Maple Leafs put two players on the trading block

According to insider David Pagnotta, Dakota Joshua and Miles Wood have both been shopped around the league as Toronto looks to create breathing room on its books.

Pagnotta said:

The urgency makes sense. Toronto is 8-11-2 after five straight home losses, and the front office has been hunting for a top-four defenceman. Those targets reportedly carry term, which means the Leafs cannot take on salary until they send some out.

Joshua, 30, carries a $3.25 million cap hit through 2027-28. Toronto acquired him from Vancouver in July 2025 for a 2028 fourth-round pick.

Wood arrived in the blockbuster with Columbus that sent Matthew Knies the other way and brought back Kirill Marchenko and Elvis Merzlikins. His $2.5 million hit runs through 2028-29.

Together, the two account for $5.75 million in cap space. Both are bottom-six options with multiple seasons left, so rival general managers have little incentive to bite without a sweetener attached.

Toronto may have to attach a draft pick or prospect, or retain part of the salary, to make a deal work. That is a steep price for depth players, but the alternative is a stalled search for defensive help.

The cap picture also affects next summer. Clearing $5.75 million now would give the front office more flexibility to chase a difference-maker, whether that means a defenceman or a scoring winger, without making painful cuts elsewhere.

For fans, the message is clear. Toronto is not content to simply stand pat, and the roster could look quite different by the new year. Joshua and Wood are the names to watch, though no deal appears close at the moment. Expect the rumour mill around the Leafs to stay busy until the trade deadline.

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