There is no question that the Toronto Maple Leafs' biggest offseason move was inking goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. As I’ve noted earlier, the move evoked memories of the 2002 summer when the Leafs brought in Ed Belfour to hold the crease.
But among the flurry of moves, there was one that flew under the radar. That was the signing of forward Brandon Duhaime.
John Chayka has caught quite a bit of flak for signing Duhaime, particularly to a three-year deal worth $7.8 million. Some fans have made it clear that the price tag was too high for a depth forward.
But Duhaime isn’t paid to score. He’s paid to be the sort of big brother the Maple Leafs didn’t have in their lineup last season.
Why is a Duhaime “big brother”?
Think back to the schoolyard. Smaller kids have a big brother they can call on to ward off bullies. That’s precisely what Duhaime brings to the table. He isn’t the sort of goonish character that Kyle Clifford or Ryan Reaves was. Duhaime can actually play hockey. He’s the sort of guy who would have instantly gone after Radko Gudas’ throat following the hit on Auston Matthews.
No, Duhaime isn’t going to turn into Matthews’ bodyguard. He’ll be around to keep other tough guys honest. But beyond his penchant for fisticuffs, Duhaime could actually benefit from playing with some of the more talented players in the Maple Leafs lineup. For instance, playing with a center like Colton Sissons could allow Duhaime to improve on last year’s totals.
Heck, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Duhaime hit double digits in goals and potentially hit 20 points again. That’s a bold prediction in and of itself. But Duhaime might just be the Maple Leafs biggest surprise next season.
Maple Leafs got Duhaime to help protect another valuable asset
One of the things opposing coaches will be looking at this upcoming season will be to manhandle Gavin McKenna. While the Maple Leafs’ first-overall pick isn’t exactly small, he isn’t the biggest guy in the world. So, you would think that opposing coaches would want to throw out some of the tougher guys on McKenna.
Enter Duhaime.
Duhaime isn’t going to necessarily hold McKenna’s hand on the ice. But Duhaime is a deterrent against other players looking to get cute. With 54 fights on his resume, Duhaime isn’t a guy you want to mess with.
Think about it. You take a run at McKenna, and there could be a couple of fists finding your face soon enough. In fact, it wouldn’t even be insane to see Duhaime on the same line with McKenna, at least for a while. Why wouldn’t you take the necessary precautions to protect a potential franchise cornerstone?
So, who knows? The Maple Leafs might just get more than they bargained for from Brandon Duhaime.
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