Sonny Milano screams reclamation project on the Toronto Maple Leafs

While not a reclamation project in the typical Toronto Maple Leafs sense; the fact Sonny Milano still hasn’t been picked up suggests he’s spoiled goods. After all, here’s a player that has put up decent numbers with the Anaheim Ducks and surely can’t be expecting a hugely significant salary.

In fact, everything points to there being more than meets the eye here, but that is exactly why he might be the ideal player for the Toronto Maple Leafs to target. You only need look at the team’s willingness to bring Josh Ho-Sang onboard last summer to know that the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t shy away from players that might be deemed to have attitude issues; though there is nothing concrete to suggest this is the case with Milano.

The fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs is clear to see; here’s a player with speed and goal scoring as well as an ability to match it with high-skill players – the Trevor Zegras ‘Michigan’ goal is proof enough of that.

Sonny Milano Would Be A Good Fit With The Toronto Maple Leafs

Factor in that he is a left-winger and the team may soon have an opening that would be ideal for him in the top-six and could likely be accomplished with a contract below $2 million per season and what’s not to like.

Now eight seasons into his NHL career and having failed to impress John Tortorella during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Anaheim Ducks allowed him to go unqualified at $1.8 million despite clear chemistry on their second-line with the aforementioned Zegras.

As such, it’s on the Toronto Maple Leafs to swoop in and show that, with the right development staff around them, any player can adjust parts of their game. The prevailing concerns with Milano are his inability to play a true 200-foot game, rather than getting overly focused on offense; if this is the case, he’s not an ideal line-mate when you’re also sending William Nylander over the boards.

However, the analytical take on Milano (courtesy of JFresh) suggests that he is a lot more accomplished both defensively and in terms of playmaking than he might be given credit for, at least based on his last season with the Ducks.

Perhaps he is one of these players that has never quite had the right opportunities or perhaps even the right style of coaching to suit his style. The Toronto Maple Leafs are remarkable in their ability to improve small parts of players’ games, utilizing their financial muscle to build a development staff that is somewhat unmatched in scale across the league.

They could prove the perfect destination for Sonny Milano to find out if he can offer more in his game or whether he is indeed a one-trick pony that was boosted by a highly-skilled linemate last season. It might be worthwhile though for the Leafs to take the plunge.