On July 1, 2015, the Maple Leafs were part of a blockbuster, multi-player deal that centred on Phil Kessel moving to the Pittsburgh Penguins, with one of the key pieces for Toronto being prospect Kasperi Kapanen.
A trade like this was seen as substantial due to the divisional Battle of Ontario rivalry and the NHL salary cap, which typically prevents more than a few players from moving at once.
The 2015 NHL Entry Draft was held between July 26 and 27, and the Maple Leafs made a total of 9 selections, while also acquiring defenceman Martin Marincin.
Following the draft, the Leafs made a number of moves during the free agency period, signing players such as P. A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello, and Shawn Matthias to short-term contracts.
[10] As the off-season went on, the team would sign Devin Setoguchi, Curtis Glencross, Brad Boyes, and Mark Fraser to professional try out contracts.
They include Byron Froese, Garret Sparks, Brendan Leipsic, Viktor Loov, Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, Rinat Valiev, Connor Brown, Frederik Gauthier and Tobias Lindberg.
Below are the Toronto Maple Leafs' selections at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 26–27, 2015 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.