NHL offseason rumors aren’t just about future outlooks or ongoing negotiation, they also revisit deals that fell through. In this case, Nathan MacKinnon was reportedly close to sharing the Colorado Avalanche front line with a recent teammate of Auston Matthews from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
During negotiations involving a soon-to-be free agent and a franchise, multiple teams often explore conditions behind the scenes. The Avs were reportedly showing interest in one of Matthews‘ former teammates in Toronto but were ultimately unable to finalize a deal.
Colorado knows it has a superstar in MacKinnon, but the team is actively exploring offensive reinforcements ahead of the 2025–26 NHL season, particularly looking to add depth to their top lines. However, it appears the Tampa Bay Lightning may have disrupted those plans.
Which former Maple Leafs player was on the Avs’ radar?
“I heard there were a lot of good teams that were after Pontus Holmberg, I heard Colorado was one of them,” Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. The comment suggests that the Denver franchise had seriously considered the young forward as a potential addition to support MacKinnon.
Pontus Holmberg during his stint in the Maple Leafs
Holmberg signs a new deal with the Lightning
Although Colorado couldn’t land Holmberg, the Swedish forward joined the Lightning on July 1 after the Maple Leafs chose not to tender him a qualifying offer before the deadline. The 26-year-old signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay worth an AAV of $1.55 million.
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Holmberg spent all three of his NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs. Last season, he appeared in 68 games, scoring seven goals and totaling 19 points. The 6-foot, 200-pound forward has skated in 159 NHL games, recording 19 goals and 49 points overall.
