Maple Leafs Insider deadline day wish list: One likely addition, one unlikely addition and one absolute long shot
The Leafs are about to take part in a very important free agent frenzy on Wednesday and they'll have a few different boxes to check to set the roster for the 2022-23 season, including a backup goaltender, a re-vamped 4th line, an option to play in the top six and perhaps a depth defenseman.
The Leafs are heading into Wednesday with about $6.37M in available cap space and 17 players already signed for next season. GM Kyle Dubas also has the ability to free up some additional cap space if he decides to replace Justin Holl, Alex Kerfoot and/or Jake Muzzin with less costly options. On the low end, Dubas could look to open up approximately $1.25M in additional space. On the high end, anywhere between $8M-$10M - but I doubt he moves all 3 veterans.
Assuming Dubas does not offload all 3 of these deals to go big game hunting, here are a list of 3 players who I think the Leafs could take a look at. They're separated into 3 categories; one seems likely to come to Toronto, one could happen but is far less likely, and the last one is a pipedream addition, which probably won't happen.
Likely: Dylan Strome - C/LW/RW, former top-3 draft pick (2015)
The Mississauga, Ontario native grew up a Leafs fan and is friends with Leafs superstar Mitch Marner. There is a spot for him available and if the Leafs decide to move captain John Tavares to the wing, Strome could even slot in at 2C behind Auston Matthews. Since Strome was an RFA who was not qualified, he likely won't break the bank. Something between the $3.25M-$4.25M seems fairly likely for an AAV.
Unlikely: Andre Burakovsky - LW/RW, 500+ game NHL veteran, Stanley Cup Champ
Burakovsky is an interesting piece. He played a middle six role for the Avs over the past few seasons and is coming off of a short-term deal that saw him earn just $4.9M per season over 2 years. He had 61 points in 80 games last season, but produced at a lower points-per-game and goals per game rate than he did the two seasons prior.
Valeri Nichushkin leapt past Burakovsky on the depth chart in Colorado and just signed an 8-year, $49M deal earlier this week. As a result, the Avs likely cannot afford to sign Burakovsky, especially with a new deal for Nathan MacKinnon on the horizon at some point in the next 365 days. With Nichushkin pulling in just $6.1M per season, I can't see Burakovsky getting above $5M-$5.5M per season on a 6 or 7-year deal.
A pure offensive winger, Burakovsky may actually thrive on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander. This deal would require either Kerfoot and Holl being dealt or Jake Muzzin agreeing to waive his NMC to be moved in order to clear the space. Thus, Burakovsky is an unlikely addition.. even though he could be a really good one.
Long shot: Evgeni Malkin - C, 3-time Stanley Cup Champ, 1,146 points in 981 GP
With Evgeni Malkin essentially telling the Pens to take a hike on Monday over what he felt were very disrespectful negotiations, Geno is looking for a new home this summer. While the Leafs are likely not even in the running, it's difficult to deny that Malkin checks every single box that the Buds could ever hope to check. He's an elite scorer, a gifted playmaker, a large, heavy body, he plays with an edge, he's a proven champion, he's a veteran with a ton of playoff experience and he's made a ton of money in his career and could be okay with settling for a little less for a chance at another Stanley Cup.
A player like Evgeni Malkin hitting the open market is incredibly rare. Most people who like to gamble would have had their money on Malkin retiring a Pittsburgh Penguin. Now, with the big Russian souring on the Pens organization, not only is he available, but he's highly motivated to prove to them that they've made a huge mistake.
Malkin has had a pretty extensive injury history, so the Leafs' top notch staff and medical team could certainly help him with anything that's been ailing him and can provide the best support and access to the best doctors and specialists in the league.
There are two things that make this a long shot. One, Malkin's age and reported ask for term. At 35 years old, Malkin is said to want a 4-5 year deal with an AAV near or above what Kris Letang got in Pittsburgh on his 6-year deal ($6.1M per season). That would almost certainly require the Leafs to move Jake Muzzin, who has a NMC.
And two, Malkin simply may not want to play in Toronto, whose roster is, at large, English-speaking - especially if Ilya Lyubushkin and Ilya Mikheyev depart on Wednesday as well. As a player who has felt as though he is alone in the past without many Russian players around him in Pittsburgh, perhaps he'd prefer to sign somewhere with a larger contingent of Russian players, with whom he could speak his native tongue and feel heard and understood. A team like Washington could make some sense, as Alex Ovechkin is in need of a new center with Nicklas Backstrom potentially out for the year. And there are several Russian players in Washington as well, in Ovi, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov, to name a few.
So, Dylan Strome (likely), Andre Burakovsky (unlikely) and Evgeni Malkin (long shot) round out this list, of potentially intriguing options for the Leafs, but I feel like we'll likely see a bevy of value signings at a lower price tag from Kyle Dubas again this season. But hey - it worked out pretty well last year with David Kampf and Michael Bunting, though I'm sure they'd probably like a do-over on the Petr Mrazek and Nick Ritchie deals.
| POLL | ||
12 JUILLET | 737 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Insider deadline day wish list: One likely addition, one unlikely addition and one absolute long shot Of these 3 players, who do you think would be the best fit in Toronto? | ||
| Evgeni Malkin | 138 | 18.7 % |
| Andre Burakovsky | 137 | 18.6 % |
| Dylan Strome | 462 | 62.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
