The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t make a huge splash during Day 1 of free agency, which means we could be in for a big signing on Day 2 or beyond.
After they traded for Matt Murray, the Toronto Maple Leafs reassured their goaltending position by signing Ilya Samsonov to a one-year deal at $1.8M.
In terms of value signings for the day, that has to be at the top of the list across the NHL. The 25-year-old is a former first-round draft pick and has all the potential in the world to be great. That’s still an incredibly young age for a netminder, so with the right guidance, he could be the starter by the end of the year.
The Leafs also signed Adam Gaudette and Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who will add depth to the organization and fight for minutes at the bottom of the lineup. I’d expect Aube-Kubel to have a better chance than Guadette, but at this point it’s anyone’s guess right now as to who will be competing for what jobs come September.
Besides that, the team didn’t make a huge impact.
They still need to sign Rasmus Sandin and when that happens, it’ll more than likely spark a trade for either Justin Holl, Jake Muzzin and/or Alex Kerfoot. It feels like the team needs to know whether or not Sandin will be with them next before they make a big splash, as Sandin’s contract is going to provide value, no matter what number he gets signed to.
Although there were a lot of big-name players signed on Day 1, here are the top five players that the Toronto Maple Leafs should target who are still available.