Three viable, budget-friendly UFA depth options for the Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to add some more depth to the bottom-six and there are at least three viable options for them to look at.
While Nick Robertson is still un-signed and has requested a trade, the Leafs have options available to them that offer a little more experience than what they have in their system to replace him. There are a number of free agents still available that could provide the depth and secondary scoring the Leafs need in their bottom-six.
With $1.275M in cap space, three forwards that would come cheap are Kevin Labanc, Filip Zadina and Steve Lorentz. Any one of these players could adequately fill a need for the Leafs lower down in the lineup.
Zadina is the youngest of the three at 24. He went without a qualifying offer from the San Jose Sharks and became a UFA on July 1st. The former sixth-overall pick in 2018 has struggled to live up to the pre-draft hype, but had a fairly decent season with the Sharks posting 13 goals and 23 points in 72 games. AVP projects a 1-year deal for the winger around $800K, which would be easy for the Leafs to fit under the cap.
Another Shark, Labanc didn't have as much success as Zadina last season as he finished with just 9 points in 46 games. However, the season prior, Labanc had 15 goals and 33 points and has the ability to play both wings. AVP projects a 1-year deal for Labanc at slightly under $900K ($895K), again, leaving the Leafs with some flexibility.
Fresh off of a Stanley Cup win in Florida, the Leafs may find the most value in 28-year-old Steven Lorentz. The 6'4, 215-pound forward can play all three positions up front and isn't afraid to use his size.
With all of the forward depth in Florida, he had a difficult time getting into the lineup, only skating in 38 regular season games and tallying 3 points. However, the season prior, he had 10 goals and 19 points in 80 games with the Sharks.
If I was to lean towards one player here, it's probably Kevin Labanc, as not only does he have a significant amount of NHL experience, he has also spent some time in the top-6 in San Jose during his career, so if push came to shove, he could ascend to the top of the lineup if the Leafs were in a pinch.
Honorable mentions go out to Dominik Kubalik and Cal Clutterbuck, who both also have plenty to offer the Maple Leafs in their own ways - Clutterbuck as a penalty killer and Kubalik as a depth scorer.
Source for projections: AVP: AVP Contract Projections
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 28 | 1426 ANSWERS Three viable, budget-friendly UFA depth options for the Maple Leafs Which of these three players should the Leafs sign? | ||
| Labanc | 69 | 4.8 % |
| Zadina | 278 | 19.5 % |
| Lorentz | 102 | 7.2 % |
| None of the above | 977 | 68.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
