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Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 UFA Centres Who Could Replace Alex Kerfoot

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - MAY 27: Alexander Kerfoot #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs heads up ice with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 27, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 27: Alexander Kerfoot #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs heads up ice with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 27, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Casey Cizikas #53 of the New York Islanders  . (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Casey Cizikas

It’ll be incredibly interesting to see what type of contract Cizikas is looking for on the open-market. He’s currently coming off a $3.35M deal and has been very effective during the contract, but he’s primarily a fourth-line player.

Although he’s arguably the best fourth-line player on the top fourth-line in all of hockey, that’s still a ton of money to provide someone who plays 13 minutes per night.

If Cizikas is looking for a raise, he probably wouldn’t work in Toronto. However, if he’s more concerned about financial security on a five or six year deal, both parties may be able to come to an agreement.

Cizikas had a breakout year in 2018-19 when he scored 20 goals, but that’s not the type of player you’d expect. Instead, he typically scores less than 10 goals per year, but is a huge contributor based on his size and physicality. He’s going to win more faceoffs than he loses and is going to be a reliable player defensively.

If the Leafs want Cizikas to join their team, they have something that the New York Islanders can’t offer and that’s a homecoming. Although New York has been home for him since 2011, Toronto is where he grew up and played his minor hockey.

Every kid from the Greater Toronto Area dreams of playing for the Leafs one day, so it’s quite possible that he’d be interested in a little bit of a pay-cut to have that opportunity. The Islanders may have made it to back-to-back Conference Championship’s but the thought of them doing that again seems pretty unrealistic, while Toronto seems like they have a better chance at doing so.

Also, it would be hilarious if the Toronto Maple Leafs stole away another beloved centre from the Islanders because they wanted to play for their hometown team…

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