Pending UFAs the Leafs should stay far away from
This time of year, there is always rampant speculation around pending free agents. With 30 other GMs working against you, its easy to slip and make a mistake on July 1. Some guys get paid too much, some get too much term, some, like Nick Ritchie this past season, just aren't a good fit. Here are a few free agents Dubas and the Leafs would be smart to steer clear of.
Kane is playing some of the best hockey of his life right now, and based on his checkered past, he could end up signing for less than a player of his caliber normally would. At this point, it's likely the Oilers will be making room to sign him. Kane is putting up very impressive numbers in these playoffs, but his attitude issues and apparent inability to get along with teammates is reason enough to not want him anywhere near the Leafs' locker room. He's much better suited to a backwater hole of a market like Edmonton.
John Klingberg
Klingberg will be the highest paid defenseman of the 2022 UFA class. The 6'3, 190lb righty is offensively gifted and at 29 years old, will be looking for a long term contract. Klingberg will command something in the $7-$9 million range based on his past play. He's a player in the same vein as Jake Gardiner or Tyson Barrie, albeit, with slightly higher offensive talent. I just don't see the fit here. At this point, the Leafs need stability on the back end, Rielly, Sandin and Liljegren are all offensively talented. Klingberg is a great hockey player, but he's just not what this Leafs team needs.
Now, I'm not saying a big, physical defenseman isn't what the Leafs need. They could definitely use a player like Josh Manson to add some bite to their back end. Manson will have a lot of offers this off season, partly because of his name. My suggestion would be to instead sign fellow free agent Nikita Zadorov, as Zadorov will likely be available for less. He's bigger, younger, and has better possession metrics than Manson. Manson is big and mean, and that's great, but I'd prefer bigger and meaner for less money. Not to mention the fact that Manson has a pretty significant injury history.
The Leafs aren't likely to be big spenders at the trade deadline this season. It's likely Dubas will do exactly what he did last off season, find undervalued players and bring them in on bargain deals. If he can move a couple of contracts, suddenly there are a lot more options open. The question is, is the current crop of UFAs worth moving out players currently signed for next season?
| POLL | ||
MAI 26 | 272 ANSWERS Pending UFAs the Leafs should stay far away from If you had to sign one of these players, who would it be? | ||
| Evander Kane | 70 | 25.7 % |
| John Klingberg | 76 | 27.9 % |
| Josh Manson | 126 | 46.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
