The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant moves this offseason in free agency, but reports say they missed on some key targets. Looking to land another forward for their top-six and a can’t-miss right-shot defenseman, GM Brad Treliving is coming back with the same mix of forwards and a bigger, but older and more injury-prone blue line. What the team did sign has to be considered questionable when it comes to the price paid and the term given. What they didn’t sign could have made a world of difference.
Despite the noise Toronto made, is this team better than it was? Or, did the moves the Leafs make actually ruin their chances to be contenders over the next couple of seasons?
The Players the Maple Leafs Didn’t Land in Free Agency
Now that the dust has settled on free agency, it’s coming to light that the Maple Leafs took a couple of swings in free agency that didn’t connect. First, Chris Johnston has noted that 29-year-old Matt Roy might have been “the one that got away.” He said that the Leafs went after the right-shot defenseman out of Los Angeles but couldn’t make the money work. Roy went to the Washington Capitals on a six-year, $34.5 million contract.
Adding Roy would have been a real win for the Leafs, especially if coupled with the Chris Tanev signing. Johnston discussed the impact Roy could have made when he said, “If you look at what he does, if you would have added Tanev and Roy, that is significant for your top four.” He added, “That is literally two guys that play the right side that really can eat minutes and not a lot happens (offensively for the other team) when they are on the ice. You are talking about a different blue line.”
It was also reported that Jeff Skinner chose the Edmonton Oilers over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both Darren Dreger and Johnston reported that the Leafs were actively trying to land Skinner after the forward was bought out of his deal with the Buffalo Sabres. Johnston noted, that the Leafs specifically pitched the idea of playing on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Imagine Skinner on a low-cost deal in the Leafs’ top six with a couple of elite talents. He likely would have potted anywhere from 20-30 goals this season. Instead, the Leafs didn’t improve their forward group at all. They lost Tyler Bertuzzi, retained Max Domi and kept their core four.
The Players They Did Land and Why It Should Be Concerning
One could argue that an injury-prone 34-year-old Tanev signed for four years is a huge mistake. While he’s the ideal fit for this blue-line core, he’s aging, slowing down, and likely to miss several games. The cap hit isn’t egregious, but this isn’t a contract the Leafs will be able to trade in two years if his usefulness declines. Leafs Nation is collectively keeping their fingers crossed that Tanev turns out to be exactly as advertised and plays a lot.
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One could also argue that a 32-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson at four years is way too long a term for a player who had a bounce-back season in Florida but isn’t the defenseman he used to be. This past season was his best in some time, but he was sheltered on a strong Florida team. He leaks high-danger chances against, which is already a concern for Toronto and he may be no more than a third-pairing defenseman. If the Leafs are paying $3.5 million for that over the next four seasons, they just spent a lot to get someone who may need to be closely monitored.
Jani Hakanpaa may or may not play in Toronto… ever. Toronto signed the hulking defenseman to a cheap two-year contract, but without any guarantee he’ll ever be cleared to play. There was talk his injuries were so bad that his career was over and reports were that no team was willing to take the risk. Toronto did.
Finally, Anthony Stolarz is a suitable backup. That said, he’s never played more than 28 games in any one NHL season. Based on the way Joseph Woll has failed to stay healthy, 28 games will be a minimum for Stolarz and there’s a question as to whether he can handle the load. The numbers suggest he can, but it’s not a guarantee.
All in all, the Leafs took approximately five-to-six big swings in free agency. They missed on some and hit on others. This is not to say that all of the Leafs’ free-agent signings are bad signings. Time will tell. However, Toronto spent a combined $10.5 million on three players who could serve them well in the short term but the jury is still out. Not only that, but there are questions about their effectiveness long-term. Meanwhile, the Leafs swung a missed on a difference-making right-shot d-man and a low-cost, short-term proven goal scorer.
As for what’s happening with the Core Four… everyone continues to wait.
