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Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs 2017 UFA Class

By Tim Chiasson

Feb 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Colin Greening (38) skates around the net with the puck as Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) pursues him at Air Canada Centre. The Flyers beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Colin Greening (38) skates around the net with the puck as Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) pursues him at Air Canada Centre. The Flyers beat the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be in a great position when the 2017 off-season rolls around, with seven players heading to the market – and not many worth re-signing.

The Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 UFA class features seven players with a total cap hit of $18.175M.

Of those seven players, only Matt Hunwick played a significant role, and didn’t do a very good job of it. Itès an off-season of freedom for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the only remaining poor contract left on the books afterward will be Joffrey Lupul – but only for another year.

So, is anyone worth re-signing?

Matt Hunwick

This should be a huge no. Hunwick was dreadful in the top pairing role he was given alongside Morgan Rielly, and he drug Rielly down for most of the season.

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The experiment of placing Hunwick in a larger role than the one he excelled in with the New York Rangers failed, and it shouldn’t be given another look. The Toronto Maple Leafs have enough defenders in the system to replace Hunwick.

Roman Polak

Polak is a bottom pairing production player with replacement level underlying numbers. He simply isn’t worth anything to the Toronto Maple Leafs as far as the actual game of hockey goes.

Polak’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs should finally come to an end after the 2016-2017 season when other defenders, ones who can actually play, are ready for a full-time role.

Stephane Robidas

Robidas isn’t playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs anymore, and his career is all but over.

Even if he doesn’t make it official after 2016-2017, his NHL career is going to end on July 1st when his contract expires.

Andrew Campbell

Campbell is a Toronto Marlies level player who can fill in for the Toronto Maple Leafs if the team bus crashes and all of the NHL defenders get injured.

That is about all Campbell is in the grand scheme of things for the organization. He can provide leadership at a lower level, but only until his spot needs to be filled by a player who need development ice-time.

Milan Michalek

Michalek was a money acquisition to lighten the load from the budget Senators in the Dion Phaneuf trade. There is zero chance he gets re-signed the Toronto Maple Leafs – and maybe zero chance by any team.

Brooks Laich

I’m sure Laich will surface with another organization looking for a fourth line veteran when he becomes a free agent, but there isn’t really a fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Laich was acquired so the Toronto Maple Leafs could get top value for Daniel Winnik from the Washington Capitals.

Colin Greening

Greening is the only 2017 UFA on the Toronto Maple Leafs that should be considered for a new contract – but only on a one year term.

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Greening is a good fourth line player who has good relative possession and shot suppression numbers. If the Toronto Maple Leafs want a cheap veteran who will never hurt them while he’s on the ice then they may want to just sign Greening again.

Greening’s departure will hopefully be because there are young players ready to come into the lineup, and not because they want another Matt Martin protecting the youth from the bench.

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