Leafs still in the mix for pair of UFA forwards; Insider reveals term expectations for both
Since free agency started, it has been known that Brad Treliving was going to tweak the forward group of the Leafs by adding some grit, physicality and toughness. So far, he has added Ryan Reaves on a 3-year contract worth $1.3M per season. Otherwise, not much else.
Last night, it was reported that the Leafs are still in discussions with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Both add those elements of grit, physicality and toughness, but can also provide some secondary scoring for the Leafs. It's worth mentioning that Max Domi already has some familiarity with Mitch Marner from their time together with the London Knights.
According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, Bertuzzi is seeking a max term contract with an AAV over $5M per season while Domi is also looking for term, but would be willing to do something shorter, such as a 2-year deal. Domi seems to be more of a safe bet in terms of contract and health, but Bertuzzi is one of those players that every team wishes they had come playoff time.
With the Leafs still in the mix for both, but with limited cap room, it will be interesting to see how Treliving handles these negotiations, how he plans to address the cap issues and if he can land one or both of them to help re-shape the Leafs' forward group.
