James Tanner
I think the Leafs are really fortunate that Connor Brown is becoming an RFA this year and not next year because next year he’d probably cost a lot more. Brown has been successful everywhere he has played, he’s great with the puck and even better without it.
He is exactly what you look for in a complimentary player: does all the little things well and is helpful even when he doesn’t score. The bonus on a player like Brown is that he has a ton of upside and may end up being a star in his own right.
If I was the Leafs, I’d look to over-pay him slightly in dollars so that I could get his name on a long contract that has the chance to end up being very cheap. if you were to give him $3.5 or even $4 million over six year, I think you end up getting a huge deal once he hits his prime.
This is the type of gamble I think the Leafs should take, given that one day soon they are going to have to pay huge amounts of money to Matthews, Marner and Nylander.