#5. Frederik Gauthier (2019-20 Salary: $700K)
I’ve talked about Freddie “The Goat” in the past, asking myself if the Leafs could actually bring him back? Many people thought this could be a good depth piece, while others said it’s time to move on.
I’m in the camp that thinks he still has something to prove and can be a good piece within the organization. After seven years, we know who this player is and know he’s probably not going to change. However, he can still be a fourth-line player in the NHL. Maybe not on the Leafs every night, but he can work his way towards that.
Within this pandemic world, teams are trying to spend less, so a player like Gauthier may not be able to find his NHL dream this season. For the meantime, “The Goat” should return to a place he’s familiar with and sign a two-way NHL minimum salary with the Leafs.
It’s all about depth and there’s nothing wrong with having another centre you can trust. If an injury occurs or a player has to quarantine due to Covid-19, Gauthier can step in and fill that void. He’s not someone you’d sign to play every night, but could an effective taxi-squad player and jump into the lineup when called upon.