The Toronto Maple Leafs began their rebuilding plans in earnest on July 1st with the trade of Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh, but the blueprint for the next few years of transition were revealed with a handful of signings in the first week of free agency.
The club repeated the trend followed last summer with the signings of veterans Daniel Winnik, Mike Santorelli and David Booth, re-signing Winnik and defenseman Matt Hunwick for two years and adding P.A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello and Shawn Matthias on one-year deals.
The formula is simple and beneficial for both the player and the Leafs.
Sign with Toronto on a short-term economically reasonable deal, where you can get as much or more ice time than anywhere else and the exposure that comes with playing on Hockey Night In Canada every Saturday. Put up good numbers that will help the Leafs to make a trade at the deadline for future assets to further the accumulation of assets for their rebuild and will help make a case for a long-term contract next summer.
At the same time, the Leafs are buying time for their young prospects to mature in the American Hockey League, ECHL, in the NCAA or Europe.
Every signing made was for less than $2.5 Million, which will make the players brought in more attractive even to contending teams since they would be able to squeeze in that salary under the salary cap.
Including Nick Spaling(acquired in the Kessel deal), Roman Polak and James Reimer, Toronto has seven unrestricted free agents, which could be used to add to their stockpile of draft choices for the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo next June and in 2017. This is not to rule out that some of these players could be retained if they play well under new head coach Mike Babcock, but it give the Leafs management team under Brendan Shanahan some much-needed flexibility.
Currently the Leafs have 11 selections for 2016 and adding more could give them the option to trade up to get players they really like or to trade for young NHL players coming off their entry-level deals that want big money, like Brandon Saad and Dougie Hamilton this summer.
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There continues to be speculation that Tyler Bozak will not be a member of the Maple Leafs when training camp opens in September. The 29-year-old center is coming off a career-high 23 goals in 2014-15, but with the Kessel deal kicking off the exodus and Matthias and Spaling being added to the group which includes Nazem Kadri, Peter Holland and Sam Carrick, Bozak could be expendable.
The Sun’s Steve Simmons indicated in his Sunday column that Arizona, New Jersey, Minnesota, Detroit and Boston might have interest, but questions whether would those teams would have interest in Bozak at his $4.2 Million salary for another three seasons. NHL teams can retain salary on three players and the Leafs are retaining $1.2 Million of Kessel’s salary for the next seven years and $200,000 of Carl Gunnarsson’s deal this upcoming season, so it is unlikely that Toronto would retain any money to increase the chances of a Bozak deal.
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The Leafs opened up their rookie camp with a short on-ice session at the MasterCard Center in Etobicoke on Tuesday before heading north to Collingwood, ON for five days of drills, scrimmages, seminars dedicated to conditioning, nutrition, personal development and media relations.
Here are a few images of some of the club’s top prospects:
I knew the #Leafs are putting an emphasis on speed, but this is ridiculous. :) https://t.co/mu493QNDxt
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) July 7, 2015Zach Hyman and Frédérik Gauthier get set for their skate testing. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/IxvkUnzpR7
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 7, 2015No, Mitch Marner doesn't actually have the puck tied to his stick. #TMLtalk https://t.co/7YRdoDOC2P
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 7, 2015Kasperi Kapanen wears Blue and White for the first time. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/b9Yxs5CtBG
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 7, 2015William Nylander is the first player on the ice. #TMLtalk https://t.co/NpQ3Iw2Sbj
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 7, 2015*******
Listen to myself and Penguins Radio’s Brian Metzer discuss the Phil Kessel trade and the future of the Penguins and Maple Leafs:
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