As Canada Day is fast approaching, fans from every team in the league are eager to see what their team will do. Free agency is an opportunity to improve your team before the start of the season.
Two teams that seem to have their work cut out for them are the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Dallas Stars. Dallas has been a powerhouse in the Western Conference for the last few years. However, after losing this season in the Western Conference Finals to the Edmonton Oilers, the Stars seem to be coming to the end of their championship window.
Trouble in Dallas
Since the end of the playoffs, the Stars have already re-signed Matt Duchene for four years at $4.5M per year. Also, they traded Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken, which makes you wonder about a guy like Mikael Granlund. With Mitch Marner reportedly not returning to Toronto, some fans are curious whether or not the Leafs will pursue Granlund.
The 33-year-old was traded to the Stars from the San Jose Sharks alongside former Leaf Cody Ceci. Granlund was in the final season of his four-year contract he originally signed with the Nashville Predators in 2021.
The Stars brought him in as a depth addition, but as we saw in the playoffs, he fit in very well on the first line, alongside two fellow Finns, Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz.
The Leafs have expressed interest in signing Granlund, according to Kristen Shilton of ESPN. Granlund had 66 points this past season with San Jose and Dallas playing in a total of 83 games.
What Granlund adds
Granlund is not the kind of player who will single-handedly turn your team around. He’s not a game breaker. However, he’s very consistent, and you know what you’ll get from him every night. Even though he didn’t necessarily light up the score sheet in the playoffs, some fans would argue Granlund was one of the Stars’ best players throughout the postseason.
Granlund is at a point in his career where this may be his last chance at a sizable contract. If Marner chooses to leave, that’s a lot of money off the Leafs’ payroll. If they do sign Granlund, it wouldn’t break the bank, and they’d be adding a good middle-six forward with a scoring touch. Stars GM Jim Nill referred to him as a “Swiss army knife” when the Stars first traded for him.
As Leafs fans are well aware, the Leafs are in desperate need of a big game player. I believe that Granlund could be the player who helps provide that spark. The Leafs this season have established more of a two-way play style, so he could be a good fit in Toronto under head coach Craig Berube.
During the playoffs for Dallas, Granlund got frequent playing time on the power play and the penalty kill.
Leafs Fit
If you’re a Leafs fan, you may want a Sam Bennett or Brad Marchand type of signing; however, getting those two might be a little bit far-fetched. Granlund would be a good alternative. He’ll be much cheaper, and likely more willing to come to Toronto.
Mikael Granlund is one of the most underrated players in the NHL. He brings consistency, experience, and elite hockey IQ. He’s the kind of player who won’t go silent during stretches of the season. He’s very versatile and can be effective on both sides of the ice.
Dallas gave up a first-round draft pick to get him, but it was worth it, given the way it turned out. He was one of the Stars’ most noticeable players throughout the playoffs despite the spotlight being on guys like Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson.
If I were Brad Treliving, I’d keep an eye on Mikael Granlund as a potential signing this summer.
Good player. I’d like to see the leafs match a run at him.