Top 10 UFA Ontario Boys for the Toronto Maple Leafs
#10 Evan Rodrigues
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Age: 28
Position: Right Wing, Centre
Expiring Contract: $1 million AAV
Evan Rodriques was briefly a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he was traded to the team by the Pittsburgh Penguins with Filip Hallander, David Warsofsky and a 1st round pick (Rodion Amirov) for Kasperi Kapanen, Pontus Aberg and Jesper Lindgren in the summer of 2020.
However, Rodrigues signed back with the Pittsburgh Penguins that same summer as a UFA on a league minimum deal which make me believe that his loyalty is with the Penguins, and he is most likely hoping to re-sign in Pittsburgh. Rodrigues was also a UFA last offseason and re-signed with Pittsburgh on the first day of free agency. (some information from CapFriendly.com)
He really had a breakout year this season with 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games. He’s earned a raise for next season, and his status in Pittsburgh may depend on the Penguins priorities with big names like Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang scheduled to become UFA’s.
If Malkin or Letang sign elsewhere, the Penguins are very likely to keep Rodrigues. Even if they both stay, Rodrigues may remain a Penguin depending on Malkin and Letang’s deals. If he leaves Pittsburgh, the Toronto Maple Leafs may be a likely landing spot since the team seems interested in him after trading for him once prior.
On the Toronto Maple Leafs, Evan Rodrigues would be a welcomed addition to their bottom nine, but could even get a chance on their second line.
#9 P.K. Subban
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Age: 33
Position: Right Defense
Expiring Contract: $9 million AAV
P.K. Subban is a proud Toronto boy who has already had his big payday. Could he take a hometown discount to make a run at his first Stanley Cup with his local team?
He’s definitely not worth $9 million per season anymore, and he hasn’t been great since joining the New Jersey Devils three seasons ago, but at the right price, it might be worth taking a chance on the former Norris trophy winner and three-time Norris finalist.
I don’t think the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to throw a bunch of cash Subban’s way, but if he takes a giant cut to come home, the Leafs might get a great deal on a player who might just need a spark from a competitive team to bounce back.
Where Subban would fit on the Leafs blueline really depends on who returns to the team. I could see him on the third pairing playing a similar part as Zach Bogosian’s role a couple season’s ago. He could elevate his game on his new team though and earn more ice time.
It’s Subban’s first time being an unrestricted free agent, so it might be the first time we see where he really wants to play. At 33 years old, he’ll probably want to go to a contender before his cup chances are over. He’s also good friends with captain, John Tavares.
#8 Nick Paul
Born: Mississauga, Ontario
Age: 27
Position: Centre, Left Wing
Expiring Contract: $1.35 million AAV
If Jason Spezza can cross the Ontario battlefield as a former Ottawa Senator, so can Nick Paul. The Toronto Maple Leafs have seen what he can do in the playoffs. He scored twice in game seven of their first round series.
He’s been on fire since going to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline with five goals and 14 points in 21 regular season games. If he was signed by the Leafs, he could fit in on their second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. If not, he’s a great third line player.
The odds of his joining the Toronto Maple Leafs may not be great, but it really depends on how much salary space the Leafs can clear and how badly Nick Paul wants to play in front of his family and friends in Toronto. Paul was a Leafs fan growing up and attended games in Toronto with his childhood friend, Max Domi.
Nick Paul may be due a fair-sized payday after his recent success with the Lightning and the deeper they go, the more he could earn. I wouldn’t blame him for “taking the money” instead of a hometown discount since he’s only earned a total of approximately $4,481,466 over eight seasons.
#7 Reilly Smith
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Age: 31
Position: Winger
Expiring Contract: $5 million AAV
With the cap situation the Vegas Golden Knights are in, it’s very likely that Reilly Smith will find himself on a new team next season, but could that team be the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Smith missed the last 24 games of the regular season with a knee injury, so concerns about his health may bring his price down, but probably not down far enough for his price to fit into the Leafs budget.
Who knows though, maybe some big changes on the Toronto Maple Leafs will open up some cap space or maybe Smith really wants to play in Toronto.
Smith is a quality middle-six versatile winger though, and he’s sure to get quality offers from several teams.
#6 Max Domi
Born: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age: 27
Position: Left Wing, Centre
Expiring Contract: $5.3 million AAV
Alright, Max Domi wasn’t born in Ontario, but I’m breaking the rules and adding him to this list for obvious reasons. He wasn’t born in Toronto, but he’s still a Toronto boy as he grew up close to Leafs while his dad, Tie Domi, played for the team. The Toronto Maple Leafs were his favorite team as a kid.
It seems like there have been rumours about Max Domi joining the Leafs ever since his draft day, but this may be the first time in his career where Max Domi has a say in where he plays. Imagine witnessing the return of a #28 Domi jersey on the Toronto rink. Fans would lose it. (Sorry Joey Anderson, you’ll need a new number).
Domi would fit into a middle-six role with the Leafs. He had a slow start with the Carolina Hurricanes after being held back a bit offensively by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he’s been a dynamo in the playoffs so far.
Unfortunately for those of us dreaming about the return of the Domi legacy in Toronto, I don’t expect the two sides to get the money to work. If the Toronto Maple Leafs take a similar approach to free agency as last offseason, they’ll be looking for cheap deals and Max Domi still has enough youth and talent to demand more.
Last year, the most the Leafs spent on free agents was $3.8 million AAV on Petr Mrazek and $2.5 million AAV on Nick Ritchie (yikes! I don’t want to think about those contracts anymore). Domi will get offers that double what the Leafs are likely to spend on a forward.
#5 Calvin De Haan
Born: Carp, Ontario
Age: 31
Position: Defense
Expiring Contract: $4.55 million AAV
Calvin de Haan is a player I’d really like to see in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. He’s a great skating puck moving defenseman who hits and blocks a lot of shots. He plays both sides, and I could see him as a great defensive partner to back up Morgan Rielly.
He’s a former first round pick, but recently his abilities haven’t been able to shine through on a terrible Chicago Blackhawks team. As a result, his market value may have declined to the point where he ends up signing a team-friendly deal.
Carp, Ontario is just outside of Ottawa, so if he’s looking to play for his hometown, he may be more apt to play for the Senators. However, Toronto is definitely a more competitive team right now, and Ottawa is just a few hours away.
For Calvin De Haan to find a spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs, someone with salary would likely have to leave their defense core like Jake Muzzin (who has a no trade clause) or perhaps Justin Holl and another player.
#4 Ryan Strome
Born: Mississauga, Ontario
Age: 28
Position: Centre, Right Wing
Expiring Contract: $4.5 million AAV
With the New York Rangers signing Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad to big extensions for next season, re-signing Ryan Strome still isn’t impossible but very unlikely.
He’s proven to be a consistent producer with the Rangers and would earn a raise on the open market. Based on his age, skill and expiring contract, my guess is that Ryan Strome goes to the highest bidder if the Rangers can’t re-sign him.
There would have to be some big changes to the Toronto Maple Leafs current roster for them to accommodate Ryan Strome at full value, so seeing him in a Leafs jersey next season seems like an unlikely scenario. If he were on the Leafs, he’d fit somewhere in their middle six.
#3 Claude Giroux
Born: Hearst, Ontario
Age: 34
Position: Centre, Right Wing
Expiring Contract: $8.275 million AAV
Coming off an 8 year deal worth $8.275 million per season, Claude Giroux is slated to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
He’s made his money and at 34 years old, he’ll probably be looking to join a Stanley Cup contender while he can still contribute.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be Giroux’s first choice though.
His hometown of Hearst, Ontario is a French community 942 km north of Toronto. He grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan and any family in Hearst would still need to make a 10 hour drive to get to Toronto.
Giroux was also adamant on a trade to the Florida Panthers when he decided to waive his no-movement clause to accommodate a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers, the only NHL team he had ever played for.
That may show that he wants to go to a top team to win a cup. I could see him signing re-signing in Florida for cheap, or maybe Colorado, Carolina or Tampa Bay. I wouldn’t rule out Toronto, but I also wouldn’t bet money on him joining the Toronto Maple Leafs.
#2 Mason Marchment
Born: Uxbridge, Ontario.
Age: 27
Position: Wing
Expiring Contract: $800,000 AAV
Mason Marchment played four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs before being traded to the Florida Panthers for Denis Malgin in February 2020. His dad, Bryan Marchment, also played briefly for the Toronto Maple Leafs suiting up for 75 games during the 2003-04 season.
After only earning approximately $1,873,296 up tp this point in his NHL career, Mason Marchment will probably sign with the team willing to pay him the most. He should earn a raise from his $800k expiring contract, but how much?
Marchment had a breakout season this year with 18 goals and 47 points in 54 games. This 54 game single season achievement is a relatively small sample size though and his stats could have been padded by playing on an offensive juggernaut like the Panthers.
There may be a team out there willing to overpay him, but if the market on him is affordable, there is a reasonable chance he could return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He seemed to leave on good terms and spent parts of five seasons playing in Toronto with the Marlies.
Marchment could end up being the missing piece to the Toronto Maple Leafs second line or replace Ilya Mikheyev’s spot in the line-up if Mikheyev signs elsewhere.
Bryan Marchment is currently a scout and development coach with the San Jose Sharks, so there’s a good chance Mason Marchment could end up in San Jose as well.
#1 Nazem Kadri
Born: London, Ontario
Age: 31
Position: Centre
Expiring Contract: $4.5 million AAV
Nazem Kadri was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1st round (7th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
He was traded in July 2019 to the Colorado Avalanche with Calle Rosén and a 3rd round pick (Jean-Luc Foudy) for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a 6th round pick (Joe Miller).
Kadri may have been in the Toronto Maple Leafs doghouse after being suspended during the play-offs two years a row, but he is the best Ontario born UFA available this offseason.
Honestly, it’s very unlikely that Kadri will get a second chance in Toronto.
He’s had a career year on an already very cheap contract. He’s due a payday and has already had 10 seasons of playing in Toronto in front of family and friends.
I’m not sure if the Avalanche will be able to keep Kadri in Colorado, especially if they’re going to re-sign Darcy Kuemper, Valeri Nichushkin and/or André Burakovsky.
Next. 4 Outside the Box Trade Ideas For the Leafs. dark
I’m excited to see who the Toronto Maple Leafs will be able to add to their roster this offseason. In all likelihood they probably wont be adding any big names to the mix, but I personally get excited for any roster player that can be added at a good price.