No. 1: Ryan Getzlaf ($8.25M)
His contract is enormous but with a daily cap-hit of $71,121, his contract gets easier to acquire with every passing day.
Without going into the math of what it would take to acquire Getzlaf, let’s just talk about the player and what you’d be getting if he did in fact join the Leafs.
The 35-year-old has spent his entire career with the Anaheim Ducks and was fortunate to win a Stanley Cup with them in his second NHL season. Since then, he’s yet to return to the Stanley Cup Finals, but he’s been a beast in the playoffs, every time he’s made them.
Over his career, Getzlaf has 120 points in 125 playoff games (via: hockeydb.com). That experience and clutch ability to perform when the games get tough is such a hard attribute to find. With a handful of seasons left in his career, you’d have to think that he would love one more chance at a Stanley Cup before he retires, and that unfortunately isn’t happening with his Ducks anytime soon.
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, the Saskatchewan native plays big. He’s not afraid to fight and stick up for his teammates whenever it feels appropriate. He’s a natural leader and would be someone who could fit into the Leafs lineup as the third-line centre perfectly.
With only 13 points in 32 games this year, he hasn’t been an offensive threat, but Toronto wouldn’t be acquiring him for what he does in the regular season.
Instead, the team would be looking for him to provide some leadership in the dressing room and be a depth centre, who can score in the big moments. With Team Canada and Stanley Cup experience, Getzlaf is a player you want to go to War with and would make the Toronto Maple Leafs even bigger favorites to come out of the North Division this playoffs.