Insider reveals projections for next contracts of Leafs' pending UFA defensemen
With free agency just over one month away, the Leafs are going to have to double-down on their efforts to seek out a new GM so that they can get to work on deciding the fates of several of their pending UFAs.
On Tuesday evening, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff took a look at the top 50 pending UFAs and what the projections for their next contracts might look like. Seravalli used AFP Analytics to determine the contract projections and there were 3 Leafs' defensemen who made the top 50. If you're curious to know what they're projected to earn on their next deals, here's how the breakdown looked:
Luke Schenn - 1 year, $1.6M
Erik Gustafsson - 3 years, $3.4M per season
Justin Holl - 3 years, $3M per season
There is already rumoured mutual interest from both Schenn and the Leafs to get a deal done. Last season, Schenn earned just $850K. He looked surprisingly comfortable next to top Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, with the two appearing to have a good amount of chemistry. If the plan is to reunite the pair of blueliners next season, Schenn will undoubtedly deserve a raise. The $1.6M that AFP projects is certainly more than fair, given what Schenn added the the Leafs' D corps this year after coming over from Vancouver at the deadline.
Gustafsson and his projected $3.4M cap hit is very likely to have a new home next season. Having earned just $800K last season, I highly doubt that the Leafs are going to pony up the $3.4M that AFP thinks it will take in order to sign him. There's also the little matter of Gustafsson often being the 7th or 8th defenseman on the depth chart in Toronto.
As for Justin Holl, with some of the reporting we have heard about what it might take to sign him, the $3M x 3 years deal looks a little light on cash in comparison. Some Insiders believe that Holl's next AAV might exceed $4M. Either way, it would be surprising to see Holl back in Toronto next season after the team healthy scratched him a few times this season and during the playoffs. You don't pay a guy $3M-$4M to sit in the press box. You just don't.
| POLL | ||
MAI 24 | 420 ANSWERS Insider reveals projections for next contracts of Leafs' pending UFA defensemen If you could only bring back one of the following next season, who would you choose if you were the Leafs? | ||
| Holl at a $3M AAV | 0 | 0 % |
| Schenn at a $1.6M AAV | 397 | 94.5 % |
| Gustafsson at a $3.4M AAV | 5 | 1.2 % |
| None of the above | 18 | 4.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
