5 Free Agents the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Sign

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be active when NHL Free Agency opens on July 13th despite what some may consider a limited budget.

Despite the recent trade for Matt Murray, their top priority is still likely to be goaltending.  Last season’s starter, Jack Campbell, seems to have priced himself off of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Erik Kallgren and Joseph Woll may be more suited for the Toronto Marlies at this point in their careers.

The next biggest need for the Leafs will be a few bottom-six forwards.  They may be looking to replace recently retired, Jason Spezza, they didn’t tender a qualifying offer to Ondrej Kase, and Ilya Mikheyev and Colin Blackwell look to be testing the unrestricted free agent market.

Capfriendly lists the Toronto Maple Leafs as having $$6,360,217 in projected cap space, but that number is slightly deceiving.  On one hand, Nick Robertson and Kyle Clifford may start on the Toronto Marlies and wont count towards the cap.

On the other hand, RFA’s Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall will likely be re-signed for more than their qualifying offers.  The Toronto Maple Leafs could also clear cap space by trading any number of their players including those often rumoured to be on the move like Jake Muzzin, Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl. (some stats moneypuck.com).

5 Free Agents the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Sign on July 13th

This is a list of the five players I would sign on day one of NHL free agency if I were in charge of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Obviously, this list is very subjective.

I’ve been able to fit all of these players onto the Toronto Maple Leafs roster while remaining cap compliant.  I’ve used projected signings based on an algorithmic chart from DobberHockey that has been very accurate in predicting signing salaries so far.

In this scenario, I’m assuming Sandin and Engvall both sign for $2 million each as that is their projected salary.  To make this work, I’m also going to say that Toronto starts with a 21 player roster and Wayne Simmonds is the odd man out, though Toronto may actually make another trade to free up some cap space.

Let’s start with a projected 4th line addition and then move up to some more meaningful players:

Sam Gagner

Current Team: Detroit Red Wings
Age: 32
2021-22 Stats: 81 Games, 13 Goals, 31 Points
Current Salary: $850,000
Projected Salary: $750,000
Role: 4th Line Forward

Signing Sam Gagner is a no-risk move for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He’s projected to make league minimum, so even if he were sent down to the Toronto Marlies, his salary wouldn’t count against the cap.

Gagner has a lot of ties to Toronto.  He was born in nearby London, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto.  He was loaned to the Toronto Marlies when he was sent down by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018, and his dad, Dave Gagner, played 28 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1996.

Sam Gagner can add some scoring to the bottom of the Leafs lineup and can move up to cover for injuries.  The fact that he once had an eight point game is enough of a reason to take a no-risk chance on him.

Jonathan Dahlén

Current Team:  San Jose Sharks
Age: 24
2021-22 Stats: 61 Games, 12 Goals, 22 Points
Current Salary: $750,000
Projected Salary: $750,000
Role: 4th Line Winger

Jonathan Dahlén had a decent rookie season last year.  He was a 2nd round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2016 but was signed as a free agent by the San Jose Sharks after scoring 25 goals and 71 points in 45 games in Sweden during the 2020-21 season.

As an RFA, Dahlén wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks making him one of the youngest UFA’s available this offseason.  He would be another no-risk contract and if he didn’t make the Leafs lineup out of camp, he could start on the Marlies.

Along with Gagner and Dahlen, I would sign two or three more no-risk forwards at around league minimum to battle for a spot at camp and act as potential injury insurance call-ups on the Marlies like Sam Steel, Cooper Marody, Ryan Donato, Tyler Ennis, Vinnie Hinostroza, Brian Boyle or Nick Merkley.

I’d try to sign one or two defensemen at around league minimum for the same purpose like Olli Maatta, Calvin de Haan, Kris Russell, Gabriel Carlsson or Sami Niku.

Brett Howden

Current Team:  Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 24
2021-22 Stats: 47 Games, 9 Goals, 20 Points
Current Salary: $885,000
Projected Salary: $750,000
Role: Bottom-Six Centre

Brett Howden was drafted in the first round (27th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016.  Like Jonathan Dahlén, he wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer as an RFA and is now another one of the youngest UFA’s available.

Howden has had some up and down seasons offensively, but last season was his best yet.  He has crafted a great defensive game however, and he’s another big (6’3) hard-working player that would fit perfectly onto the Toronto Maple Leafs third line.

In many ways, he would be an upgrade to David Kampf, and his youth and potential would benefit a great deal from Toronto’s excellent development team.

Eric Comrie

Current Team: Winnipeg Jets
Age: 26
2021-22 Stats: 10-5-1, 2.58 GAA, .920 SV%
Current Salary: $750,000
Projected Salary: $2 Million
Role: Back-up/Tandem Goalie

Toronto’s biggest need is in net and Eric Comrie could be their number one guy in the very near future.  He had the second best save percentage and goals against average last season of any pending UFA goaltender to play in at least 10 games.  The goalie barely ahead of him was Darcy Kuemper.

Eric Comrie would be wise to take an offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs.  He’d have the opportunity to compete for the starting job on an contender with the Leafs, and after Darcy Kuemper and Jack Campbell are signed, there may not be any other contenders looking for a goalie.

One stat that people have mentioned in regards to Matt Murray is Goals Saved Above Expected.  When you look at GSX per 60 for goalies who played at least 10 games last season, Matt Murray was ranked 18th in the NHL, Jack Campbell was was 37th, Petr Mrazek was 68th, Erik Kallgren was 60th and Eric Comrie was 2nd behind only Igor Shesterkin.

Comrie is still young for a regular NHL goaltender, and his stats last season are very similar to the stats that won Jack Campbell the starting job in Toronto two seasons ago.  Instead of signing Jack Campbell, the Leafs should sign the cheaper “next Jack Campbell” and that could very well be Eric Comrie.

As a Group 6 UFA, Eric Comrie could also become the next Michael Bunting who was also signed as a Group 6 UFA and became “the next Zach Hyman.”  Group 6 UFA’s are generally a bit younger than standard UFA’s and can usually be signed for less since their NHL sample sizes are smaller.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs miss out on signing Comrie, they could sign a veteran back-up like Jaroslav Halák for less.  They could also go with Joseph Woll and/or Erik Kallgren to start the season and reassess at the trade deadline.

The other option for the Toronto Maple Leafs would be to make a trade to acquire an affordable goaltender.  James Reimer at $2.25 million seems legit, but only if they can’t get Eric Comrie.

With the changes I’ve made the new Leafs roster would look something like this:

My Toronto Maple Leafs Roster

Here we go!  My totally compliant Toronto Maple Leafs roster:

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Howden-Chiasson
Dahlen-Kampf-Gagner

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Liljegren
Giordano-Sandin
Holl

Murray
Comrie

Hopefully some prospects like Nick Robertson and Nick Abruzzese will rise up at take a spot or two at some point in the season as well.

Whether or not this is an upgrade to where they started last season really depends on the goaltending.  Petr Mrazek was terrible.  Will Matt Murray bounce back? Jack Campbell was good, but Eric Comrie could become even better.

Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs started with Travis Dermott and this year they have Mark Giordano.  Jake Muzzin may take a step back, but Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren should take big steps forward.  I’d say the blueline is better to start the season.

Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase and Jason Spezza will be missed, but adding Howden, Chiasson, Gagner and Dahlen may not be bad either.  Honestly, I think it’s a toss-up.  If they sign a bunch of guys on cheap deals, they should find enough gems to improve.  It worked last year when they signed Michael Bunting, David Kampf and Ondrej Kase.

Again, this list is very subjective.  I’m not a professional NHL executive, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have plenty of those and whatever they do, I’m sure it’ll be better than my best guesses.  I can’t wait to see what happens.