NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest Maple Leafs Buzz, Bruins To Seek A First-Line Center

It's been a week since the Toronto Maple Leafs officially introduced John Chayka as their new GM.

Since then, speculation has persisted about his plans for the club during the off-season.

Jonas Siegel of The Athletic believes Chayka's priority is selling captain Auston Matthews on his vision for the Maple Leafs' future. If the 28-year-old superstar buys into it, the Leafs will continue to retool. If he doesn't and decides to move on, the club will rebuild around potential first-round pick Gavin McKenna.

Bruins Should Make Big Trade For Ducks Young Center

The Bruins should consider targeting Ducks forward Mason McTavish this off-season.

Turning to the Boston Bruins, president Cam Neely told reporters last week his club must find more speed and talent to compete with the league's top teams. He believes they need a first-line center, either growing one from within or acquiring one from another club.

Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic thinks the Bruins have the salary cap space and some assets (including center Matthew Poitras and defenseman Mason Lohrei) to pursue a center in the trade market, but there aren't many believed to be available.

Shinzawa suggested Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks as potential options. However, he felt that they would be outside the Bruins' price range.

Free agency won't offer up any better options, with an aging Evgeni Malkin the most notable.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hockey News

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 10:48 AM.