Now that Jeff Marek has brought up Roman Josi’s name, it won’t go away.

Marek responded quickly when Nick Alberga inquired about who he would be calling right now if he were Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka: Josi.

Not a rumor. It’s not a report. Marek was straightforward His thought was the only thing there. However, when a connected voice mentions such a precise name, you don’t disregard it.

NHL Game Recaps for June 14, 2026, 08:00 PM EST – Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes

Josi completed this season with 55 points in 68 games, 13 goals, 42 assists, 20 power play assists, and a -15 rating on a Nashville club that ranked 24th overall and went 38-34-10.

This year, the Predators were a disaster. A 22 goal deficit. Over the last 10, they have a 4-5-1 record. Barry Trotz is the GM attempting to reassemble a team whose finest player was around long enough to run out of time.

This summer, the top player will turn 36 and have a $9.059 million cap hit.

What Josi would really fix in Toronto

This season, the Leafs were ranked 28th overall. A goal differential of -46. They ended the year on a seven-game losing streak, going 2-7-1 in their previous ten games, and went 32-36-14.

Rather than a band-aid solution, that back end needs a thorough makeover. The identity of a blue line can be altered overnight by adding a skilled, puck-moving defenseman who can lead a top power play unit.

Josi still produced at a point-per-game clip over his last 5, with a goal and 5 assists and a +3 rating. He was not the problem in Nashville.

But here’s the thing: $9 million for a 36-year-old defenseman, no matter how good, is a serious commitment for a team that just had one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Toronto can’t just add payroll and hope the culture fixes itself.

The Leafs allowed 299 goals this season. That’s not a one-player fix.

Marek’s point is still valid, though. If you’re going to swing, swing for something real. Josi is a generational talent at the position, and Nashville’s direction this offseason remains genuinely unclear.

Whether Chayka is actually making that call is another question entirely.

Marek leans forward a bit in the video, almost as if he can’t believe it hasn’t been said out loud before. His delivery is direct and peaceful. Simply a name. Roman Josi.

The discussion regarding Toronto’s defensive reconstruction has grown considerably more fascinating.