4 Restricted Free Agents the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Sign
By Mike Jack
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to fill out their roster with valuable players on great deals. One method that worked for them last offseason was to sign restricted free agents that weren’t given qualifying offers by their previous team.
NHL teams have until July 11th to either sign their RFA’s or tender them a qualifying offer. If a qualifying offer isn’t given, the player will become an unrestricted free agent on July 13th.
Last offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Ondrej Kase, David Kampf, Nick Ritchie and Michael Amadio after they were left without qualifying offers from their previous NHL teams. Joseph Blandisi, Jack Kopacka and Marc Michaelis were signed to Toronto Marlies contracts and Evan Cormier was given a professional try-out at training camp.
The Toronto Maple Leafs also left a couple players unqualified last year: Nic Petan who sign with the Vancouver Canucks and Veini Vehvilainen who signed in Sweden.
Potential Unqualified RFA’s the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Sign
Players can be left unqualified for many reasons. Obviously, the team could just not see the player making their roster, but cap issues, the amount to qualify them or a general falling out could also be among the reasons. (Stats hockeyreference.com , cap info from CapFriendly)
Here are four players that I could see being left unqualified that the Toronto Maple Leaf might be able to sign to great deal: