Toronto Maple Leafs: The Exhaustive List of NHL UFAs
By Jeff Borsuk
Antti Raanta
Antti Raanta is a 32-year-old backup goaltender who may be looking for a new home after four seasons with the Coyotes. Coming off an AAV of $4.25 million, his price tag will be far cheaper next season. Raanta took to the crease in just 12 games last season where he had a goals-against-average of 3.36 and a 0.905 save percentage.
Ian Cole
Ian Cole has been known as a shutdown defenseman since joining the NHL. At age 32, he’s still blocking shots and throwing hits better than most. That’s why after only a handful of games, Wild general manager Bill Guerin parted ways with Greg Pateryn and sent him to the Avalanche in exchange for Cole. The defenseman came as billed and became an important part of Minnesota’s blueline. In 52 games, Cole blocked an impressive 92 shots and dropped his shoulder for 34 hits. Expect Guerin to try to keep Cole.
David Savard
David Savard was a keen acquisition for the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline last season. Sending the right-shot defenseman to Tampa got the Blue Jackets a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. It was a deal that worked out great for both clubs as Columbus can continue to build for the future while Savard ended the season with Lord Stanley’s Mug above his head. At age 30, Savard showed that he can still be a top-four defender on his team.
Mathieu Perreault
Mathieu Perreault is a 33-year-old 5’10 center. At this stage in his career, he would still be an excellent addition to any team’s fourth line. Perreault competes hard, going after opponents with a full head of steam. With the Winnipeg Jets last season, he laid 84 hits while playing just 11:43 minutes of ice time in 54 games. He also had 19 points on 9 goals and 10 assists.
Nick Bonino
The 33-year-old center Nick Bonino earned a $4.1 million AAV last season with the Wild. Bonino is the sort of player that teams would like to have on their third line. Last season, Bonino registered 10 goals and 16 assists. Let’s not forget that Bonino can be an important voice inside a contender’s locker room, after having captured two Stanley Cups.