As usual, the NHL offseason saw a carousel of player movement around the league. Often, it can be hard enough to keep track of the Leafs manoeuvres alone—see the Jani Hakanpaa situation—so the task of sorting through the rest of the league is not always easy. The month of October is hardly a time for any team to have stabilized, but perhaps therein lies some insight into what the Leafs did instead.
Did the Leafs make the right call in moving on from these players? Let’s check in on how some of last season’s Leafs are doing around the league.
Bertuzzi and Brodie
Though the two were not a package deal, the Chicago Blackhawks took advantage of their ample cap space to add veterans to the lineup. The Hawks do seem improved, and have the chance to hang around the wildcard race in the Western Conference if things break their way. There are more important players in the lineup, but both Tyler Bertuzzi and T.J. Brodie find themselves in significant roles.
Bertuzzi is on the Hawks second line, most often alongside Taylor Hall, and is on the top power play unit. With that said, Bertuzzi has started slow, with just four points in his first 13 games. Bertuzzi did start slow with the Leafs last season, so perhaps he will find his stride in the months ahead. The Hawks employ two other former Leafs in Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev. Still, Bertuzzi will need to be better to help the Hawks go anywhere this season.
Brodie, meanwhile, has been playing his weak side until recently, the third right defenceman behind Seth Jones and Connor Murphy. But last night, Brodie was a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks, who haven’t been impressed with the defenceman’s game so far. Chicago isn’t exactly cap-strapped, but having a $3.75M player scratched already is never ideal.
In all, while these players still have something to give, it is safe to say there were better uses for the cap dollars than Bertuzzi and Brodie.
Samsonov
The Vegas Golden Knights offer another episode of goaltender roulette, this time rolling the dice on Ilya Samsonov. The early returns have been promising, with Samsonov earning five starts to Adin Hill’s seven, going 3–1–1 to start the season with a .906 SV%. Of course, fans from Toronto and Washington will recall Samsonov’s mercurial consistency.
Naturally, the Knights help their bets with one of the strongest rosters in the league. If their goalies can get hot at the right time, the Knights are one of the foremost contenders. Samsonov has the talent to put together a stellar playoff round or two, but it is likely the Knights will have to trust their gut by working their tandem throughout the season.
The contract is a decent value for the Knights, but the uncertainty remains. With Anthony Stolarz playing quite well for the Leafs it is clear that GM Brad Treliving made the right choice in letting Samsonov walk. With that said, Vegas might be equally satisfied with their investment.
Lyubushkin
Twice a Leaf, Ilya Lyubushkin now finds himself on the Dallas Stars. Paired with either Thomas Harley—who should at least be in the conversation for Canada’s Four Nations roster—or Esa Lindell, Lyubushkin is playing a big role for a strong team. Lyubushkin is playing on the penalty kill as well.
As it does for fellow veteran Matt Dumba, the Stars lack of right-shot defencemen makes Lyubushkin a very important piece of the lineup. The Stars could move one of their left shots, namely Miro Heiskanen, to the right side, or trade for an upgrade at right defence. Either way, Lyubushkin will be a regular in this lineup.
Lyubushkin has a narrower skill set, a physical presence who can handle tough defensive situations. His possession stats have fluctuated consistently with the strength of his team. With Harley and Lindell as natural fits, Lyubushkin seems like a fantastic contract for the Stars.
The Leafs were able to add former Star Chris Tanev, splurging a bit to add a more well-rounded defensive specialist. Tanev is a bit older, but both contracts come with risk. For now, both teams should be quite happy with this pseudo-trade.
Edmundson
Another deadline acquisition from last season, Joel Edmundson now finds himself with the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are at an interesting crossroads, turning more and more to their youth in search of a better playoff fate. Edmundson is fitting in exactly as one would expect.
Much like with Lyubushkin and the Stars, Edmundson is a great fit with the Kings roster. With both Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke on the right side, Edmundson has two symbiotic options. Both are young, dynamic puck movers who appreciate Edmundson’s vastly different skill set.
With Drew Doughty injured, Edmundson is playing a bit further up the lineup. Edmundson is killing penalties as well. In all, Edmundson is a big part of the Kings blueline, a group that is every bit as strong as the Stars or Leafs defence groups. Alas, the Kings do have other issues in striving to become a better team overall, but Edmundson was a smart move for them.
Meanwhile, the Leafs stuck with a younger and cheaper option in Simon Benoit. Given the blueline that each is fitting into, it seems like the best option for all involved came to fruition. The Leafs were wise to spend cap space on higher calibre, more well-rounded players like Tanev of Oliver Ekman-Larsson than on Edmundson and Lyubushkin. The Kings join the Stars in finding good fits for the former Leafs.
Gregor
Leafs GM Brad Treliving always finds a way to work the PTO market, and last season it was Noah Gregor who turned a tryout into a contract. Now with the volatile Ottawa Senators, Gregor did at least enough to earn another NHL deal. For now, it seems to have been a great choice as the Sens represent a great opportunity for Gregor. Short on cap space and with thin forward depth, the Sens have a rare combination of opportunity and expectation.
Gregor has taken hold, finding himself up and down the lineup as the Sens try to navigate injuries. With two goals in his first 11 games, and 50 games away from 300 in his career, Gregor seems to have claimed a regular spot on a team aiming for a playoff spot in earnest. Currently on the third line, Gregor is getting a real look in an important role.
Though improvements to the Leafs forward group can be dreamed up, it would be a stretch to say that the Leafs regret letting Gregor walk. Once again, we see that players that the Leafs were right to move off of can still be assets in another context.
Lagesson
Perhaps a bit more obscure, William Lagesson played in 30 games for the Leafs last season. Unfortunately, Lagesson was claimed off waivers in-season. Fortunately, Lagesson would be able to set a new personal best for NHL games played in a season, adding 10 more with the Anaheim Ducks. Lagesson is not the biggest, most skilled, or most highly touted, but he has continued improving. He has been able to hold his own in his sporadic NHL appearances as well.
Now with the Detroit Red Wings, Lagesson is once again starting a season in the AHL. The Wings depth chart is a bit less settled, trading away fellow left shot Olli Mattaa, but in all likelihood Lagesson will remain an emergency option.
The Leafs probably do not regret Lagesson’s departure, despite his valiant efforts. Beyond Benoit, Marshall Rifai, Mikko Kokkonen, and even Dakota Mermis are at least capable of comparable performance.
Lajoie
Appearing in just seven games for the Leafs last season, Max Lajoie might be out of NHL consideration but for emergencies. Now with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken AHL affiliate, Lajoie does not have a clear path to an NHL role at this point.
Jones, Giordano, Klingberg
A trio of last season’s Leafs remain unsigned, and could be out of the league for good. John Klingberg is unlikely to play due to his hip injury. Giordano, the NHL’s oldest player for the past two seasons has had a fantastic career. There have been murmurs of teams considering his services, so a signing in the coming months is not yet impossible.
Most interesting of the group is Martin Jones, as goaltending has a much smaller pool to choose from. Dennis Hildeby might be able to survive another NHL start or two this season, but what is best for him at this point is to get more regular action in the AHL. Matt Murray is an option, though between his injury history and that of Joseph Woll the Leafs could easily end up in a tough spot. Perhaps GM Brad Treliving still has Jones’ agent’s number. Injuries around the league might entice other teams until then. In terms of volume, the Leafs have the right amount of signed goalies already.
