Andrew Mangiapane, LW
Andrew Mangiapane might be the biggest bargain find in this years free agency class. He has found success throughout his career as a good middle-six winger. He is defensively responsible enough to play against tougher competition but has the playdriving ability to be a valuable asset. Throughout his career, he has averaged in the range of 40-50 points but this season struggled to produce with the Washington Capitals reaching only 28 points in 81 games.
This drop in production could lower his value in free agency and could make him an undervalued asset, willing to take a shorter term “prove it” kind of deal. Another thing favouring the Leafs is that he is a local product, growing up and playing his minor hockey in Toronto. He was also drafted by GM Brad Treliving and played under him for most of his career, which that relationship and trust could help in making the two sides come to terms.
If the Leafs can snag Mangiapane at a low, he could pay off in a big way. AFP Analytics projects his contract to be a two-year deal at around $3.8 million per season. This is a pay decrease for him and in the new cap world, would be around the salary expected for a third line player which is the value Mangiapane should bring at worst. So, the signing if at this number is likely to be a fair deal for both sides or could be a huge win for the blue and white.
Taylor Raddysh, RW
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been steering in a direction where it is clear they want the team to play bigger and meaner. This style fits both GM Treliving and head coach Craig Berube well, it would also fit free agent winger Taylor Raddysh well too. He may not be a big bruiser, destroying everything in his path but at 6-3 200lbs, he has the size to be an effective power winger up and down an NHL lineup.
He plays with good speed and pace, ranking in the 81st percentile in both top skating speed and speed bursts over 22mph (NHL Edge). This could help him fit the north-south forechecking system of Berube. He has consistently been a bottom-six contributor but in 2022-23, his scoring took off as he potted a career high 20 goals, 17 assists, for 37 points in 78 games(hockey-reference.com).
He has yet to recreate production to that level though, coming closest this past year with the Washington Capitals reacing 27 points in 80 games. This makes it hard to put too much stock into his season but with the Leafs likely losing Mitch Marner this off-season, the team will need to get creative and with Raddysh finding much of his success that season as a netfront guy on the man advantage, it could be a way to help create extra offense.
Similarly to Mangiapane, the good thing about Raddysh is that the team signing him can be confident that he can be a contributing bottom-six player at least. However, there could be some intrigue in him being more with his performance as a Blackhawk a few seasons ago. His projected contract is 3 years, $2.65M AAV according to AFP Analytics. This would be a fair contract and with the cap going up would make it look even better with age, but it can look even better if given the right opportunity.
Gustav Nyquist, RW
The way I know that I am starting to get old is because I vividly remember hearing about Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar being the next generation to carry the Detroit Red Wings dynasty. Now over a decade later, that never came to fruition but Nyquist has put together a respectable career for himself as a second line winger and is now entering the twilight of his career. As he nears the end of his successful career, he may be wanting to chase a Stanley Cup which could land him right into the Maple Leafs lap.
Of course, the risk with signing a 35-year-old Nyquist is that he’s not the player he once was. Although two seasons ago he notched a career high 75 points (23 goals, 52 assists) in 81 games, he has never come close to those numbers before. As well his follow-up this past year, he nearly hit a career low in scoring with 11 goals, 17 assists, 28 points in 79 games. If the Leafs are signing Nyquist, they need to be sure he can bounce back.
Luckily, there are some indications that he may be better than his numbers last year indicate. The line of Forsberg-O'Reilly-Nyquist was the best line for the Predators performing at a 57.6% xGF rate (moneypuck.com). This alone gives me some confidence that he could perform well next to the Leafs stars on one of their top two lines. Although his speed is not what it once was, that did not seem to harm veteran winger Max Pacioretty last season who performed quite well when he played alongside John Tavares and William Nylander.
Assuming the Leafs brass does their homework and determines that last year was a bit of an outlier, then what the team could be getting is a top-nine forward capable of taking on an offensive role. His projected free agent contract is 2 years and $3.2 million AAV (AFP Analytics) which is a bit of a risk given a commitment beyond one year but could be a decent contract for both sides. However, depending on the market, Nyquist may be forced to take a one-year contract at this stage.