Insider reveals that the Leafs are interested in St. Louis Blues winger if he makes it to free agency
It's going to be a very interesting offseason for the Leafs after yet another first round elimination. Among the main areas of focus for the team, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, is to add someone in the top six who is a pain in the ass to play against. There will be no shortage of players available in free agency on July 13th who could work out for the Leafs.
Friedman made an appearance on SN590 on Tuesday, revealing that the Leafs could be looking at St. Louis Blues winger David Perron. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native was a Stanley Cup winner with the Blues in 2019 and could add a bit of sandpaper to the Leafs' top six, as he does like to finish his checks, but he also plays a responsible two-way game and has proven scoring ability. The 33-year-old has recorded at least 20 goals 6 times during his NHL career and, were it not for injury, he'd likely have reached that total a few more times as well.
Friedman did point out that there is one caveat here, being that the Leafs would have to clear some cap space in order to be able to afford to take a run at Perron in free agency. Perron is coming off of a 4-year, $16M deal that paid him $4M per season. The former 1st round pick (26th overall by the Blues in 2007) registered more than a point per game in 2020-21, with 58 points in 56 games and followed that up with a 27-goal, 57-point season in 67 games this season. He'll almost certainly be looking for a raise this summer.
There has been a ton of speculation that, if the Leafs decide to move one of the "Core 4", William Nylander would likely be the one that they'd move. Friedman pointed out that it's not a foregone conclusion that Nylander would be the one moved. The NHL Insider did not reveal who he thinks could be moved if the Leafs do indeed try to move some salary to bring Perron into the fold.
Of course, this is all hypothetical for now, as the Blues are currently in the second round of the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, and there's no guarantee that they don't just re-sign Perron themselves this summer.
| POLL | ||
MAI 17 | 686 ANSWERS Insider reveals that the Leafs are interested in St. Louis Blues winger if he makes it to free agency Should the Leafs sign Perron if he is available in free agency this summer? | ||
| Absolutely | 237 | 34.5 % |
| No | 167 | 24.3 % |
| Only if his cap hit is low enough | 282 | 41.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
