafs seem to be fit, so if they give him a PTO, it’s safe to say that he has a great chance to win the contract and help them win the game.
Jimmy Vesey
Another striker they might consider adding is Jimmy Vesey, and despite some speculation he might consider a contract offer from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), the Maple Leafs should have a chance for him.
Vesey, 32, scored five goals in 43 games last season and added three points in 43 games, spreading between the New York Rangers and Colorado avalanche. He scored 101 goals throughout his career and added 93 assists with an average of 0.31 points in 626 games.
He is not a flashy player, nor is he a person who can improve incredible scores, but his ability to perform well on both ends of the ice makes him an attractive addition.
In the 2020-21 season, Vesey played 30 games with the Maple Leafs, scored 5 goals and added 2 assists to score 7 points. The comfort of already playing with the Maple Leafs might attract him to sign a PTO with them and fight for the depth. He may be an extra striker who doesn’t play every game, but it’s a good thing to make him the one who comes in when he’s inevitably injured.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
It’s crazier than the other two, but after a long term with the San Jose Sharks, they decided to buy guard Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who hasn’t reached a deal now, and while the 38-year-old may be close to his career, he’s not officially retired and still wants to push the Stanley Cup.
Last season, Vlasic scored a goal and added three-point assists in 27 games against the Sharks. He scored 84 goals throughout his career and added 295 assists in 1,323 games to score 379 points.
If Maple Leafs are looking to add a seventh defender to the league’s minimum contract, it makes sense to shoot Vlasic One on PTO. If they get injured against the defense, he might want to use the experience on bottom pairing, and he could be a big addition when they push to win the first Stanley Cup since 1967.
There are more options if they decide to take the PTO route, but these three do make some sense.
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