Toronto Maple Leafs: The Top 3 Remaining UFAs at Every Position
By Jeff Borsuk
One week into NHL free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs have already made additions. Here are the top three remaining UFAs at every position.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have likely made their most significant moves of the offseason thus far. When free agency opened we had your exhaustive list of NHL UFAs. Dubas and the Leafs wasted no time plucking players from that large group of free agents. Now, one week later, that list is much smaller.
Here are the three best remaining UFAs left on the market for each position. All statistics and salary figures are from CapFriendly.
Top 3 Goaltenders
- Tuukka Rask
Age: 34
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 176 lbs
Handed: left
2020-21 AAV: $7 million
The Toronto Maple Leafs will forever be linked to Tuukka Rask. His 14-year career with the Boston Bruins comes at the expense of poor decision-making by the Leafs. Toronto drafted Rask in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and sent him to Boston. It was the worst trade the franchise has ever made.
Last season may have been Rask’s last in the NHL. He tore a labrum in his hip, which needed to be surgically repaired. The surgery, which took place last week, is expected to sideline the veteran goaltender until January or February. Rask might rehab his injuries and return to action mid-season or he may hang up his pads and call it a career.
2. Devan Dubnyk
Age: 35
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 224 lbs
Handed: left
2020-21 AAV: $4,333,333
Devan Dubnyk started last season with the San Jose Sharks. It didn’t go well. His record with the club was 3-9-2 with a .898 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against-average. At the trade deadline, Dubnyk was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche for a fifth round draft pick.
With the Avs, Dubnyk’s record improved. He started in five games, won three of them and lost two. His save percentage dipped slightly to .886 and his goals-against-average to 3.26.
3. Curtis McElhinney
Age: 38
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 204 lbs
Handed: left
2020-21 AAV: $1,300,000
Since Curtis McElhinney played for the Toronto Maple Leafs he has gone on to mind the nets of the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. At this point in his career, he may be contemplating retirement. Without any new news on McElhinney, one can only guess where his mind is at but at 38 years old, his NHL runway is almost through.