3 Veteran UFA Defenseman Toronto Maple Leafs Should Sign
The Toronto Maple Leafs top-four defensive unit is set, but their bottom pair is still in question right now.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Toronto Maple Leafs defense wasn’t their issue last year. A mixture of seven players played the majority of the season and they all played very well.
When Zach Bogosian was signed last offseason, many fans questioned it. After getting put on waivers by the Buffalo Sabres, then winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning a few months later, many people weren’t sure which Bogosian the Leafs were getting.
Fortunately, they got the guy who played depth minutes with the Lightning, as Bogosian was a steal last year at a $1M cap-hit.
Toronto needs to find another Bogosian this offseason. They need a depth player who is willing to take little money, who can provide valuable minutes on the third-pair. That’s easier said then done, but that should be one of the priorities for the Leafs this summer.
Toronto is still an important hockey market and somewhere players want to play, despite the little playoff success this team has shown. This team has continued to recruit such veterans as Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza, Patrick Marleau and Wayne Simmonds, and it feels like no player has ever said a bad thing about the organization or the core of this roster.
Every individual who dawns the blue-and-white falls in love with being a Maple Leaf and is extremely disappointed when the team doesn’t have the result many hoped. Hopefully the team can use that to their advantage, as they look to recruit another veteran this offseason.
Here are three veteran UFA defenseman that Toronto should target in the offseason.
No. 1: Zach Bogosian
It worked so well last year, so why not bring Zach Bogosian back for round two?
It’ll be very interesting to see what Bogosian is looking for as a UFA this year. Although they’re not the exact same type of player, I get a lot of Kevin Shattenkirk vibes when I think of Bogosian.
Shattenkirk had a big contract with the New York Rangers and then was bought-out by them, only to sign in Tampa Bay on a cheap contract and ultimately win a Stanley Cup with them. After that one year he signed a $3.9M contract in Anaheim and made back all of that lost money in New York.
Bogosian isn’t quite as skilled as Shattenkirk, but it wouldn’t be shocking if a contending team with a little bit of cap-space offered him between $2-3M for the next two-three years. That’s a lot of cash, but after seeing him do so well during the cup run in Tampa, then being a great leader and veteran presence in Toronto, on another contending team, he may be valued at a higher price point than we think.
If Bogosian enjoyed his time in Toronto and wants to run it back with the Leafs at a similar price point, the Leafs should sign him immediately. However, if he is looking for a higher priced contract, it may not work out.
Regardless, the Leafs should seriously consider re-signing Bogosian and keeping the same defensive group together next year, as they performed at a high-level last season.
No. 2: Jamie Oleksiak
In my opinion, Jamie Oleksiak should be one of the Toronto Maple Leafs biggest targets in free agency this offseason. Coming off a $2.13M cap-hit, if he’s willing to accept a contract at $3M or less, Toronto should sign him.
There are a number of reasons why Oleksiak would make a great fit on Toronto’s blue-line. First and foremost, he’s from Toronto. As a result, the Leafs have a huge advantage over every other team in the NHL, at the fact, that he could finally play for his hometown team in front of friends and family.
Secondly, is his size. At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Oleksiak brings a size element that is so crucial to defensive success. As shown throughout the playoffs, Montreal was able to go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals because of their big defensive-group. Their top-defenseman were monsters and they were all difficult to play against.
Oleksiak would be a great piece on the penalty-kill and would fit in perfectly on the third-pair beside Rasmus Sandin or Travis Dermott
Although Sandin and Dermott are both left-handed shooting defenseman like Oleksiak, they’ve all played the right-side before and are comfortable doing so.
Based off his size alone, the Leafs should 100 percent target Oleksiak.
No. 3: Brandon Montour
The former second-round pick’s career hasn’t panned out as great as many thought it would, be in the right role, Montour is a very serviceable player.
During his junior career and time in the American Hockey League, Montour showed a ton of offensive upside. He looked like a powerplay specialist and was someone who produced at almost a point-per-game pace.
Montour was a consistent double-digit goal-scorer, so many hoped that would translate to the NHL level. During his 293-game career, Montour has yet to have a double-digit goal-scoring campaign, and his best statistical season came in 2017-18 when he had 32 total points.
Although he’s faced some injury concerns, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations from his early career.
Despite the offensive issues, I don’t think Montour’s NHL career is finished yet. On a cheap contract, as a third-pairing player, Montour could be successful again. If he was given a role on the second powerplay in Toronto, it may help get his confidence back and his offensive numbers could rise on a team that’s so skilled.
Montour grew up roughly 1.5 hours away from Toronto, so it’s safe to say that this was his hometown team growing up, so playing back near home could something that excites him.
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On a one-year $1M deal, Montour could be worth taking a flyer on this offseason.