The Toronto Maple Leafs will be entering the July 28th NHL free agency period looking for upgrades. They have one month to narrow down which players they plan on targeting.
Kyle Dubas and his staff need to fill holes on the left-wing, right-wing, goaltending, and defense. The largest area of concern is on the left side. Zach Hyman, Alex Galchenyuk, Nick Foligno could all likely be gone.
The team still has Ilya Mikheyev, Nick Robertson, and Pierre Engvall that can play on the left side, but an upgrade at the position would be ideal.
Toronto management also needs to figure out who will be the backup goaltender for Jack Campbell. and sign Morgan Rielly to an extension.
Left Wing Targets For The Toronto Maple Leafs
Blake Coleman
If the Toronto Maple Leafs can not bring back Hyman, they could look at signing Blake Coleman. Toronto could sign him for about the same amount as Hyman.
It is projected that Coleman is looking for a multi-year deal with an AAV between $4 million – $5 million. I don’t think the Leafs want to go higher than $5 million with Hyman, so if Hyman signs elsewhere for more than $5 million, Coleman is their second-best option. (all stats hockey-reference.com).
This season, Coleman had 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 55 games. He is currently with the Tampa Bay Lighting playing for the Stanley Cup in the finals against the Montreal Canadiens.
Coleman projection: 5 Years – $4.5 million AAV
Mattias Janmark
Mattias Janmark is not likely to ever play on Toronto’s top line but could be a good fit on the team’s second or third line. He can average 16-17 minutes a game and give you 20-30 points.
This season, Janmark scored 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 56 games split between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights. He also had eight points in 16 playoff games in Vegas’s recent playoff run to the semi-finals.
Janmark is a cheaper option as it is projected that he is seeking a new deal with an AAV worth $2 million – $3 million.
Janmark projection: 3 Years – $2.75 million AAV
Barclay Goodrow
If the Toronto Maple Leafs re-sign Hyman or find a suitable first-line replacement, Barclay Goodrow would still be a helpful addition. He is best suited for the third line and can give you 20-25 points a season while averaging 15 minutes a game.
The Leafs would benefit from his hard-hitting style and bulldog-like mentality. Goodrow had 20 points in 55 games this season for the Lightning while also dishing out 111 hits.
He currently only has two points in 13 playoff games as his team is about to battle for the Stanley Cup, but he has 44 hits in those 13 games and is playing his role perfectly. He is projected to be looking for $2 million – $3 million on a new deal.
Goodrow projection: 4 Years – $3 million AAV