The Maple Leafs did not follow the conservative route with restricted free agent Jake Gardiner, as the club signed the defenseman to a five-year, $20.25 Million deal($4.05 Million AAV) instead of a shorter term bridge deal.
The speedy 24-year-old blueliner was second in defensive scoring last season with 10 goals and 21 assists, averaging over 21 minutes ice time per game.
The five-year deal likely costs Toronto more than $1 Million in salary cap space over the expected dollar amount of a two-year bridge deal, but could save the club significantly more in the final three years, with Gardiner being arbitration eligible in 2016 and 2017 and eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2018.
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Toronto surprised some observers with the signing of free agent forward Daniel Winnik on Monday. The Mississauga, ON native has played for Phoenix, Colorado, San Jose and Anaheim in his seven-year NHL career and posted a career-high 30 points (6 Goals, 24 Assists) with the Ducks last season.
The versatile forward agreed to a one-year, $1.3 Million contract after a fairly brief negotiating session between his representatives and the Leafs.
“It just kind of all happened this past week with a couple teams,” Winnik said on FAN 590’s Prime Time Sports, “that was it, there wasn’t anything prior to that.”
The 29-year-old veteran provides size(6’2” 210lb), experience and versatility(can play center and wing) to Toronto’s forward corps, who have brought back former Leafs Matt Frattin and Leo Komarov, re-signed Troy Bodie and Trevor Smith and adding free agents Petri Kontiola, Mike Santorelli and David Booth to compete for bottom six positions.
“It was a player that Brendan(Shanahan) and Dave(Nonis) had liked and we discussed internally and just tried to carve out a way how he would help and benefit the Toronto Maple Leafs next season.” Assistant GM Kyle Dubas said regarding the club’s newest addition on Monday’s Marek Vs Wyshynski podcast. "We felt he could be a big help. (Winnik)'s got a good track record of soaking up some difficult minutes."
Toronto has 17 forwards under one-way contracts for next season, including seven players who can play center(Bozak, Kadri, Holland, Santorelli, Winnik, Kontiola and Trevor Smith).
The club usually carries 13 or 14 forwards throughout the season, which means that three or four players currently on the projected roster will be sent to the AHL or possibly moved to another team. Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren, Smith and Carter Ashton(two-way) will be in a struggle to earn a spot with players who have more skill(Frattin and Holland) or can do their job for a more inexpensive price(like Troy Bodie at $600,000).
Toronto has just over $3 Million remaining in available space (per Cap Geek) to sign RFA defenseman Jake Gardiner, but the current cap figure does not resemble what the amount will be at the beginning of the season after players have been demoted.
Adding Winnik on a short-term deal is a prudent move by the Leafs and gives them positional flexibility, it also gives them options if they want to make a trade before the beginning of the regular season. The future of Cody Franson and James Reimer is still tenuous after the pair settled on new deals prior to salary arbitration and combined with the surplus of forwards, a multi-player deal to add an impact forward is not out of the realm of possibility.
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