According to Sportsnet and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be big players on at least two UFA defensemen this summer. Suggesting the team will be competing for a couple of high-profile names on the free agent market, Friedman wasn’t sure how successful the Maple Leafs would be in landing their targets, but they’re not shying away from the competition.
During an interview on Leafs Morning Take, Friedman was asked who the Maple Leafs would target. He responded that he believes the Leafs like Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Brett Pesce, Sean Walker, and Brandon Montour. Basically, all of the bigger-named defensemen that will be hitting the market, the Leafs are going to kick tires on. “I had guys tell me, the Leafs are going to try and get two of these guys,” said Friedman.
It Won’t Be Easy for the Leafs to Secure These UFAs
Friedman went on to explain that, in many cases, these players are being coveted by several teams, including their own respective organizations. The Maple Leafs have some cap room, but these players won’t come cheaply.
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Zadorov was a player Maple Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving tried to land at the NHL Trade Deadline and wasn’t able to. It makes sense he would try again. Tanev is a defense-first specialist, which is exactly what Toronto needs. Pesce is a top-four all day long and Walker and Montour are great offensive defensemen.
Friedman explained:
“Zadrov, I think it’s likely he hits the market, but I think there’s going to be competition. Tanev, I know Dallas wants to try to keep him, but I’ve heard the offers out there are going to be high. You know there was a time this year where I thought for sure Montour was going to hit the market. There’s noise being made down here that Florida’s going to try to find a way to keep him, I don’t think that’s going to be easy but I think they’re going to try. Walker, they’ll be a ton of interest that she was looking for six times six which is what Carolina didn’t want to do. I think they were more comfortable in the 5×5 range.”
Friedman finished by noting he had people say to him that they think Toronto is going to go out to try to get two really good defensemen in the UFA market and they’re going to be a force when it comes to some of those names. That potentially means stepping up and spending as much as $10 or $11 million in total per season on their salary cap to fill two spots on their blue line.
What Happens if the Maple Leafs Overpay?
The issue becomes stepping up in a big way and then landing these players on big contracts. Dominos will inevitably fall after that happens. For the Maple Leafs, they still want to sign forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, and are looking to add depth at forward with some grit. All the while, they’ll be forced to make a decision on whether to sign or trade Mitch Marner. Oh, and the Leafs also need a goalie to play with Joseph Woll, which won’t be cheap. Speculation is they are looking at a Jacob Markstrom trade.
If the Leafs are forced to overpay for two big-name defensemen because the market is going crazy for these players, then what? How does it affect the other work Treliving needs to do and who has to be sacrificed on the roster to fit these two defensemen in?
