Assuming the Leafs don't bring back Ryan O'Reilly, there are 3 UFAs they should absolutely take a run at in free agency
With free agency just a few short weeks away now, we're approaching the point where the Leafs will begin setting their priorities for who to keep and who to let go. There's no doubt that Brad Treliving has already reached out to a number of the team's pending UFAs and RFAs in an attempt to take their temperature in terms of what they're looking for, money-wise. One player whom I think we are all curious about is Ryan O'Reilly.
O'Reilly's comments on locker cleanout day were not those of a player who seemed intent on coming back. He admitted that he needed some time to consider his options and speak with his family before committing to a decision one way or another. It's understandable for a player who had played in St. Louis for so long and who won a Cup with the organization in 2019. If he does indeed depart as a free agent, the Leafs will have a number of options available to them in free agency. Two of the top options are to spend on a top-6 forward or invest on the blueline. With nearly $20M in expected cap space (if they move Murray), they'll even be able to do more than one of those things.
Combing over some of the options who are expected to be available in free agency this summer, here are 3 candidates who could make a great deal of sense for the Leafs.
Patrick Kane - 34 years old, RW
Kane's is a name we have heard a lot in recent years. There were some who believed that Kane had Toronto on his short list of locations in which he was willing to waive his NMC for. We know from comments that Kane has made in the past that he may have a desire to play with Auston Matthews. The problem here is that Kane just underwent surgery and is expected to miss the next 4-6 months, which could mean that he'll take his time in making a decision on his future and where he might like to play next. Remaining in New York is certainly an option for him, but Toronto is also very close to his hometown in Buffalo.
Vladimir Tarasenko 31 years old, RW
Tarasenko, like Kane, is a previous Stanley Cup champion. The biggest hurdle here is going to be the asking price. The Leafs will have some money to spend, but Tarasenko's cap hit on his previous deal was $7.5M. If he is looking for a similar pay day or even a slight increase in salary, it may be a challenge to fit him in, especially with all of the high-priced fowards in Toronto. The one way that a deal for Tarasenko could work is if the Leafs do decide to move one of their core players and require a replacement for one of Nylander or Marner on the wing. If either are moved, the Leafs will also have money to spend elsewhere on the roster, even after signing Tarasenko.
Dmitry Orlov - 31, LHD
When the Leafs brought in Brad Treliving to be the 18th GM in franchise history, they did so knowing that he prefers to have a strong blueline. The D corps he had built in Calgary before leaving the Flames organization was pretty formidable. He also mentioned to the media late last week that he may look to make some improvements on the blueline in Toronto this summer. Orlov would be a strong addition to an already solid D corps in Toronto. Orlov is coming off of a deal that paid him $5.1M per season and, at 31, he's not getting any younger, so I don't know how much higher his cap hit would go this summer. Orlov, like Kane and Tarasenko, is also a Stanley Cup champion, so he knows what it takes to swim in the deepest of waters as well.
Treliving isn't like Kyle Dubas in the sense that he's not afraid to spend on players in the middle or near the end of their prime windows. This may concern some, because signing older players to big contracts can come back to bite you down the line, but the way the Leafs were doing things under Dubas, that wasn't working either. It might be time to get uncomfortable and try some different things. Personally, I'd love to see O'Reilly back, but if the two sides can't work it out, these are the 3 guys I'd look at.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 5 | 1099 ANSWERS Assuming the Leafs don't bring back Ryan O'Reilly, there are 3 UFAs they should absolutely take a run at in free agency If you could only pick one, who would you most like to see in Toronto? | ||
| Vladimir Tarasenko | 345 | 31.4 % |
| Dmitry Orlov | 598 | 54.4 % |
| Patrick Kane | 156 | 14.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
