Top-10 Best NHL UFAs for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022-23

#10 – Josh Manson

It has become an annual tradition around the NHL trade deadline for Toronto Maple Leafs fans to voice their interest on social media for Dubas to acquire Josh Manson. At the risk of extinguishing social media fodder, instead of waiting until deep into 2023 to make a move for the depth defenseman, Toronto could sign Manson in the offseason.

After eight years with the Anaheim Ducks, Manson was picked up by the Colorado Avalanche a week before the trade deadline. Since the move, he has played primarily on his new club’s second pairing next to Jack Johnson. This season, between the Avalanche and Ducks, Manson has played 53 games and recorded 4 goals and 6 assists.

The rearguard is 30-years-old and shoots right. While he won’t add a great deal of offense, Manson brings valuable defense, making his team more difficult to score on. He is also not afraid to throw his six-foot-three, 218-pound frame around. This season, the Hinsdale, Illinois native has thrown 134 hits.

What may make Manson a more interesting free agent acquisition would be that he is likely to have a smaller cap hit next season. This year, he is earning a $4.1 million AAV. One can debate the value of a shutdown defenseman versus an offensive one, but at the right price, the Maple Leafs would want to absolutely want Manson’s services.