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Toronto Maple Leafs: Under the Radar Free Agent Targets

By Jordan Maresky

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 4: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas during interview with Bruce Arthur (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 4: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas during interview with Bruce Arthur (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 27: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 27, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Travis Hamonic

Continuing the trend of large, big body defensemen, Travis Hamonic certainly qualifies for the type of defensemen Leafsnation is calling on Dubas to add. (Though he almost certainly doesn’t agree).

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-shot defensemen from Manitoba, has been a mainstay on his teams’ blueline for years now. Consistently playing over 20 minutes a night, Hamonic is the perfect example of a ‘workhorse’.

The first thing analysts point to with regards to Hamonic’s play is his ability to match up against the oppositions’ best players and be an imposing and effective force from the back end.

Similar to the two players above, Hamonic also excels on the penalty kill, leading Calgary in short-handed ice time this past season and guiding them to a top-10 penalty kill percentage.

Plus, the Morgan Rielly fit could not be more perfect. Toronto has long searched for the right fit to play alongside their talented, puck-moving defensemen and Hamonic could be that guy.

The Athletic spoke with a scout back in March about Hamonic’s down year this season and he had this to say: “He’s still a good fit on a lot of teams, high compete,” said the pro scout. “If he was paired with a puck mover, it would be perfect.”

Evolving Hockey Contract Projection: $5,211,000 x 5 years

With such a tumultuous season this year in Calgary, it should be mentioned as the main factor in Hamonic’s struggles, leading many to believe he won’t land the lofty contract once projected for him.

It was a challenging year for the whole team and so, it is unfair to judge the righty on his play this season. Any team willing to sign Hamonic is hoping he can regain his 2018 – 19 form, where he smothered opposing offenses at even-strength and played at a net-positive rate at 5-on-5.

His down season could have come at a very opportunistic time for Toronto, as had Hamonic had a decent year, he may have priced himself out of Toronto’s budget. Now, most likely he will be forced into a lower AAV, short-team deal.

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