6 Former Maple Leafs Hit Waivers & 1 Name Really Stands Out

Some days, the NHL waiver wire is just roster housekeeping. And then there are days when you look down the list and think, “Wait a minute. I watched these guys.” Sunday was one of those days.

Six players with Toronto Maple Leafs connections landed on waivers: Ilya Samsonov, Ilya Lyubushkin, Sam Lafferty, Colin Blackwell, Sammy Blais and Henry Thrun. That’s quite a collection of former Maple Leafs, although their Toronto stories are very different.

It doesn’t necessarily mean six careers are finished. Far from it. But it does make you stop and think about how quickly a player’s NHL fortunes can change.

Samsonov Still Has a Bigger Question Hanging Over Him

For me, Samsonov is the biggest name here. He spent two seasons in Toronto, going 50-17-13 in 82 games. His first season was particularly good: 27-10-5 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average. The second season wasn’t nearly as smooth, and he eventually moved on to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Now he’s 29 and coming off a season in the KHL. He signed a two-way deal with San Jose earlier this month and is already on waivers. That’s quite a fall for a goalie who, not that long ago, looked like he might be Toronto’s answer in net.

Lyubushkin and Lafferty Are Different Stories

Lyubushkin is another interesting one because Toronto brought him back at the 2024 trade deadline. He played 19 regular-season games and seven playoff games for the Maple Leafs that season, bringing the usual package of physical play, blocked shots and penalty-killing work. He then signed a three-year contract with Dallas. Now he’s on waivers in Nashville after the Predators acquired him from Dallas in July.

Lafferty’s stay in Toronto was much shorter. He played 19 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs in 2022-23, scoring two goals and four assists, and added three points in nine playoff games. Toronto traded him to Vancouver the following October for a fifth-round pick. Now he’s trying to stick with Florida. However, he hasn’t been successful.

Blackwell, Blais and Thrun

Colin Blackwell was another short-term Maple Leafs forward. Toronto acquired him during the 2021-22 season, and he played 19 regular-season games before appearing in seven playoff games against Tampa Bay. He scored two goals and an assist during the regular season. Now, at 32, he’s on waivers with Dallas after putting up four goals, 15 points and 112 hits in 70 games last season.

Sammy Blais is a more recent memory. He played 21 games between Toronto and Montreal last season, collecting three goals and five assists while bringing plenty of physical play.

And then there’s Henry Thrun, who barely had time to unpack his suitcase in Toronto. He had a short NHL stint with the Maple Leafs last season but spent most of the year with American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto, where he had 23 points in 55 games. Now he’s beginning his Winnipeg tenure in the minors.

So What Does It All Mean?

Probably not as much as it seems at first. This isn’t six former Maple Leafs suddenly discovering that the NHL has no use for them. They’re at very different points in their careers, and several are simply caught in the annual numbers game.

But there’s a little lesson here. The NHL has little patience for players who sit on the edge of a roster. You can be a useful veteran one year, a trade acquisition the next and a waiver-wire player a few months later. Samsonov is the most dramatic example. Lyubushkin might be the strangest, considering Nashville acquired him only in July.

And that’s really the story. These players aren’t necessarily finished. They’re just being reminded that, in the NHL, being good enough to belong isn’t the same as having a guaranteed place. That’s a pretty thin line — and every September, somebody falls off it.