Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 10 Available NHL Free-Agents

By Stephen Nixon

May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) makes a save against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) makes a save against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 11
Next
Toronto Maple Leafs
Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov (81)  . Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 7: Dmitri Orlov

Talks between the Boston Bruins and Orlov have seemed to go sideways, so expect Orlov to be one of the best defenseman available on July 1st.

Toronto should be desperate for a top-two/top-four defenseman and Orlov would be someone who fits that mold perfectly.

During the Kyle Dubas era, Dubas loved his defenseman to bring the puck in and be great skaters. He preferred players who got the puck up the zone quick and weren’t stuck in their own defending, which is exactly the player Orlov is.

Who knows what Treliving is looking for now, but any GM in the league would take Orlov on their team. He has an offensive upside and is a previous Stanley Cup winning defenseman, which is never a bad thing to bring in.

He’s solid offensively, but defensively he’s just as good and would immediately jump into the Leafs line-up as one of their best defenseman.

With an ability to eat up a lot of minutes, Orlov should be high on Toronto’s to-sign list, as he would make this team better immediately.

He is also 31 years-old, so he is likely to decline during his next contract, and that contract is likely to carry a high cap-hit.  This might not be the most prudent move, but the Leafs are in win now mode, not win down the road mode.

Home/Editorials