One intriguing option for the Leafs' middle six from the upcoming UFA class

There are several marquee players headed to free agency this summer that would improve just about any team, but the cost to sign them is likely too much for a Leafs team who are already up against the cap with several key players in need of extensions. Some of those names include Filip Forsberg, Nazem Kadri, Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, John Klingberg, Marc-Andre Fleury and Claude Giroux.

The next tier of free agents could be of interest to the Leafs if they can open up some cap space this summer. Players like David Perron, Vincent Trochek, Ryan Strome, Reilly Smith and Bryan Rust, among others. There is one name, however, who should come in at a lower cap hit than all of these players who could be a solid middle six addition for the Buds. Frank Vatrano.

The 28-year-old undrafted forward is coming off of a 3-year deal that saw him earn just $2.533M per season. Currently with the New York Rangers, Vatrano has played over 400 NHL games, posting 101 goals and 170 points. He has a great release and a nose for the net and has registered 5 points through 8 playoff games this season.

Assuming Vatrano earns a slight pay bump and comes in at around $2.75M-$3.25M, he could be an excellent addition to the Leafs' third line, and possibly even receiving spot duty on the second line left wing. There is a chance that Vatrano comes in at a higher AAV, but the Buds do have ways of accommodating a higher cap hit if they can move out the likes of Petr Mrazek ($3.8M), Justin Holl ($2M) and potentially Jake Muzzin ($5.625M). With young defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin ready to take on full-time roles with the team, and the emergence of Erik Kallgren as a realistic option to play in a backup capacity in the NHL, the Leafs do have some realistic internal options if they want to offload some salary this summer.