
Alexander Kerfoot
Acquired from the Colorado Avalanche via trade
Age: 24
A creative playmaker with great hands, Alexander Kerfoot has serious upside. Kyle Dubas was quick to mention the organization’s excitement about acquiring Alexander Kerfoot, despite public perception that Tyson Barrie was the centrepiece of the trade with the Colorado Avalanche.
Kerfoot scored 44 points/82 games in his first two seasons, despite only playing 14 minutes/game with the Avalanche. According to NHL.com, only one other player (Thomas Vanek) who plays 14 minutes or less per game over the past two seasons has matched Kerfoot’s point production.
While there is no guarantee that Kerfoot will play more minutes on a talent-saturated Leafs squad, his history is a strong indicator that he will be able to replicate his previous production even without top-6 minutes.
Kerfoot also dramatically improved his face-off percentage to 56.0% last season in just under 500 attempts, suggesting that he could effectively slot in as the 3rd line centre behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares. His skill also makes him a suitable candidate to play up the lineup in the event of injuries, where his scoring rates could soar.
There are very few things to dislike about Kerfoot’s game, but he is undersized at 5’10” and 175 pounds and lacks a physical element to his game, something the Leafs struggle with as a whole.
All things considered, Kerfoot provides a lot of positive value, especially considering his newly signed contract value of $3.5M/year for four years. With only two years of NHL experience under his belt, Kerfoot’s game should continue to grow.