Grading the Toronto Maple Leafs Most Notorious Canada Day Moves
2016: Signing a “Big Man”
It seems as if the Toronto Maple Leafs are always in need of size. That’s because most of the team’s resources are toward high-end skilled players. Those don’t tend to be big or physical players.
Youngsters Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander needed protection. To do that, general manager Lou Lamoriello signed hits leader Matt Martin to a four-year contract with a cap hit of $2.5 million.
I get it paying $2.5 million is a low cost when you’re trying to protect budding superstars. Martin’s presence had the opposition think twice before making a move on one of the rookies.
What made the bully more valuable, is his soft spot for his teammates off the ice. The locker room presence was visible, with Marner being the more obvious player to love Martin as a teammate.
While he wasn’t considered an offensive player by any means, the management wanted some offense from the guy. They weren’t expecting a 50-goal season, but 15 to 20 points in a season would be great. His six-foot four-inch frame could block off any goaltender’s eyesight.
Matt was expectedly underwhelming regarding putting up points, registering 21 points in 132 games. Ironically, his ’16-’17 season was the worst offensive season of his career. Eventually, the defensive play became an issue. Now, you’re paying someone $2.5 million per season only to hit and protect your young guns. That doesn’t fit when you need salary cap space.
After playing his entire career with the New York Islanders before signing in Toronto, Lou would put an Islanders jersey back on him. Ironically, Lou would do that as the new general manager in Long Island.
His young sidekick, Kyle Dubas, took it as an opportunity to do a favor and shed money at the same time. In return for the “goon,” the leafs acquired Eamon McAdam, which was Toronto dumping off Martin’s cap hit.
Going back to the signing, it didn’t provide that much to the team. The term and the money did not make sense initially and looked worse as the seasons went on. It couldn’t work, at least not in Toronto.
While the dollars were unfavorable, it wasn’t terrible. Thankfully, Dubas gave Lou the tough guy he loved. There wasn’t any return, but freeing up space was all that mattered.