The Toronto Maple Leafs are less than a week away from their regular season opener.
Opening Night for the Leafs comes on Tuesday, Sept. 29 when they host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. ET.
That means that time is running out for Toronto to get its roster in order, and they continue to make moves to do so.
Two of their roster moves on Wednesday were players who they waived, which come with an added caveat — those guys aren't guaranteed to remain with the organization.
But in order to pass some players with experience back to the AHL, they first have to go through waivers. It's a risk, but one the Maple Leafs felt they had to take in this case.
One of the players waived by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday was defenseman Cole McWard.
McWard was a new addition this offseason. He signed with the Maple Leafs on a two-year contract in free agency after spending last season with the New York Islanders .
McWard is originally from Fenton, Missouri, and he played college hockey at the NCAA level for Ohio State.
He made his NHL debut back in 2022-23 with the Vancouver Canucks , who had brought him aboard despite never having been drafted. In that debut season, McWard played five games and scored a goal.
McWard then played one more game for the Canucks in 2023-24, getting just nine minutes of ice time and not notching any points.
He didn't play in the NHL in 2024-25, and then he got a small chance with the New York Islanders in 2025-26. He played three games for the Isles and was a plus-1 in 41 minutes on the ice.
The 25-year old spent more of the year with the AHL Bridgeport Islanders. Down there, he played in 63 games and had six goals with 21 assists for 27 points.
At 6-foot-2, McWard is a right-shot defenseman who would be quite useful for the Toronto Marlies if he clears waivers.
The other player waived by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday was also a defenseman, but the much more experienced Dakota Mermis.
Now 32, Mermis has played in 89 career NHL games and has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists).
Mermis is originally from the state of Illinois, and he played in the OHL as well as in the NCAA for Denver.
Mermis began his NHL career with 10 games across two seasons for the Arizona Coyotes.
From there, he played 10 games in 2019-20 for the New Jersey Devils , for whom he had a goal and three assists.
The next four seasons for Mermis came with the Minnesota Wild . In 2023-24, he had his best NHL season, playing in 47 games and putting up eight points on three goals and five assists.
In 2024-25, Mermis got a game with the Utah Mammoth before three more with the Maple Leafs.
And then in 2025-26, Mermis got 11 games and scored a goal for the Leafs.
For the AHL champion Marlies in 2025-26, Mermis played 27 games and scored one goal with six assists.
He too could have a role down there again if he clears waivers.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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