As the 2025-26 NHL season approaches, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely exploring all avenues to improve their roster. One cost-effective and insightful method is offering professional tryout (PTO) contracts to free agents. These tryouts allow the team to assess players' fitness, skill level, and overall fit within the team's system without a significant financial commitment. Here are three potential PTO options the Maple Leafs could consider:

1. Kevin Labanc (Forward)

Kevin Labanc could be a PTO option for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once a reliable offensive contributor for the San Jose Sharks, Labanc has faced challenges in recent seasons. A PTO with Toronto could provide him with an opportunity to revive his career. Labanc is a solid two-way playmaking forward. Throughout his NHL career, Labanc has recorded 237 points (84 goals, 153 assists) in 512 games, including a 56-point season with the Sharks in 2018-19. He could be a valuable asset on the second power-play unit and has the defensive capabilities to thrive in coach Berube's system. Although he might not be a top-six forward, he could potentially facilitate a move for someone else to take on that role.

2. Austin Elliott (Goaltender)

With Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz already signed for the 2025-26 season, Elliott might not immediately compete for a starting role. However, inviting Elliott to training camp would allow the Maple Leafs to evaluate his potential and add depth to their goaltending pool. Elliott is committed to UMass-Lowell in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season, but that shouldn't stop the Leafs from signing the 21-year-old to a deal if they like what they see during training camp. The Leafs also have young goalies in their system already, with Dennis Hildeby (2025 RFA), Artur Akhtyamov (2026 RFA), and Vyacheslav Peksa (2026 RFA).

3. Jimmy Vesey (Forward)

Jimmy Vesey is a strong candidate to sign a PTO and/or ink a 1-year deal around the league minimum salary. There are six former members of the Toronto Maple Leafs who remain UFAs, and not all of them are guaranteed to earn NHL contracts for the 2025-26 season.

PTOs offer a low-risk, high-reward scenario for both the team and the player. For the Maple Leafs, it's an opportunity to evaluate potential additions to their roster without a significant financial commitment. For the players, it's a chance to prove themselves and earn a valuable NHL contract. As training camp approaches, these are just a few of the players who could be on the Maple Leafs' radar for a PTO.