Four Leafs who remain free agents after nearly two weeks on the open market
While some of the bigger UFAs in Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Mathew Dumba are still in need of new homes, there are also some very familiar names that are in the same boat.
Former Leafs Zach Aston-Reese, Nick Abruzzese, Filip Kral, and Wayne SImmonds remain without deals and could easily be sought after if they find themselves on the market deep into the summer. Aston-Reese, Simmonds, and Kral are currently UFAs, while Abruzzese is an RFA.
Everyone, by now, is aware of the salary cap issues plaguing the Maple Leafs, but once they move on from Matt Murray, place Jake Muzzin on the LTIR, and figure out what to do wIth Ilya Samsonov and William Nylander, everything should be sorted out.
Depth pieces are always coveted and the Maple Leafs are no stranger to signing cheap veterans to fill out the bottom-6. Could a return to Toronto be in the cards for any of these players?
Aston Reese played in 77 games for Toronto last year and scored 10 goals and 14 points in 10:56 ATOI, while chipping in with a goal in 6 post-season games. The soon-to-be 29-year-old spent his first 5 seasons with Pittsburgh before making a brief stop in Anaheim mid-way through 2021-22. His defense, penalty killing, and tertiary scoring are a benefit to any team, considering the cheap cost of acquisition. I wouldn't assume that a return with the Leafs is out of the question, if he's willing to sign close to a league-minimum deal and get comfortable with moving in and out of the lineup as needed.
As for Simmonds, the "Wayne Train" left the station after his 8-years with Philadelphia and never returned. He gave everything he had in those 8 seasons, became a premier power forward, but unfortunately injuries caught up with him and he's been a shell of his former self. After short stints in Nashville, Buffalo and New Jersey, Simmonds spent 3 seasons with the Leafs, notching 12 goals and 27 points in 128 games. He remains a physical depth acquisition with great leadership qualities, but his best days are long behind him. With the acquisitions of Max Domi, Ryan Reaves and Tyler Bertuzzi, the Leafs may no longer have a need for Simmonds, even as a depth option.
The 23-year-old, Filip Kral has spent the last 3 years within the Maple Leafs system but only has 2 NHL games to show for it. He does however have 92 games in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies and has 7 goals and 29 points to show for it. Similarly to Aston-Reese and Simmonds, he could be seen as a pure depth signing later on in the summer with training camp approaching.
Nick Abruezzese is the lone RFA in this list and the Leafs won't have to worry about the possibility of an offer sheet because he hasn't accrued enough games to meet the requirements.
In 11 NHL games he has 1 goal and 2 assists and is coming off a very successful first-year in the AHL with 16 goals and 48 points in 69 regular season games, while adding 7 points in 7 playoff games. The Harvard University alum should be a big part of the Marlies next season if and when they find common ground on a new contract. He likely remains a Leaf, either by accepting his qualifying offer or negotiating a new deal, though the possibility exists that he may request a trade if he doesn't feel like there's a clear path to NHL minutes for him in Toronto.
| POLL | ||
13 JUILLET | 452 ANSWERS Four Leafs who remain free agents after nearly two weeks on the open market Can you see Wayne Simmonds or Zach Aston-Reese returning to Toronto in a depth/extra man role? | ||
| Yes | 116 | 25.7 % |
| No | 336 | 74.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
