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Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Players to Replace Kyle Clifford

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO,ON - DECEMBER 19: Matt Martin #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Carolina Hurricanes during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes 8-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO,ON - DECEMBER 19: Matt Martin #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Carolina Hurricanes during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes 8-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: Evan Rodrigues #9 of the Pittsburgh Penguins . (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

#5. Evan Rodrigues

After bouncing between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins last season, Rodrigues was recently acquired in the Kasperi Kapanen trade. As a pending RFA, it’s quite possible that he walks, but by all accounts, it feels like Kyle Dubas wants to re-sign him.

Coming off a $2M contract, another deal like that would be too rich for the Leafs. Like every other player on this list, if he’s able to make $1M or less, that would be ideal for Toronto. Rodrigues has played 199 NHL games and is your typical depth forward, with similar qualities as Clifford.

Within those 199 games, he has 27 goals and 72 points, which isn’t amazing, but it’s good enough to be a fourth-line winger in the NHL. The one benefit that comes from bringing Rodrigues into the line-up is his defensive abilities. He’s above 50 percent in his career for Corsi percentage and Fenwick percentage, which is always positive.

By being positive in both categories, it means that his team is controlling the puck the majority of the time with him on the ice and they’re taking more shots than they’re allowing.

Similar to every player in the cap-world, it all comes down to money. If Rodrigues is willing to take $1M or less to play for his hometown team, then this would be a great depth signing.

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