Toronto Maple Leafs: The Top 3 Remaining UFAs at Every Position
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.
Top 3 Forwards
1. Tomas Tatar
Age: 30
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 183 lbs
Position: Left wing / Right wing
2020-21 AAV: $5,300,000
Of all the UFA’s available, Tomas Tatar had the most points last season with 30. He is tied for the most goals with 10 and has the most assists with 20. He even has the best points per game average of 0.60.
Tatar only played in five games for the Montreal Canadiens in their improbable Stanley Cup Finals run. He was a healthy scratch for the majority of the contests. In the games he did play, Tatar didn’t look very sharp. That could hurt Tatar’s next contract but he should be able to get at least a $4MM AAV in his next deal.
2. Kyle Palmieri
Age: 30
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs
Position: Left wing / Right wing
2020-21 AAV: $4,650,000
At last season’s trade deadline, the New Jersey Devils ended Kyle Palmieri’s six year run with the franchise by moving him and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders for a package centered around a first-round draft pick.
The move to the Islanders was a good one for both Palmieri and the team. In his 19 playoff games, he scored seven goals and added two helpers. Palmieri was also a physical presence on the ice, adding needed energy into Barry Trotz and Jim Hiller’s lineup. While the Leafs would love to add Palmieri, he is currently out of their price range due to their cap restraints.
3. Alex Chiasson
Age: 30
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 208 lbs
Position: Right wing
2020-21 AAV: $2,150,000
Alex Chiasson is the sort of player who can add secondary scoring for his next team. He was a fixture on the Edmonton Oilers’ powerplay. His net-front presence is enough to cause opposing goalies havok.
It’s not all positive for Chiasson. His biggest issues come on the defensive end. He can be a liability at times, which should have teams cautious about how they deploy him. At this point in his career, he should be a useful bottom six winger.
Top 3 Defensemen
- Jason Demers
Age: 33
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 195 lbs
Shoots: Right
2020-21 AAV: $4,500,000
Teams are always looking for right shooting defensemen. With just this asset, Demers’ name will likely be spoken by most, if not all NHL GMs this offseason. He is a player that won’t put up impressive offensive numbers but he will help limit them in opposing players.
At 5-on-5, Demers was solid. He had a Corsi-for rating of 50.0, which was 1.2 percent better than his team. With those possession numbers, it’s no wonder why 55.2 percent of his starts came in the defensive zone.
2. Sami Vatanen
Age: 30
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 lbs
Shoots: Left
2020-21 AAV: $2,000,000
In the past, there have been calls for the Toronto Maple Leafs to add Sami Vatanen to the roster. That’s because Vatanen has shown that he can inject offense into a lineup from the backend. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case last season. Vatanen had just six points in 39 games last year playing for the Devils and Dallas Stars.
Vatanen’s drop off will surely hurt his wallet. There will be teams interested in adding the blueliner to help them on the right side and their powerplay but at a smaller ticket than he had last season.
3. Erik Gudbranson
Age: 29
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 217 lbs
Shoots: Right
2020-21 AAV: $4,000,000
There is great value in having a towering defender who can use their lumber to swipe pucks away and their physical stature to clear the front of their net. Erik Gudbranson can do that, which is why it’s surprising that the New York Rangers haven’t already signed him in their offseason strategy to conquer Tom Wilson. Expect Gudbranson to land with a club for a fraction of the money he earned last season.
Next. The Leafs Press Box Conundrum. dark
With the group of UFAs that currently remain unsigned, it appears as though Toronto won’t be looking at adding any of the big names. If they do dip into the pool, expect it to be for a depth piece and not much more.