According to Rick Dhaliwal from the Donnie & Dhali show, the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly interested in two Vancouver Canucks players set to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs): Dakota Joshua and Nikita Zadorov.
Dhaliwal had this to say about the Maple Leafs’ interest: “I will not be surprised if the Maple Leafs are a team that takes a long look at Zadorov and Joshua if they make it to July 1. Joshua is a player that teams are looking at right now and saying, ‘We need that kind of guy in the playoffs.’ I can’t tell you enough that if Joshua hits July 1, he’s going to have very good interest.”
Joshua & Zadorov Have Connections to Toronto
Both players have connections to the Maple Leafs organization, so it makes perfect sense for the team to be interested in them. Joshua and Toronto’s newly-hired head coach, Craig Berube, were both with the St. Louis Blues from 2020–22, and Joshua was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft but was traded to the Blues in 2019 for future considerations.
Related: Kypreos Reports Maple Leafs Interested in Montour & Tanev
As for Zadorov, he and Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving have a relationship from their days with the Calgary Flames until the 2023–24 season. Like Chris Tanev, Treliving tried his hardest to acquire Zadorov from the Flames but couldn’t match the asking price. Zadorov was moved to Vancouver, where he had a great season and playoff run with the team.
If both become free agents, it won’t be surprising to see the two wearing blue and white next season and quickly becoming fan favourites in Leafs Nation.
Predicting Joshua & Zadorov’s Contracts
Predicting free agent contracts is always a challenge. However, in this situation, considering both Joshua and Zadorov already have a relationship with an important member of Maple Leafs’ brass, the organization could be the front-runner for both.
Zadorov will be the one management is willing to spend money on. He brings such a unique style to the blue line that the organization would be foolish to pass on him. With six goals and 20 points this season and a solid playoff run, he will likely be asking for around $4.5–$6 million per season, and, frankly, the Maple Leafs should consider it (especially if they can also sign Brett Pesce — a pending Carolina Hurricanes UFA — to a similar contract to help round out their top-two pairings.)
At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Zadorov is exactly who the Maple Leafs need to play alongside Simon Benoit or Jake McCabe. He is one of the best open-ice hitters in the NHL, can block shots, defend the slot, break up the cycle, and contribute offensively. Treliving should target him when free agency opens and pay him somewhere in the neighbourhood of what he is asking, which could be $5 million for five years.
Joshua had an outstanding contract year and upped his asking price by over $2 million. In 63 games, he scored 18 goals and 32 points; however, that could be a problem for the Maple Leafs. If he is seeking a contract in the neighbourhood of $4 million, then he likely won’t sign with Toronto.
Related: Elliotte Friedman Believes Maple Leafs Interested in Markstrom
The team only has $18.8 million in projected cap space and will likely want to re-sign one of Tyler Bertuzzi or Max Domi, as well as rebuild their blue line. This means, barring anyone being traded — such as David Kampf or Calle Jarnkrok — to clear space to sign him to a much larger deal, he would need to come down to just north of what Kampf is making, somewhere around $3 million per season for three to four years.
If Treliving and the Maple Leafs can sign at least one of these two, it would be an improvement. Signing them both would make the team deeper down the middle and on the blue line, which should improve their playoff chances. Zadorov and Joshua are both physically made for the a deep playoff run and can help keep the pressure off the star players and open up the ice for them. It would put the passion back into the fanbase if the Maple Leafs were a rough, physical hard-to-play against team again.
