It was a busy day to kick off free agency for the NHL on July 1. More than $1.2 billion in contracts were handed out to players across the league with the most noteworthy signings involving the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning — Steven Stamkos and Jake Guentzel, respectively.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving also got into the mix signing two former Florida Panthers coming off their Stanley Cup win — Anthony Stolarz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson — while also adding Chris Tanev and Jani Hakanpää to sure up the team’s defensive corps.
But with Tyler Bertuzzi signing with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Maple Leafs already questionable when it comes to the strength of their bottom six, Treliving noted after the first day of free agency that they still had a lot of work to do.
While players like Jeff Skinner and Alexander Wennberg could’ve added the much needed depth to the Maple Leafs lineup, them signing elsewhere leaves fewer options for the remainder of the offseason. Still, with the options thinning out, Treliving does have some interesting players to pick from when it comes to free agency that could still help the team’s bottom six.
Dominik Kubalik
Familiar with the Atlantic Division, Dominik Kubalik could provide the Maple Leafs with some of that scoring that they lost when Bertuzzi walked. The 28-year-old has just five seasons under his belt with the Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and, most recently, Ottawa Senators.
In his rookie season with the Blackhawks in 2019-20, Kubalik had a career-high 30 goals and 46 points in just 68 games. Since then, his highest totals came with the Red Wings in 2022-23 when he tallied 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games.
As for his 2023-24 season with the Senators, Kubalik finished with just 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games for a severely underachieving team.
Cost-wise, he could be a cheaper option coming off a tough year. A prove-it deal would make sense for Kubalik and the Maple Leafs and give the player a chance to rebound from what was clearly not a productive season. He’s coming off a two-year deal that he signed with the Red Wings that carried a $2.5-million annual average value (AAV) and Treliving could land him for cheaper as part of their remoulding of their bottom six.
Cam Atkinson
Just bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers, Cam Atkinson is a veteran option that the Maple Leafs could add to the bottom six. How much is left in the tank is maybe the biggest question mark when it comes to the 35-year-old.
With his buyout spanning the next two seasons at just over $1.75 million per season, there’s a chance that he’d be willing to sign for a team friendly deal — somewhere in the range of $1.5 million. But, how does that stack up with his number in recent years?
As a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Atkinson was a key member of their offence — with two seasons of over 35 goals, including 41 in 2018-19. In 2019-20, injuries paved the way to two rather disappointing seasons before he was moved to the Flyers for the 2021-22 season. His first year in Philadelphia, he hit the 20-goal plateau again and finished with 50 points in 73 games before taking as step back in 2023-24 with just 28 points in 70 games for the Flyers.
That said, while recency bias would suggest he’s taking steps back offensively, his play during the 2021-22 season does indicate that he could still be a productive bottom-six forward. While the Maple Leafs might be looking for a younger option, Atkinson could still be a veteran option to fill the void left by Bertuzzi.
Kailer Yamamoto
It’s safe to say that Kailer Yamamoto hasn’t quite lived up to expectations after being drafted 22nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017. Having played most recently for the Seattle Kraken, Yamamoto has 58 goals and 134 points in 303 career NHL regular season games.
Another buyout by the Red Wings, Yamamoto is a one-time 20-goal scorer in 2021-22. It’s also the only season in which he fired more than 100 shots on goal and he finished the year with a shooting percentage of 17.5 — nearly four percent higher than his career mark.
While size isn’t ask defining as it once was in the NHL, the main question for the Maple Leafs would be how they want to build their bottom six. At five-foot-eight and just over 150 pounds, Yamamoto is a small player. That said, 20 goals is 20 goals and the Maple Leafs need some support offensively heading into 2024-25.
Victor Olofsson
After debuting with the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19, Victor Olofsson became a mainstay in their lineup for the past five seasons. Three times over that span he reached the 20-goal plateau, including a career-high 28 goals in 2022-23. In fact, he has 90 goals in 314 career regular season games with the Sabres — an average of just under a goal every three games in his career.
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That said, he’s been somewhat of a power play specialist over his career. Of his 90 career goals, 35 of them have come on the power play and nearly 34 percent of his points have come with the man advantage. So, take that for what you will, but the Maple Leafs could use a solid option on their second power play unit with Bertuzzi out of the picture now.
In 2023-24, Olofsson played just 51 games for the Sabres and his totals dropped to just seven goals and 15 points. It was also the final year of a two-year deal that Kevyn Adams signed him to that carried an AAV of $4.75 million. That’s likely why he hit the market. Is he the perfect option for the Maple Leafs? Maybe not. But her could replace some of that offence in the bottom six.
James van Riemsdyk
Finally, call me a sucker for thinking there could be a homecoming of sorts, but James van Riemsdyk had his two most productive seasons offensively while with the Maple Leafs — his best coming in 2016-17 when he notched 29 goals and 62 points.
Since then, he’s been a consistent player offensively if nothing else, recording nothing lower than 29 points which came in just 61 games during the 2022-23 season in Philadelphia.
Now, at 35, the Maple Leafs would know what they’re getting with the veteran forward who had 11 goals and 38 points with the Bruins in 2023-24. Like Atkinson, he might not be the youngest option still on the market, but he could contribute and likely do it on a cheap 35-plus deal that would benefit the Maple Leafs organization in 2024-25.
Don’t get me wrong. I would love to sit here and throw names out like Vladimir Tarasenko and Jack Roslovic and it would’ve been great for the Maple Leafs to grab Skinner. But the reality is the Maple Leafs need to pay close attention to their cap situation still — especially with he Mitch Marner situation unfolding the way that it is. Because of that, these are some of the best options still available for Treliving and his team.