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Leafs place 4th liner on waivers today
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- Leafs place 4th liner on waivers today
Leafs place 4th liner on waivers today
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a roster move on Monday that signals a shift in the team's bottom-six forward group, and it may also hint at a welcome return for one of the club's veteran leaders. With the early portion of the 2026-27 season now in the books, the Leafs are clearly taking stock of who belongs and who doesn't.
Bo Groulx Hits the Waiver Wire
The Leafs officially placed 26-year-old center Bo Groulx on waivers Monday, as first reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Groulx has suited up for seven games with Toronto this season but has yet to register a single point, averaging just over eight minutes of ice time per contest under head coach Jim Hiller. His role had been shrinking rapidly, with the forward being a healthy scratch for the majority of recent games. His most recent appearance came against the Seattle Kraken last week, where he logged a meager 6:23 of ice time.
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It's a tough break for Groulx, who was a significant contributor during the Toronto Marlies' Calder Cup championship run last season. He put up 28 goals and 52 points in 58 regular season AHL games, then added eight goals and 14 points across 23 playoff contests. That performance earned him some NHL looks, and he managed three goals and five points in 13 games with the big club last year. But the France native, originally a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2018, simply hasn't been able to translate that AHL success into consistent NHL production. With just four goals and 10 points across 85 career NHL games split between Toronto and Anaheim, the writing appears to be on the wall for Groulx as a fringe fourth-liner.
Groulx is in the final year of a two-year deal carrying an $812,500 cap hit, making him a pending unrestricted free agent. It seems unlikely that another team will put in a claim, though stranger things have happened. If he clears, he would be assigned to the Marlies.
What's Behind the Move
The timing of this transaction tells an important story. Dakota Joshua, who had been sidelined with a core muscle injury that hampered him through training camp, appears to be fully back in the fold. The 30-year-old forward made his season debut on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks and immediately made an impact, leading the team with five shots on goal and seven hits. Joshua's return essentially pushed Groulx out of the lineup entirely.
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There's also the John Tavares factor. The veteran center was back on the ice at Monday's practice after missing the past two weeks with a lower-body injury that had him listed as week-to-week. While there's no official confirmation yet on whether Tavares will be ready for Tuesday's game against the Utah Mammoth, the fact that the Leafs are clearing a roster spot by waiving Groulx strongly suggests that a return is imminent. An update from Hiller is expected ahead of Tuesday's contest.
Monday's practice lines reflected the new reality, with Joshua slotting in on the third line alongside Paul and Nylander, while the fourth line featured Duhaime, Blueger, and MacEwen. There was simply no room left for Groulx. For Leafs fans, losing a depth piece like Groulx is a small price to pay if it means getting Tavares back in the lineup and Joshua establishing himself as a physical presence on the roster. The next 24 hours should bring clarity on just how much this roster picture is about to change.
