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Top 10 Best UFA Signings in Toronto Maple Leafs History

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 15: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares #91 looks on against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on October 15, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 15: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares #91 looks on against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at the Scotiabank Arena on October 15, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 4: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Colorado Avalanche during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 4, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Avalanche defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 4: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Free Agency can make or break a season and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a long history of signings.

We went over the worst five UFA signings in team history, but for this experiment we’ll be going through the top 10 Toronto Maple Leafs UFA signings instead.

More often than not, that flashy free agent at the top of everybody’s list doesn’t work out as planned.

One, they’re overpaid because teams are desperate, and two, they just can’t live up to expectations for a seven or eight-year contract.

The best free agent signings are usually those that have short-term (1-3 years) and don’t break the bank.

Finding a player that’s an aging veteran on the cheap, or a young player who has lots to prove is where you find value and the Leafs know all about this.

Throughout Leafs history, there have been times where the Leafs find a diamond in the rough, but there’s also been times where they pay David Clarkson over $35 million for seven years.

You can’t throw away money anymore during free agency because every dollar is so important in a salary-cap world.

As we go through this list, you’ll see a ton of great signings in the late 1990s and early 2000s because there was no salary cap then and the Leafs had the capability of being big-spenders.

Let’s look at the top-10 best UFA signings in team history.

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