Toronto Maple Leafs: The Exhaustive List of NHL UFAs

In most years, July 1 is the most entertaining day of the off- season for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. This year, it’s July 28. That’s because it marks the start of free agency where players’ previous contracts expire and they’re free to sign with new teams.

Once the window opens, the Toronto Maple Leafs already know that they are going to lose Zach Hyman to the Edmonton Oilers. They could see others depart but they may also be in a position to sign players off other teams’ rosters.

Here is your exhaustive list of the top 50 pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) in order of the cost of their expiring average annual value (AAV). All statistics from hockey-reference.com and all cap figures are from CapFriendly.

Alexander Ovechkin – signed

Alexander Ovechkin is now 35 years old and is still a megastar in the league. He is coming off a deal that paid him an AAV of $9,538,462. Even though he had a down year, Ovechkin was still able to sign a massive deal to remain with the Washington Washington Capitals. He locked up a five-year, $47.5M deal. Last season, Ovechkin played 45 games and scored 24 goals (the lowest of his NHL career) and added18 assists for a total of 42 points. For most players, this is an excellent season but not for Ovechkin. The Capitals hope he rebounds next season.

Ryan Getzlaf

Ryan Getzlaf is a 36-year-old center. He is an Anaheim Ducks legend, having only played for them in his NHL career. Getzlaf has been in the organization since they drafted him 19th overall in 2003. It would be strange to see him in any other jersey. Last season, while being paid an $8.25 million AAV, he dressed in 48 games and registered 5 goals and 12 assists.

When Ovechkin signed his contract extension on Tuesday, it made Getzlaf the highest AAV going into unrestricted free agency. Pierre LeBrun predicts he will find his way onto one of four teams.

Ryan Suter

Ryan Suter was bought out on July 13 by the Minnesota Wild. If they hadn’t done so, he would be on their team being paid a $7,538,462 AAV until the end of 2024-25. This opens the defenseman up to potentially join the Toronto Maple Leafs though it doesn’t seem like it’s an ideal fit for either party.

Zach Parise

Just like Suter, Zach Parise was also bought out by the Wild on July 13. The team shedding these big salary players means they can go shopping in free agency. For the players, they can now sign with a new club for as cheap as the league minimum. Parise will probably cost more than that but he could be a nice fit at the bottom of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup if he isn’t too expensive.

David Krejci

David Krejci has been an important part of the Boston Bruins success. He is a leader on the team and has been an important producing contributor. He is coming off an AAV of $7.25 million but will likely sign for far less. Expect him to remain with the Bruins next season.