The Toronto Maple Leafs get linked to every single NHL player who becomes available.
Ironically, the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t need any of them.
Well, I suppose they could use the talents of Alex Pietrangelo, given that he’s a right-handed superstar defenseman who is most likely going to end up in the Hall of Fame.
I definitely understand the tendency to wish players like this would come to Toronto. I don’t even think the Leafs should risk signing such an expensive player at the age of 30, but I’ll still celebrate like mad if they get him. It ain’t my money.
But why every other player who becomes a UFA?
The Toronto Leafs and Every Single Player
Bobby Ryan? He was bought out yesterday, and Leafs twitter went nuts. I’m sorry but you don’t need a 34 year old offensive player who the stats say has made his team worse for years.
Radko Gudas? Sure, if you have a time machine. Otherwise, why bother?
Joe Thornton, every single year? Sure, he’s a great player, but he’s a hundred years old.
Wayne Simmonds? He’s been demonstrably bad for years, and players like him tend to age terribly, but he’s apparently the savoir of the Leafs, who, like, totally have to get way more grittier you guys. News Flash: its a good thing to be harder to play against, but not at the expense of making your team worse.
Today it was Trevor Lewis. He gets bought out, and I’ll give you three guesses to his most rumoured destination!
Sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs might even end up with one of these guys. It isn’t impossible. I just find it amusing that every single player who gets bought out is rumoured to come to Toronto, along with every single player on the trade block, and every single un-restricted free agent.
I mean, for the love of all things holy, there was even a Ron Hainsey rumour earlier in the year. Jeez!
I guess what I find most amusing about this situation is that the Leafs have actually been excellent at identifying and acquiring cheap talent over the last few years. lya Mikheyev, Alex Barabanov, Mikko Lehtonen, Kenny Agostino, Justin Holl, Pierre Engval and many others have all helped the Leafs as no-name additions for almost no money.
In the NHL there is hardly any difference between bottom of the lineup players, and you don’t need to pay the name-brand premium to get players like Trevor Lewis or Wayne Simmonds when you can just sign anyone at the league minimum and get the same performance.