Should The Toronto Maple Leafs Re-sign Any of Their Unrestricted Free Agents?
The Leafs notable UFAs include Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Ilya Samsonov. The Maple Leafs should look elsewhere unless they can sign them for less than market value.
Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs have hired a new head coach, their attention can turn to filling out the roster in preparation for the 2024-2025 season.
General Manager Brad Treliving and the Toronto maple Leafs are projected to have around $18.5 million in cap space for the start of free agency on July 1st.
The Leafs list of notable unrestricted free agents includes Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Ilya Samsonov. Defensemen Joel Edmundson, T.J. Brodie, Ilya Lyubushkin, Mark Giordano, and John Klingberg are UFAs. Goaltenders Martin Jones and Matt Murray are also scheduled to hit the UFA market.
Reports suggest the Leafs are in the early stages of talks with Domi and Bertuzzi about extending their stay in Toronto. If both players return, the deals would put a significant dent in the team's cap space.
Should The Toronto Maple Leafs Re-sign Any of Their Unrestricted Free Agents?
Domi and Bertuzzi have expressed their desire to return to the Leafs. Each is coming off a one-year deal and looking for long-term security.
That presents a problem. The Leafs have more pressing needs than signing forwards. The team's most glaring weaknesses are on the blue line and in goal. Signing Domi and Bertuzzi will use too much of their available cap space.
On top of that, the Leafs best prospects play forward. Left-winger Matthew Knies was one of the team's best forwards during the playoffs. Nick Robertson is ready for an increased role. Easton Cowan is coming off a dominant season with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. Fraser Minten looks like he can be an NHL regular.
The Leafs best course of action is supplementing their stars up front with their young prospects. Making a long-term commitment to Domi and Bertuzzi for market value would hinder the team's ability to improve their defense and goaltending.
Last year's combined salary of the two forwards was $8.5 million. Should their combined asking price for the coming season exceed that amount, the Leafs need to walk away.
What Are the Leafs Options at Forward?
Signing both Domi and Bertuzzi is unrealistic. It would be a foolish use of resources by Leafs management.
One possible option is to re-sign one and let the other leave. Domi has positional flexibility by playing both center and wing, however, he is one-dimensional. He is a defensive liability and doesn't kill penalties. He plays mostly on the second power-play unit, usually in thirty-second chunks.
Craig Berube's desire for a "North, fast and heavy team" gives Bertuzzi an inside track to re-upping with the Leafs. Bertuzzi brings a net-front presence, heaviness, and an attacking forechecking mindset that fits Berube's style.
Domi's scrappiness and love of Toronto are appealing, but his production and defensive limitations don't warrant paying him $4-5 million annually on a multi-year deal.
Should Bertuzzi be offered $6 million plus on the open market or want that from the Maple Leafs, it is too much unless it's over a shorter term.
It is not critical that the Leafs sign either of them. They have depth at forward and could add a free agent for less money and shorter term while addressing the defense and goaltending.
Leafs Defense and Goaltending Need Reinforcements
The Toronto Maple Leafs unrestricted defensemen are a collection of bottom-of-the-depth chart players. None are capable of filling a top-four role on a contending team.
Edmundson, if he were signed to a short-term, third-pairing salary with a $2 million AAV, holds some value for his size, physical play, and penalty-killing.
The Leafs would be better off aiming bigger on the free-agent market. Brandon Montour, Chris Tanev, or Sean Walker would help balance the left-right combinations of defense pairings.
Montour should be the Leafs number-one target in free agency if he doesn't re-sign with the Florida Panthers and hits the open market. He is a legitimate top-four, puck-moving defenseman who would augment the Maple Leafs star forwards.
The Leafs have no high-end defense prospects in their system. They need to focus on adding two outside free agents, a puck mover like Montour and a defensive type such as Tanev. Adding those players would give the Leafs a formidable blue line, joining Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Timothy Liljegren (should he be retained).
What About the Maple Leafs Goaltending?
The Leafs don't appear to have an interest in bringing back Samsonov. The unrestricted class of free-agent goaltenders is weak. There are no stars to be found. It's full of journeymen, and aging goalies.
Joseph Woll has shown he has what it takes to be the team's number-one goaltender. A major problem, however, is his injury history.
The Maple Leafs need insurance since Woll's career high in games played is just twenty-five, twenty-eight including playoffs.
Securing a goalie through a trade is a risky proposition. Mitch Marner for Juuse Saros is not a deal the Leafs should make. Besides, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome in completing a Marner trade.
You don't trade superstar skaters for goalies because goalies are too unpredictable. Barring injury, you know what you'll get out of Marner ever year. Goalies do not have this level of predictably, which is why you rarely see goalies fetch large trade packages.
The Leafs best option is to go with Woll and have two veterans to back him up. Free-agent Cam Talbot of the Los Angeles Kings is an option along with bringing back Jones in a third goalie role. Dennis Hildeby could get another season of development with the Toronto Marlies.
What Should The Leafs Do in Free Agency?
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to go hard at the best right-handed defensemen in free agency. Their young forwards like Robertson, Knies, and one of Cowan or Minten should play larger roles. A veteran, lower-cost free agent can also fill a spot.
If the price and terms are right a spot should be found for Bertuzzi, but not if it prohibits helping the defense.
The Leafs have to take some risks in goal with Woll's injury, and few options to be found in free agency or through trade.
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The best course of action is for the Toronto Maple Leafs to say goodbye to their current crop of free agents. Internal promotion on the forward units and signing outside free-agent defensemen is the way to go.