3 Players The Toronto Maple Leafs Must Sign This Summer
The NHL draft is less than a month away and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be adding to their prospect pool.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs add to their reserve list, they also will inevitably be taking away from it as there are three players who’s rights expire this off-season.
There are varying rules surrounding different agreements between the NHL and other leagues around the world. A general rule of thumb however is: If a player is drafted from the CHL, their NHL club owns their rights for two years.
If a player is drafted from College/Not CHL and most European leagues it’s four, but if it’s the KHL it’s indefinite.
That being said, according to CapFriendly.com, there are three players that the Toronto Maple Leafs must sign or they risk losing their rights.
This doesn’t mean that they cannot still sign them but they would become free agents available for all other 31 teams.
As of right now, the chances don’t look good but each individual case is it’s own so let’s take a look at all three.
3 Players The Toronto Maple Leafs Must Sign This Summer
Mike Koster
Koster was drafted in the fifth round, 146th overall in 2019.
Koster is an undersized puck moving defender listed at 5-10 and 181lbs.
He has spent the past four seasons with the University of Minnesota, serving as their captain this past year.
Things looked to be trending upward for Koster who amassed 29 points in 40 games in the 2022-23 season. However, his production dipped back down to 14 in 33 games this past season, much closer to his previous 12 and 14 through his first two seasons.
Of course, points aren’t everything especially not for defencemen but with his best asset being his puck-moving ability, he should be expected to produce more.
It was recently announced that the 23-year-old will play with the Gophers for a fifth season.
This means that Koster will not be turning pro with the Leafs, at least not this season. Next year, he will be 24 and will be an unrestricted free agent and could find himself fighting for a job, likely on a minor league contract.
For now, the Leafs own his rights until August 15th.
3 Players The Toronto Maple Leafs Must Sign This Summer
Veeti Miettinen
Miettinen announced in an instagram post that he would be turning pro following a four-year career at the NCAA’s St. Cloud State University. KalPa of the Finnish Liiga announced that Miettinen signed a two-year contract and it appears that he will not be signing an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.
However, they do still hold his NHL rights until August 15th and stranger things have happened.
When the Leafs drafted Miettinen (sixth round, 168th overall) in 2020, he was a prolific scorer in the Finnish junior ranks.
In the two seasons leading up to his draft, he scored 69 goals and 65 assists for 134 points in just 100 games at the U-20 level. He had also performed well on various international stages from the five-nations tournament to the Hlinka-Gretzky and U-18 worlds.
This along with multiple respected draft publications ranking him within the top-100 for the 2020 draft, made him look like a potential steal.
He has performed well in the past four seasons that followed with St. Cloud State of the NCAA. He lead the team in scoring in both his freshman and senior years with the program, being named to the NCAA’s NCHC all-rookie team and winning the NCHC rookie of the year honours.
St. Cloud also won the 2023 NCHC frozen faceoff championship with Miettinen scoring one goal and three assists through five games in the tournament, including a three-point game in the semi-final match. All-in-all he scored 118 points through 146 games throughout his NCAA career.
It has been speculated that Miettinen may not sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s unclear whether he is refusing to sign or the team has shown a lack of interest but we will likely get a clearer picture by August 15th, when his rights expire and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
3 Players The Toronto Maple Leafs Must Sign This Summer
Brandon Lisowsky
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Lisowsky in the seventh round, 218th overall in 2022.
He is an undersized winger at 5-9 and 179lbs.
He possesses interesting tools with a high motor and exceptional shot being his best assets as evidenced by three straight 30-plus goal seasons in the WHL including a 42 goal campaign this past year.
He has seen steady progression each season since his draft year, setting career highs in goals, assists, and points each of the past three seasons.
All together, he has scored 121 goals and 226 points through 227 WHL games. He has also played a pivotal role in the Saskatoon Blades’ playoff runs the past two years sitting fourth and third in team points, respectively.
Although Lisowsky may not have the pedigree or the production of a top prospect but his play warrants at least one of the organization’s fifty SPC (standard player contract) slots in my opinion.
However, with the deadline to sign being June 1st, the clock is ticking and if left unsigned, Lisowsky will re-enter the draft.
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The Leafs could also always sign him afterwards if left undrafted or sign him to a minor league contract if they prefer. Either way, Lisowsky should be signed but things don’t look optimistic as of right now.