Remaining Free Agents Offer Intriguing Choices For Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs and the Still Available UFAs

Phil Kessel

The 34 year-old ex-Toronto Maple Leafs Franchise Player is not coming home.

While I personally would relish the chance to see one of my all-time favorite players back in the blue-and-white, there is simply too much baggage here.

Not only is there a past relationship fraught with hurt feelings and disappointment, but there is the Iron Man Streak.

Kessel, who ironically joined the Leafs while injured, has not missed a game since his first one for the Leafs.  He is second all-time and hoping to outlast Keith Yandle to become the NHL’s Cap Ripken Jr.

The Leafs aren’t signing a player they can’t scratch, since their whole thing right now is roster flexibility, which just means having enough NHL players on the roster, while also being able to promote prospects who deserve it.

Kessel certainly does not fit this plan.

PK Subban

He’s 33.  If he wanted to sign for the league minimum and play on the third pairing with Mark Giordano, I would like that very much, as long as Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren were in the top four.

But the Leafs current top-four includes Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl.

Oh and there is the fact they signed Benn and Mete.

There is no indication this could ever happen, and in fact there seems to be several major obstacles, but I’d still love to see Subban in Toronto.