Replacing Mitch Marner won’t be easy—perhaps even impossible—but Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs will give it a try nevertheless. It’s not as if they have many other options. On that note, reports around the NHL suggest Toronto is pursuing one of Brad Marchand‘s key teammates on the Florida Panthers.
Coming off back-to-back Stanley Cups, virtually every player on Florida’s roster has drawn interest across the NHL. The Panthers have proven themselves natural-born winners—something no franchise takes for granted.
Meanwhile, Toronto may be the league’s most desperate organization when it comes to chasing success, and Marner’s departure hasn’t eased the pressure on Matthews and the rest of the team. For the Leafs, it’s championship or bust—always has been, always will be.
Looking to adopt a Cat
Albeit the plan to sign Marchand during the NHL’s free agency failed, Matthews‘ Maple Leafs aren’t taking their sights off the Panthers. As recently reported, Toronto is after another key player in Sunrise. This time, however, they might actually work out a deal with the organization in South Florida.
Mitch Marner, seen during his final season with Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs, reflected on his time in Toronto with a heartfelt goodbye following his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.
As reported by The Fourth Period insider David Pagnotta, forward Evan Rodrigues has been linked to the Maple Leafs. However, Toronto isn’t the only team pursuing Rodrigues—Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota are reportedly in the mix as well.
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NHL News: Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs reportedly face huge obstacle in pursuit of Brad Marchand’s former teammate
Willing to cooperate
While the Panthers and Maple Leafs rarely see eye to eye, they might find common ground on a potential trade involving Rodrigues. Florida managed to retain Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad, but that essentially meant packing the bags of other talents on the roster.
Rodrigues, whose contract carries a $3M annual cap hit, feels like the obvious cap casualty for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Florida is currently $2.95M over the NHL salary cap. The math is simple: parting ways with E-Rod would bring the Cats back under the limit.
Evan Rodrigues #17 of the Florida Panthers is introduced prior to Game Six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 17, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
Anyone but you
It could actually be a win-win scenario for both the Leafs and Panthers, but then again, it’s rare that teams want to see their rivals come out on top. As such, Florida would much rather explore deals with other potential trade partners. Namely the Blackhawks and Wild, who play in the Western Conference, unlike the Red Wings.
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Florida recently completed a trade with Chicago during the past NHL season, sending Spencer Knight for Seth Jones. The move paid off for both sides: the Blackhawks secured their goalie of the future, while the Panthers added a veteran defenseman for the long haul—who went on to help them hoist the Stanley Cup. For two organizations living starkly different realities, each got exactly what it was looking for.
