No. 3: Gabriel Landeskog
Landeskog should be the Leafs number-one target right now to play in the top-six beside Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and/or William Nylander. The former second-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft is everything you want out of a top-six left winger.
Landeskog has some ties to the Toronto area, so playing for the Leafs wouldn’t be a huge culture shock. He played two years with the Kitchener Rangers and is currently married to a woman who he met while he played there.
When you’re a free agent, it’s always a family decision on where that player goes, so maybe his wife would have some influence in wanting to live closer to where she grew up. It could be a win-win for both parties if they did indeed want to move to Toronto.
Not only does Landeskog score at least 20 goals every year, but he plays with an edge and is a proven leader. He’s someone that every team in the NHL would want on their team and with a huge need at left-wing, the Leafs should do what they can to acquire him.
Landeskog would take this roster from being a fringe Stanley Cup contender to a Stanley Cup favorite if they were able to sign him.