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The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly been putting out a number of feelers in advance of the NHL Draft and the start of free agency on July 1. GM Brad Treliving stepping in mere weeks after departing the Calgary Flames is an advantage since he is quite familiar with the lines of communications and has relationships with other general managers.
The question is what area the Leafs will prioritize. Based on the model he followed with Calgary, it is clear that Treliving believes in having a legitimate starting goalie and a solid tandem. While names like Connor Hellebuyck, John Gibson, and Carter Hart are sexy, it is possible that the new management believes in Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll or is willing to give them a chance on a short-term basis.
Restocking the shelves up front will be important since Toronto has seven unrestricted free-agent forwards, and only the core four, Calle Jarnkrok, Sam Lafferty, and Matthew Knies signed for next season. Youngsters Bobby McMann, Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, and Nick Abruzzese could get an opportunity at a full-time NHL job, but Treliving will be looking to re-sign David Kampf and Noel Acciari, but may not be willing to commit long-term dollars to Michael Bunting and Ryan O’Reilly.
Where the Leafs may be looking to upgrade is on defense. Morgan Rielly had a fantastic playoff after an average regular season, is locked up for seven more years, and is a legitimate top-pairing defenseman, but he is not a #1 at the level of Alex Pietrangelo, Miro Heiskanen, or Jaccob Slavin. TJ Brodie has been a steady top-four defender for three seasons, but injuries crept in last season and overwork seemed to make his performance drop in the playoffs.
Luke Schenn was a great late-season add and is someone that the Leafs could be looking to bring back. Jake McCabe improved Toronto’s depth on the back end, while youngsters Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins could be ready for larger roles, but when you look at the Leafs potential blueline for next season, it is nowhere close to being as big and talented as the defense of Vegas, Florida, Dallas or Carolina.
We’ve seen Columbus be proactive in adding Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov to their blueline this week, and other clubs are looking to add talent on defense over the next month. Whether Toronto is willing to pay the price to do that, we will see pretty soon.
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The Leafs officially announced the addition of Shane Doan on Friday. Doan’s title is Special Advisor to the GM, assisting Treliving in all day-to-day matters of hockey operations as assigned by the General Manager.
“I’m very excited to welcome Shane to the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Treliving said in a press release. “Through his more than 1,500 NHL games played, his management roles, being an NHL team captain for more than a decade, and being just a wonderful human being, Shane has touched all the aspects of the game which make him a terrific fit with the Maple Leafs organization, its staff and players.”
“I am honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs in this role. The Maple Leafs have a such deep history and a passionate fan base, and I’m excited to contribute in any way I can in the organization’s pursuit of their ultimate goal,” Doan said. “I’m also thrilled to once again work alongside Brad Treliving and continue a working relationship that began during Brad’s time with the Coyotes.”
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