The Toronto Maple Leafs fired general manager Brad Treliving on Monday night amid a disappointing season that will see the storied franchise miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) will conduct a search for Treliving's replacement, and the new GM's first order of business will be deciding whether to begin a scorched-earth rebuild or attempt a more modest overhaul with an eye toward a quicker return to NHL contention.
Either way, the Leafs roster features a few players who should be firmly on the radar of Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who's heading toward a busy summer of his own as Buffalo's front office attempts to overcome tight salary-cap constraints.
Although it's rare for the Atlantic counterparts to make a deal — the last high-profile one was the Sabres acquiring center Dominic Moore from Toronto at the 2009 NHL trade deadline — the Leafs may be more willing to do in-division business if they're planning a full-scale roster retool.
If the sides do engage in discussions, Buffalo's targets will likely be of the more mid-range variety rather than top-tier options like Auston Matthews, William Nylander or Matthew Knies.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
It's possible the Sabres make a significant move on defense this summer, with the departure of either Owen Power or Bowen Byram being the most realistic outcomes. It'd be one way for Kekalainen to deal from a position of strength to create some financial flexibility.
That said, Buffalo's blue line has been an essential part of the club's breakthrough season, especially the top-four core of Power, Byram, Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson. Moving a member of that group would come with risk if they're not quickly replaced.
Ekman-Larsson ($3.5 million AAV) is a potential solution who'd represent a cap savings over Power ($8.35 million) or Byram ($6.25 million).
The two-time NHL All-Star has been a bright spot amid the Maple Leafs' struggles. The 34-year-old defender has recorded 38 points (eight goals and 30 assists) across 72 appearances during his second season in Toronto, and 30 of those points have come at even strength.
OEL's puck-moving ability would fit right in with the Sabres' preferred up-tempo style of play, and he's under contract through 2027-28. That would help the team bridge the gap to its next generation of defenders, led by Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbak and Adam Kleber.
Jake McCabe
McCabe is a name familiar to longtime Sabres fans. The University of Wisconsin product spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career in Buffalo before leaving in free agency to join the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021. He joined the Leafs in 2023.
The 32-year-old blueliner represents a more defensively minded alternative to Ekman-Larsson if that's the direction Kekalainen decides to go. He hinted toward that mindset with the acquisitions of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn at this season's trade deadline.
McCabe has posted 24 points (five goals and 19 helpers) in 73 games, and his plus-13 rating is the highest mark on Toronto's roster. Even though plus-minus doesn't carry the weight it used to, that's still an impressive showing on a club set to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The Sabres' 2012 second-round pick would certainly bolster the team's play in the defensive zone, as evidenced by his 177 blocked shots and 98 hits this season.
McCabe is under contract through 2029-30 with a $4.5 million AAV.
Matias Maccelli
How aggressive Kekalainen will be chasing forward upgrades this summer will be heavily tied to whether the Sabres are able to re-sign impending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch.
If Tuch departs, Buffalo is going to need a top-six winger with the ability to make an impact on the power play. Maccelli, 25, fits the bill having tallied 37 points (14 goals and 23 assists) in 64 games, which includes eight points with the man advantage.
The underlying numbers suggest the winger, who scored a career-high 57 points for the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, has more to give, too.
Maccelli ranks second among Toronto skaters in 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) this season at 50.4%, per Natural Stat Trick. Only John Tavares (50.5%) has a higher mark, and they're the only two Leafs players above the break-even level.
The Finnish forward wouldn't be able to replace Tuch's defensive acumen — he's skated just 19 seconds on the penalty kill in 2025-26 — but the Sabres should be able to fill that void internally with Zach Benson and Josh Doan if the need arises.
Buffalo will do everything in its power to retain Tuch before exploring alternatives, though.