American hockey icon Mike Modano recently came to the defense of fellow American superstar Auston Matthews, saying he wouldn’t wish the criticism and scrutiny Matthews faces in the Toronto market on anyone.
That might not have sat well with all Maple Leafs fans, who are as passionate as they come and just want to see their team and players succeed. However, what he said next was more along the lines of something they can get behind.
Modano suggested that Matthews could benefit from a true playmaker — particularly a star who drives the play from the back end, like Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, whose superstar teammates Kirill Kaprizov and Nathan MacKinnon enjoy the luxury of having on their respective teams.
Talent like Hughes and Makar doesn’t grow on trees, but Modano’s point makes a lot of sense, so as Toronto embarks on retooling its roster to maximize Matthews’ and William Nylander’s primes, swinging for a star-caliber blue-liner in the near future could be in their best interest.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some plausible options that the Maple Leafs could pursue, given those players’ potential circumstances (contract, team direction) with their current team.
Superstar: Zach Werenski
Zach Werenski is a true superstar that much of the hockey world doesn’t appreciate enough because he plays in Columbus. And understandably so. You might be thinking: Why in the world would the Blue Jackets trade their best player and face of the franchise? Well, let’s dive into it.
The 28-year-old is in year four of his six-year, $57.5 million contract, which means in 2026-27 he’ll be in the exact same situation as Hughes — eligible to sign an extension at the end of the year on a team that doesn’t appear all that close to contention.
Now, we don’t know whether Werenski would want out of Columbus the way Hughes did in Vancouver. But if the Blue Jackets miss the playoffs again and stumble out of the gate next season, would the then-29-year-old really be eager to commit to another long-term deal there?
Enter teams like the Maple Leafs, who could — and should — be willing to offer a massive haul for a superstar blue-liner more than a year away from free agency. Whether Brad Treliving — or whoever is GM by then — would have the assets necessary to get Don Waddell’s attention is another question. But Werenski is the type of franchise-altering acquisition that should make virtually everything available — outside of Matthews and Nylander.
Star: Adam Fox
How about a former Norris Trophy winner still right in the middle of his prime as a second option (if you can even call him that)? Adam Fox is another bona fide No. 1 defenseman who has honestly become underrated in recent years. While 2024-25 wasn’t his best, he still put up 61 points, and when healthy this season, he’s been dynamite, clipping at just under a point-per-game production.
Nothing has suggested the Rangers are willing to move Fox, but it’s unclear just how deep their “retool” might go. His relationship with the organization has appeared questionable at times as well, particularly given that they were squarely in the Hughes sweepstakes, and new head coach Mike Sullivan then left him off Team USA’s Olympic roster.
For those reasons, the Maple Leafs should at least be inquiring about what it would take to land him. The return package likely wouldn’t be as steep as what it would cost for Werenski, which could give Toronto even more reason to zero in on Fox. He still possesses the upside of a borderline top-three to five defenseman in the NHL — something we’ve seen from him not all that long ago.
Veteran Stars: Roman Josi/ Erik Karlsson
Onto the stars who, although past their prime, still have plenty of high-end hockey left in them and would change the complexion of the Maple Leafs: Roman Josi and Erik Karlsson.
Josi has two years left on his deal after 2025–26, while Karlsson has just one beyond this season. Given the direction of both the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins — entering or already in the midst of a rebuild and looking to get younger — there’s a very real chance one or both could become available in the not-so-distant future.
If that happens, Toronto should pounce. Josi would be the preference given his stronger two-way game, though Karlsson shouldn’t be overlooked; he remains a tremendous offensive creator. Neither should cost anything close to as much as Werenski or Fox, which could make even more sense for a team working with limited assets like the Maple Leafs.
Elite Options: Brandon Montour/ Vince Dunn
Last but not least, we have the not-quite-stars but still elite defensemen options, both from the Seattle Kraken: Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn.
It’s hard to get a read on the Kraken and where they’re headed. Montour and Dunn would seem to be part of the future, but if the right offer came along, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for GM Jason Botterill to consider it.
Both are gifted offensively, strong skaters, excellent puck movers, and Stanley Cup winners—checking all the boxes for what Toronto could be looking for while reshaping its blue line.
Montour has long made sense as a fit for the Maple Leafs; he even considered them as a free agent in the summer of 2024. Dunn is just as attractive an option, and may even be the more realistic target given he’ll be entering the final year of his contract in 2026-27, making him one to watch closely moving forward.
The Sports Outsider 
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