Instead of focusing on current UFA’s, the Toronto Maple Leafs should shift thier attention to trading for a 2023 UFA.
If you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you may feel dissapointed right now. The team hasn’t acquired a big-name free agent or made a huge splash via trade, but instead, the team has focused on value contracts, with potential upside.
Ilya Samsonov is a former first-round pick, who has struggled to become a starting goaltender in the NHL, but at $1.8M for one-year, he could be a diamond in the rough. Their other goaltender, Matt Murray, who they traded for in the offseason is another experiment.
Although Murray has two Stanley Cup rings, he hasn’t shown that type of winning pedigree in a few seasons, so many critics think he’s just a flash-in-the-pan. That may be true, but the Leafs are obviously banking on the fact that one of either Samsonov or Murray will be good enough to lead a championship team.
Calle Jarnkrok, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Adam Gaudette, Victor Mete and Jordie Benn are a few other offseason additions, but none of them jump off the page.
Jarnkrok will surprise many and probably score 20 goals on this club, but the other four are going to be fringe NHLers that provide depth and that doesn’t get people excited.
With the majority of the big-name 2022 UFA’s signed or unaffordable, Toronto should shift their focus to 2023. There are a number of players who have one-year left on their deals and are available.
As shown recently by the Matthew Tkachuk trade and even Johnny Gaudreau signing, anything is possible in this league and even the team least expected can acquire a big-name player.
Here are four players who the Toronto Maple Leafs should target in the trade-market who are pending UFA’s.