10 Best Remaining NHL UFAs for the Toronto Maple Leafs
10 Best Remaining UFAs for the Toronto Maple Leafs:
10 – Pius Suter
The Toronto Maple Leafs should be interested in Pius Suter, the 27-year-old center and left-winger. He is coming off of a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings that had a $3.25 AAV.
Suter can be a menace around his opponent’s net, but his strongest suit is the ability to play on both ends of the ice. With the Leafs bringing on players who struggle with their defensive ability, someone like Suter, who can help secure his own end while also adding to team offense, would be of great use.
Last season with the Red Wing, Suter put together a 24-point campaign. It came on 79 games played with 14 goals and 10 assists. It’s fair to assume, that’s the level of output Suter will give again this coming season. He is best suited to be a bottom six forward but won’t look out of place for the odd shift or game if he’s needed to fill a gap in the top six.
While Suter is surely hoping to equal or better his former salary, it’s more likely that he’s going to have to accept a pay cut. What remains to be seen is whether he does so on a multi-year deal or if he chooses to bet on himself and take a one-year contract to try and raise his worth.
If Suter were to choose the latter, the Toronto Maple Leafs would be a good place for him to spend the year.
Even if the majority of his time is spent on one of the bottom lines, with Toronto’s top players receive the greatest amount of focus from their opposition’s best defenders, Suter should be able to find more open ice. Additionally, injuries are inevitable. The Swiss forward is versatile enough to move right into a role playing alongside the Leafs stars. That’s nearly a guaranteed way to improve offensive numbers.
9 – Phil Kessel
It would be incredible to bring Phil Kessel back to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He remains one of the best players to ever play for the organization and was even given a tip of the cap when the Leafs revealed their Top 100 players back in 2016. Kessel was listed as the organization’s 48th best of all-time.
There has been talk about the possibility of Kessel returning to Toronto. Much maligned and treated unfairly by the Toronto media, Kessel would be a hero to fans if he were to rejoin the Leafs.
While he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kessel’s skill and penchant for scoring were always on display. He spent six years with the franchise and was the team’s scoring leader every one of them.
Since leaving the Buds, Kessel has enjoyed far more team success. He was a part of two Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins teams. He also helped the Vegas Golden Knights capture their first title, by winning the Cup again this past season.
With the Knights, Kessel played a full compliment of 82 games where he notched 14 goals and 22 helps. It gave him a sum of 36 points, which was a big drop off from the previous year’s total of 52 points with the Arizona Coyotes. Perhaps, playing with the talent on the current Leafs team, Kessel’s offensive numbers could rise once again.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Kessel is overly interested in returning to the Big Smoke. The sniper has never given any indication that he would like to participate in a reunion and has appeared to be happy playing outside of Toronto.
8 – David Krejci
The expectation for David Krejci is that if he returns for another season it will be with the Boston Bruins.
However, there is no certainty of either of those things happening. For now, Krejci remains a UFA and available for the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign.
Krejci’s name is synonymous with the Boston Bruins and for good reason. He has played every one of his 1,032 NHL regular season games and 160 Stanley Cup Playoff games over 15 seasons for the Bruins.
The center would give the Toronto Maple Leafs depth at the position and add additional offense. This past season, Krejci played 70 games where he recorded 16 goals and 40 assists for a total of 56 points.
For his career, the Czech forward has 231 regular season goals and 555 assists for a sum of 786 regular season points. In the playoffs, Krejci has scored 43 career goals and 85 assists for 128 total NHL playoff points.
At age 37, Krejci can still demand a sizable contract. It would likely be one year in length. If he were to return on a cheap deal it would only be for the Bruins. While it isn’t ideal, if Treliving were to try and recruit Krejci, he would need to overpay to get him.
For that reason alone, Krejci is not a player worth chasing. While he would be a nice player to have in the mix, the Leafs are not in a position to waste any of their cap space.
7 – Jonathan Toews
In a different time, Jonathan Toews would be at the top of this list, pursued by every team in the NHL. At age 35, he’s nowhere near the player he once was. Unfortunately, his health and and fitness have been a struggle, which is believed to be primarily caused by long COVID-19.
There is question as to whether Toews will even return for another season in the NHL. According to Mark Spector, CAA agency, which represents Toews, sent out a list of pending free agents. Conspicuously, absent from that list was Toews’ name.
If the center from Winnipeg does choose to return to the game, the Toronto Maple Leafs should be interested. At worst, Toews could be the best fourth liner in the NHL. He’s a two-dimensional player with a wealth of experience.
The longtime Chicago center is a three-time Stanley Cup champion. He was the Conn Smythe Trophy in his first Cup victory in 2010. Toews has also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award. He’s a multi-time NHL all-star and has even had success on the international circuit.
Toews is the youngest athlete to ever join the Triple Gold Club after having won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship gold medal by age 22.
Last season, Toews played in 53 games. He managed to put up respectable numbers. The veteran collected 15 goals and 16 assists for a total of 31 points.
6 – Tomas Tatar
Tomas Tatar is one of the more interesting players on the free agent market. At age 32 and able to play on either wing, he is someone who has looked both dynamic and disinterested over the past two years.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Tatar signed a two-year pact with the New Jersey Devils worth $9M. In his first season, he wasn’t overly impressive. In 76 contests, the Slovakian managed to pot 15 goals and 15 assists. He then followed that up by returning to the player General Manager Tom Fitzgerald expected to see when he signed him. Tatar recorded 20 goals and 28 assists for a total of 48 points in 82 games.
Unfortunately, Tatar was invisible during the playoffs. When his team needed him the most, the winger was nowhere to be found. He scored just one goal over the 12 games he played in this past year’s playoffs. Where playoff success means everything, the Leafs should be very hesitant to consider bringing Tatar aboard.
A general manager will sign Tatar in hopes that his playoff woes don’t carry over to this year. It appears as though he will be available and interested in leaving New Jersey and heading to a new club. The hint comes from the forward’s behaviour during the Devils’ exit interviews after being eliminated from the playoffs. Tatar never showed up for his.
James Nichols tweeted, “Clarification on Tomas Tatar: He was here for exit interviews. He didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to leave before seeing media.” Chances are that a 12 year veteran of the NHL knows he is supposed to engage in his exit interviews and was also likely informed by the Devils as such. It is speculated that the reason for Tatar’s absence was that he knew he would not be returning for another year in New Jersey.
5 – Zach Parise
The Toronto Maple Leafs would love to have the back-to-back Bob Nystrom Award winner, Zach Parise. No need to panic if you’ve never heard of the honour. It’s a New York Islander specific award meant to recognize “an Islanders player that exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication”.
That is the sort of player the Leafs could use in their lineup. The 38-year-old, turning 39 later this month, is an 18-year veteran in the NHL and a former all-star. Though he’s never won it, he has received votes to be the league’s Hart Memorial Trophy winner.
Some may forget, but there was a time when Parise was a household name. In 2008-09, he had a superb season that saw the American score 45 goals and 49 assists for a total of 94 points in 82 games. While he was never able to match that total again, he has continued to be a contributor for his teams.
This past season, Parise played all 82 games for the Islanders, something he also did the year before. In the regular season, he tallied 21 goals and 13 assists. Much like Tatar, Parise didn’t continue his production in the playoffs. Though he was deployed for an average of 14:57 minutes per game, he failed to pick up even a single point in the six games he played.
That shouldn’t deter the Leafs from asking Parise’s representation about his willingness to sign in Toronto. Parise could be had on a very cheap deal and though he didn’t look great in this past post season, that hasn’t always been the case. For his career, Parise has played in 111 NHL playoff games where he has scored 37 goals and 43 helpers for a total of 80 points.
4 – Matt Dumba
Matt Dumba is by far the most prominent currently unsigned defensemen in the NHL. At age 28 and turning 29 later this month, he has and will continue to receive a great deal of interest from clubs across the league.
Dumba just completed a five-year contract with the Minnesota Wild that carried an average annual value of $6M. The Wild are the only NHL team that the 2012 seventh overall draft pick has ever known. This is the perfect opportunity for him to venture away and begin on a new path.
In Toronto, Dumba could quickly become a fan favourite. Fans will adore the blue liner’s fearless approach and endless energy. He would be an easy player the Leafs could market to fans and for them to rally behind.
Dumba is a player with some offensive upside who can skate and lay out his opponents with thundering hits. He can also blast the puck from the point, allowing him to quarterback his team’s powerplay.
It’s not all positives for Dumba, there are holes in his game. He did look inconsistent at times this past season. Offensively, he registered four goals and 10 assists in 79 contests, which was his lowest point total of his career (excluding the 13 games he played in 2013-14 where he had a goal and an assist).
Dumba was deployed more often in the defensive end. In fact, 53.9 – per cent of the face offs he participated in were in in the defensive zone. That’s because, unlike Klingberg, Dumba is able to protect his own end and make things difficult on opponents.
3 – Vladimir Tarasenko
There are many who would put Vladimir Tarasenko as the best available UFA in this group. They may be right. While, he comes in on this list in the third spot, that doesn’t take anything away from his ability to change a game in an instant.
Tarasenko’s instincts and skill are undeniable. He is a professional goal scorer, who if paired with the top players on the Toronto Maple Leafs would look even more dangerous.
The New York Rangers knew what they were doing when they built a package of forward Sammy Blais, defenseman Hunter Skinner, first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (used to select defenseman Theo Lindstein), and a fourth-round pick in 2024 to get Tarasenko as a rental from the St. Louis Blues.
The former Stanley Cup winner and all-star fit in nicely with the Rangers. They would be strong suitors to retain the services of the 31-year-old Russian. Combined between New York and St. Louis, Tarasenko recorded 50 points in 69 games. He did it on 18 goals and 32 assists.
What makes Tarasenko so sought after is his ability to score. He has a 40 goal season and has broken the 30 mark five additional times. With the right set of teammates, it’s fair to believe that the right-winger can do it again.
What may scare the Leafs away is the price tag attached to Tarasenko. He isn’t going to be cheap. He’s coming off of an eight-year deal that carried an annual cap hit of $7.5M.
2 – Patrice Bergeron
The Toronto Maple Leafs would benefit from embracing a villain and bringing him into the fold in Toronto.
Not only would it add to the organization’s odd collection of captains, but it would also improve the team’s chances for success. This would involve signing long-time member of the Bruins, Patrice Bergeron.
Bergeron is now 37 and will turn 38 later this July. His age shouldn’t be of great concern for Treliving as the center is coming off of an excellent season. In 78 contests, Bergeron scored 27 goals and 31 assists for a total of 58 points.
While it’s not his best season, which happened in 2018-19 where he recorded 32 goals and 46 assists for 79 points in 65 games, Bergeron has proven that he is still incredibly valuable.
Not only could the Bruins captain create offense, but he’s also one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. He’s also a veteran voice who can help uplift the locker room. It helps and gives Bergeron credibility that he has the experience of winning a Stanley Cup.
Bergeron has also collected a number of accolades over his NHL career. He has been named the Frank J. Selke Trophy winner six times. He’s won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the NHL Foundation Player Award, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award. He is even a member of the Triple Gold Club.
While it may sting at first to bring Bergeron to town, his presence on and off the ice would go a long way with the Maple Leafs.
1 – Patrick Kane
At age 34, Patrick Kane’s skill is still undeniable. He is also highly decorated.
Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning it with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015. During the 2013 run, Kane was unbelievable, which is what led him to win the Conn Smythe Trophy that year.
The American has even won the Hart Memorial Trophy the same year he was the Art Ross Trophy recipient.
Last season, Kane spent time with both Chicago and the New York Rangers. Between the two clubs, the right-winger played 73 games.
In those contests, he recorded 21 goals and 36 assists for a total of 57 points. For his career, Kane has played 1180 games where he collected 451 goals and 786, which gives him an astonishing 1237 points.
Kane remains one of the most skilled players in the NHL. He has a lot left to give and will be in high demand. It would be a great upgrade to the Toronto Maple Leafs for them to sign the future Hockey Hall of Fame player.
There is still a great deal of work to do for the Leafs. It’s still unclear what the makeup of this coming season’s lineup will be or if there are any trades on the horizon.
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Toronto Maple Leafs fans just need to remain patient and keep an eye on the free agent market to see whom Treliving plucks next for a deal with the Leafs.