Toronto Maple Leafs: Top Ten Remaining UFA’s (1-5)
By Tim Chiasson
5. Justin Fontaine
Age: 28
Position: Winger
Shoots: Right
Last Team/Cap Hit: Minnesota – $1.05M
Fontaine was a decent player for the Wild last season. He’s a depth guy that is going to bring you more shot suppression than generation, which is fine for someone patrolling the fourth line.
Even though he doesn’t generate much in the shot attempts for department, he capitalizes on the small relative chances he gets.
His 5v5 P60 was 1.45 last year, good enough to put him in between Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville on the Wild’s roster. He also managed a 1.07 primary points/60 at 5v5, which is another good number for a player giving you third/fourth line time.
He was trending up after his first two seasons before taking a step back in 2015-2016. There is offense in Fontaine that still may be extracted in the right situation. He had 55 and 56 points, respectively, in his two AHL seasons before joining the Wild in 2013-2014.
His step back is likely going to mean he takes a slight pay cut, which means he’s potentially going to be a bargain deal for someone looking for mature depth on the wing.
He’s a player that’s getting his start too late for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he could make a team very happy if they’re willing to take a chance.
Next: 4. Tomas Fleischmann