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Who Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Pursue in Free Agency: Roundtable

By Wilbert Timmermans

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 3: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs steps onto the ice before the first period of the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 3, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 3: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs steps onto the ice before the first period of the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 3, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
SAN JOSE, CA – JANUARY 26: Auston Matthews #34 and John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs pose prior to the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center on January 26, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Dylan Murphy

In terms of the UFA’s the Toronto Maple Leafs have, Jason Spezza is the one I’d like to retain.

I like what Clifford brings to the table, but I don’t like the idea of losing a 2nd round pick for the sake of re-signing a 4th liner.

Spezza, on the other hand, is a great veteran presence and still a fairly versatile player at his age, so he gets my vote, as long as the cap hit stays low.

As for UFAs outside of the organization, the Leafs will not be able to sign any. Cap space is a premium this team does not have, they already have to sell low on a player or 2 (Johnsson for a draft pick for instance) just to reach cap compliance for the 2020-21 season.

Although, like many, I would love it if they found a way to bring Joe Thornton on board for what will likely be his final season. Another strong veteran presence who could bolster PP2, he could also fill in as a 3rd line centre on occasion if Keefe wanted to continue the “Kerfoot as a winger” experiment.

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