How Will the Toronto Maple Leafs New Free Agent Signings Fit Into Their Lineup?
What will be the optimal strategy for the Maple Leafs to deploy their new recruits from free agency into the lineup?
The Toronto Maple Leafs were swift in their work when they made the bulk of their free agent signings on the very first day the market opened.
One by one, the Toronto Maple Leafs quickly rounded up their main needs heading into the 2024-25 NHL season, which included some defensive help, as well as solidifying their goalie tandem situation in the process.
In doing so, the Maple Leafs appear to be set for the upcoming season with perhaps still a few loose ends that needs to be tied up.
For the time being, with the new faces on the roster, where will they eventually fit into the Leafs lineup? Here, we will take a look at the most notable signings made by the Leafs in free agency thus far and what their potential roles could be on the team.
How Will the Toronto Maple Leafs New Free Agent Signings Fit Into Their Lineup?
Chris Tanev
Known perhaps as one of the best defensive defenseman in the league, the Leafs did well when they reeled in the big fish in Chris Tanev.
He may not hurt the opposing team that much on the scoreboard as he has only tallied a total of 33 goals and 157 assists in 792 career games in the NHL.
But Tanev can certainly do practically everything else to help the team win, whether it be killing penalties, blocking shots, checking and hitting players, and clearing bodies from the front of the net for his goalie.
In terms of his role, the Leafs may have finally found the perfect top-pairing partner for Morgan Rielly after searching hard for almost the past decade.
With Tanev being one of the top defenders in the game, he will likely draw the opposing teams’ top lines with respect to his assignments.
He will also be the key leader on the Leafs top penalty kill unit, along with potentially forming an occasional elite shutdown unit with Jake McCabe to help close out games. But in reality, no matter where he plays, the Maple Leafs can expect superb defense at its best whenever Tanev takes the ice.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Perhaps one of the top offensive defenseman in the league back in his prime, Oliver Ekman-Larsson showed last season that he can still get it done when given the right assignments.
Gone are the days in which he was a top-pairing defenseman, but Ekman-Larsson can certainly still hold his own quite well on the second or third pairing.
As a former 20+ goal scorer and 40+ point-getter, Ekman-Larsson was rejuvenated last season on an upstart Florida Panthers team, albeit on the 3rd pairing.
He registered 9 goals and 23 assists for 32 points, which was his best output since back in the 2018-19 season. He also played a key role in helping the Panthers capture their first ever Stanley Cup by adding another 6 points in 24 playoff games, along with playing some solid defense along the way.
Ekman-Larsson will likely be paired with Timothy Liljegren to help further develop and mentor the young 25-year-old.
It is also possible that he could see some time with McCabe and Simon Benoit along the way when Leafs head coach Craig Berube wants to lean on his veterans for some tough minutes. In terms of special teams, Ekman-Larsson will likely man the second power play unit, with Rielly likely keeping hold of the first unit for now.
But don’t be surprised that Ekman-Larssom could usurp Rielly if he can prove his shot could make the top unit that much more dangerous. However, he will be shielded from taking upon any penalty kill minutes with other stronger defensive options on the team.
Anthony Stolarz
Perhaps one of the more underrated goaltenders in the NHL, Anthony Stolarz had flown under-the-radar for many NHL seasons due to the fact they he had played for many struggling teams.
When he finally got the opportunity to play for a real team like the Panthers in 2023-24, Stolarz showed exactly what he could bring to a strong contender.
Last season, Stolarz posted a stellar 16-7-2 record with an impressive 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage with the Cup-winning Florida team.
For his career, he has still somehow managed to maintain a solid 2.69 GAA and .914 save percentage despite being on some poor teams. He kind of reminds everyone of Linus Ullmark, who still performed well while playing for the lowly Buffalo Sabres, but rose to elite levels once with a stronger team like Boston.
So if Stolarz can become anything close to what Ullmark has transformed into, the Leafs could have a gem in their hands. (All stats from hockey-reference.com)
Stolarz will likely be the backup to Joseph Woll to start the 2024-25 season.
However, if he manages to finally breakout given that he will get more playing time with the Leafs, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Woll-Stolarz tandem converts into a 1A and 1B goalie option system instead.
Jani Hakanpaa
The signing of Jani Hakanpaa was actually more a shocking move by the Leafs, given that some have already pegged that his injury to his knee last season may ultimately affect his playing status going forward.
However, if Hakanpaa somehow manages to regain his health, he will likely play ahead of Simon Benoit on the 3rd pairing.
With his strong physical presence, the ability to average more than 100 blocks and 200 hits a season, along with averaging close to 19 minutes of ice time per night, Hakanpaa certainly has the ability to be a true difference maker for the Maple Leafs.
On top of that, with his size and positioning, he should be a tantalizing force to significantly boost the Leafs penalty kill, which had struggled for much of last season.
Added to the fact that he is right-handed shot, he would be the perfect complement to the left-handed heavy defensive corps of the Maple Leafs.
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But the main question now is, will Hakanpaa be healthy enough to play and make the signing official? Otherwise, all of this talk and hype for the bruising defenseman could be all for not in the end.