After a busy couple of days, including the 2024 NHL Draft, re-signing some key players, and trading for Chris Tanev’s rights, the Toronto Maple Leafs offseason needs have become much clearer.
There are still plenty of rumours flying around, but after re-signing Max Domi, the forward group looks mostly set, apart from maybe a depth signing or two when free agency hits later today.
Timothy Liljegren is signed for the next two seasons, but it feels like he could still be moved. Tanev should be a Leaf for apparently longer than anyone expected, which means Toronto only needs to fill one more spot on the blueline, assuming Liljegren plays.
And in net, it’s Joseph Woll and no one. A 1B or backup will need to be signed to stabilize the crease, hopefully more than it’s been for the past few seasons.
After all the re-signings and rumoured deal with Tanev, the Leafs have about $7M to play with. They’ll need to spend wisely, as filling three to five roster spots with just $7M isn’t easy.
We already looked at free-agent options for forwards, defenceman, and goalies, but now that names are off the board and money has been spent, it’s time to update the lists.
Let’s take a look at what to expect, and some targets, still available, that the Leafs should pursue.
Forward options
Starting with forwards, don’t expect any type of big swing from Treliving. The Leafs have 11 forwards under contract, and Connor Dewar and Nicholas Robertson (who we won’t count as he’s requested a trade) as RFA’s. Assuming Dewar signs, the Leafs have a formidable forward group without adding anyone.
Losing Tyler Bertuzzi will sting a bit, but Treliving knows the Leafs biggest needs are not up front, and is willing to let Bertuzzi go to help the blueline.
That being said, there are still some cheap options out there that would be upgrades on the third and fourth lines. And there’s always a possibility of a big name taking a hometown discount.
With the rumoured departure of Tyler Bertuzzi, Noesen seems like a logical option to come in and try to fill that void.
He crashes the net, much like Bertuzzi, scoring 13 and 14 goals for the Carolina Hurricanes in the last two seasons, getting second-unit power play opportunities while playing a strong, physical game Brad Treliving covets.
Noesen seems like a very typical Treliving third liner, able to throw the body around, be a bit of a pest, and score goals.
Zucker was dealt to the Nashville Predators at last year’s trade deadline and was great for the Predators as they went on their magical run to make the playoffs, where he scored three points in six games.
He plays with a ton of physicality, and while his best point-producing days are behind him, he would easily be an asset in the Leafs middle six. With Bertuzzi gone, there is a hole at the wing on the second line, and Zucker may be a fit.
The price tag may be too high for Zucker, but he’s the type of player Treliving should be looking into come free agency.
It may be a pipe dream, but after negotiations fell through between Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning, there’s a (tiny) chance Stamkos may want to come home for a huge discount.
Treliving won’t want to spend over $3M on a forward, but an exception could be made for a guy who just scored 40 goals and 81 points.
It would be a massive get for Treliving, and would change the outlook of the team completely. Odds are another team will offer Stamkos a boatload of cash, but never say never.
Finding the right defenceman
Assuming Tanev is a Leaf, the team really just has one spot to fill, another top-four RD.
The left side of Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, and Simon Benoit is solid, and Tanev and Liljegren form two-thirds of a good right side. Finding the middle guy is the hard part.
The market for defencemen is riper than the forwards, but their cap hits will also be higher. Contracts like Sean Durzi’s make it seem like the Leafs may have to settle for a less established option as their sixth defenceman.
Either way, Treliving could still land a big fish defenceman if he wants to allocate the rest of his cap space on the blueline.
Roy would easily be the best get for Toronto, and would give them the best defence core we’ve seen in years.
One of the best defensive defencemen in the game, Roy would create an absolutely shutdown right side with Tanev.
He can also move the puck, just like Tanev, and is fantastic at avoiding forecheckers and starting breakouts. His price will likely be too much, but if Treliving is willing to punt on another forward, it’s a worthy gamble. Roy is that good.
A lot more affordable, Desharnais would help improve a penalty kill that was dreadful last season, and is basically Treliving’s dream defenceman with his size and physicality.
He won’t move the puck or defend as well as Roy, but Desharnais is a late bloomer who may still have room to grow. He looks to be on his way out of Edmonton, and would help improve a lot of the Leafs weaknesses.
The appeal with Lyubushkin is his chemistry with Morgan Rielly. If the pair is really as solid as they looked last season, that gives new head coach Craig Berube a load of options when it comes to deepening the blueline.
Instead of throwing Tanev with Rielly, he could be paired with McCabe to form a great shutdown pair.
If Liljegren and McCabe find something, Benoit could be moved to Tanev’s left and reap the same rewards.
We know what Lyubushkin is, he’s not going to move the puck much or score, but for some reason him and Rielly work. Maybe Treliving sees that as valuable.
Is it Joseph Woll’s net?
According to recent reports, Woll is set to get a pretty hefty raise soon. If that’s the case, and the organization sees him as the bonafide starter, it changes the outlook of free agency. There aren’t many great options, though, so maybe the plan doesn’t change too much.
Treliving’s goal in net is to find stability. Woll can’t be counted on to play 50+ games, so finding a good tandem partner who can play a lot is key.
The problem is, there just aren’t many guys in free agency who fit this mould.
Brossoit is number one on a lot of people’s boards, and for good reason. He put up amazing numbers backing up Connor Hellebuyck last season and has a solid history of good play.
He’s never played more than 24 games in a season, though.
Brossoit has always been a backup, which doesn’t exactly give one confidence he’d be able to step in if Woll ends up hurt. He did play 23 games last year, so something like a 52/30 split seems doable for him, but like mentioned previously, Woll can’t be counted on that much.
Even with these concerns, if Treliving believes in the ability, Brossoit should be target number one. His play has been just as good as any other free agent netminder, and while he carries a risk, he’s the safest bet to play well.
If Treliving wants someone who has a proven track record of playing more than Brossoit, Kahkonen could be his guy.
He’s had a very inconsistent career, with a career .899 SV% and a couple horrid seasons, but has played up to 37 games in a year and played exceptionally well after being dealt to the New Jersey Devils late last year.
Kahkonen looked like a solid young goalie when he came up with the Minnesota Wild, and at 27, could find that form again. He likely won’t be paid much considering how rough his last two years were, but could be a good bet on upside from Treliving if Brossoit ends up elsewhere.
There aren’t many holes to fill
Realistically, the Leafs won’t be super busy in free agency, and that’s okay.
Other than a top-four RD, there really aren’t many glaring needs on the roster that can’t be filled with solid depth guys.
The blueline has been the priority, but with Tanev now in the fold, the Leafs look deeper than they have in a long time. Whether any of these guys end up Leafs remains to be seen, but the archetypes are clear.
Treliving has had a very creative start to the offseason, so it’ll be fascinating to see what he has up his sleeve today.
