With how many players have come and gone through the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in recent years, it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of former Leafs still on the free agent market.
Since it’s always fun to keep tabs and check in on what some of these players are up to, let’s recap some former Maple Leafs who are still free agents.
James van Riemsdyk
James van Riemsdyk was once a highly touted prospect who was a major part of Toronto’s offence in some challenging seasons. Originally drafted second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, JVR debuted in the NHL in 2009–10. He spent three seasons with the Flyers before being traded to Toronto.
Van Riemsdyk became one of the Maple Leafs top offensive players over the next five seasons, regularly hovering around 30 goals and 50-60 points. Notably, he scored the 20,000th goal in Maple Leafs history during his time there.
Although he was let go into free agency after the 2017–18 season, van Riemsdyk still had some solid hockey left in him. He returned to the Flyers and was a reliable source of 40 points per season, despite growing injury issues.
In the 2023–24 season, van Riemsdyk moved to the Boston Bruins, where he still put up 40 points. Despite his offence still being there, the appeal for a return to Toronto may have diminished after he was a part of yet another Stanley Cup Playoffs loss to the Bruins.
Tyson Barrie
Tyson Barrie‘s time in Toronto was, quite frankly, a bit of a disaster. He was originally brought in to help the offence from the blueline and the powerplay, but after just five points in his first 21 games, including an 18 game stretch with just one point, he quickly lost favour with the Maple Leafs fanbase and organization.
He did turn it around and ended the season with 39 points in 70 games, despite still struggling defensively.
That has been the common theme of Barrie’s career and what has held him back since being traded to the Nashville Predators. An effective contributor offensively, but not quite good enough defensively to retain a role in the lineup.
Mark Giordano
The longtime member of the Calgary Flames and more recently the Toronto Maple Leafs is still left unsigned as of the writing of this post.
Mark Giordano has had an impressive career, capped off with a Norris Trophy in 2019 when he had a career-best 74 points in 79 games. Giordano spent 15 seasons with the Flames after signing as an undrafted free agent, becoming one of the most beloved defenders in franchise history in the process.
He left Calgary after being selected by the Seattle Kraken in their expansion draft, but spent less than a full season there before being traded to Toronto.
Now 40 years old, Giordano had spent just over two seasons with the Maple Leafs and was left unsigned heading into the 2024 offseason.
Although Giordano is committed to playing a few more years himself, will any NHL teams bring him on? Or will the Leafs give him another contract closer to opening night?
Matt Martin
Remember those couple of seasons when Matt Martin interrupted his career with the New York Islanders to play with Toronto?
Back when the Leafs were still searching for physicality and toughness throughout the lineup, Martin came to Toronto as a free agent on a four-year contract.
The first year went well, he played all 82 games and had 123 penalty minutes. But by the middle of the second season, Martin had lost his position in the lineup and was traded back to New York shortly after the playoffs ended.
Now 35, Martin remains unsigned but with how Lou Lamoriello handles contracts, that doesn’t mean he won’t be back with the Islanders.
Travis Dermott
Travis Dermott joined the NHL as a highly touted prospect back in the 2015 NHL Draft in which he was taken 34th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dermott spent a few seasons developing in the OHL and AHL before making his debut mid-way through the 2017–18 season against the Vancouver Canucks.
Dermott was a regular part of the Maple Leafs defence for the next four seasons, but he never really developed into much more than a bottom-pairing defender. He maxed out at an average of 17 minutes of ice time per game and a career-high 17 points in his second NHL season.
He was ultimately passed on the depth chart by various other defence prospects and became expendable. Dermott was traded to the Canucks at the 2022 trade deadline.
After playing just 28 games in two seasons, Dermott was left unsigned and ended up playing last season with the Arizona Coyotes. He appeared in 50 games with the Coyotes, totalling seven points.
With his injury history and lack of progress in his game, Dermott may have trouble finding an NHL roster spot moving forward.
John Klingberg
John Klingberg is another offensive defender whose tenure in Toronto did not work out as planned. After a disastrous first few games, Klingberg became injured and spent most of the season recovering from hip surgery.
Klingberg was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars 131st overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He didn’t make his debut with the Stars until over four years later.
Once he made the NHL, however, Klingberg quickly made an impact. Over his eight years with the Stars, he was one of the better offensive defenders and powerplay quarterbacks in the league. He played 552 games in a Stars uniform, recording 374 points.
Unfortunately, in one of the bigger bag fumbles in recent NHL history, Klingberg and his agent turned down an eight-year extension with the Stars in the range of $7M per season in the search for more money.
Klingberg then signed for one year with the Anaheim Ducks for $7M. And then for one year with the Maple Leafs for $4.15M instead.
Coming off of a major hip injury that limited him to 14 games last season, it is likely his salary will go down even more if he gets an NHL contract for 2024–25.
Martin Jones
Martin Jones has had an interesting couple of seasons. After a promising start to his career as a starting goalie with the San Jose Sharks after backing up Jonathan Quick with the Los Angeles Kings for two seasons, he faltered a bit near the end of his time with the Sharks before eventually struggling in Philadelphia as well.
But then he experienced a bit of a resurgence with the Seattle Kraken as he came in as a saviour during the franchise’s sophomore season that saw the team make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Although his stat line was average, he helped the Kraken win games and he helped bridge the gap through some goalie issues in Seattle’s net.
The Kraken did not retain Jones so he went to Toronto. Where, wouldn’t you know it, he sort of filled the same role and was a bit of a saviour in net for the Maple Leafs while they battled goalie struggles and injuries mid-season.
He may have only played 22 games with an 11–8–1 record, again with a very average stat line, but he gave the Leafs a chance while their other goalies bounced back and got healthy.
It is unlikely he gets a late summer contract to return to Toronto, but there should be a team that needs a saviour in net and would look at Jones to provide that.
Would you bring back any of these former Leafs for another stint in Toronto? Drop a comment down below!
