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The Toronto Maple Leafs faced an offseason with key players entering free agency and not a great deal of space under the salary cap to either re-sign or replace them. GM Kyle Dubas was not in a position to bid for big names on July 28, but needed to replace big contributors like Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman.
The Leafs maintained their strength up the middle with their one-two punch of Auston Matthews and John Tavares to center their top two lines. Matthews struggled in the playoffs after leading the NHL in goals, Tavares received a clean bill of health after being severely concussed in Game 1 of the first round series vs. Montreal, and the club will need both to perform at the high level they did last season making $22.634 million per season.
Dubas chose to stand pat, keeping Alex Kerfoot after decent regular season and registering six points in the playoffs filing in for Tavares after his injury, but with the departure of Zach Hyman and Nick Foligno, it is unknown that this point whether Kerfoot will center the third line or play on the wing in the top six.
That all depends on whether head coach Sheldon Keefe has enough confidence in Pierre Engvall to play center on a regular basis. Engvall shifted between wing and center because Keefe was troubled by his inconsistency. The big Swede’s speed and wingspan are intriguing provide matchup problems as a checking line center, but Dubas added some insurance in the form of a veteran pivot David Kampf.
Kampf was added on a two-year deal for $1.5 million per season and will likely replace Hyman on the PK and play fourth line center at times due to his ability at winning faceoffs.
Jason Spezza centered the fourth line at times last season, but the Leafs prefer to play the 38-year-old on the right side, which could give 25-year-old Adam Brooks a chance at consistent playing time after scoring four goals in 11 games last season.
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