Former Toronto Maple Leafs still available as NHL free agents

Just like every year, after the initial frenzy of July 1, free agency has hit a lull. Plenty of guys remained unsigned, but everyone left is, at best, a depth piece. All the stars are gone, leaving NHL teams trying to find bargain contracts on guys they think they can get the most out of.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are unlikely to add from this group, but there are plenty of former Leafs out there for other teams to sign. 

Let’s take a look at some ex-Maple Leafs, why they’re free agents, and how they played while in Toronto.

Max Pacioretty

Easily the most impactful player on the list, Pacioretty only played 37 regular season games with the Leafs last year but was one of their most reliable forwards during the playoffs. In 11 playoff games, he scored three goals and eight points, including the series clincher against the Ottawa Senators.

There probably isn’t much hockey left in Pacioretty, as injuries will surely keep him from playing a full season this year. But, if a team has the cap space and roster spot for him to ease his way through the season, he could be an awesome jolt to the lineup come playoff time.

He won’t get a multi-year deal, but it would not surprise me if a contender gave Patches a nice $1.5M deal for this season with performance bonuses. He is definitely still good enough to help a playoff team, and if he doesn’t sign, it will be his choice.

There were whispers of the Leafs trying to get him back earlier in the summer, but those rumours have since died down. Edmonton is a team that could make sense, but there are lots of organizations that should be trying to land Pacioretty.

TJ Brodie

Poor TJ Brodie. 

Once an anchor of the Leafs blueline and their best shutdown defenceman, his game fell off a cliff two years ago and didn’t get any better last year in Chicago. By the end of the year, Brodie was a healthy scratch, and he only got into 54 games total.

In his prime, Brodie was an elite defensive defenceman with some okay offensive instincts. He helped Morgan Rielly on the top pair and was easily the most reliable blueliner in Toronto. But those days seem to be long gone, and he was bought out of the last year of his contract this summer.

A young team in need of blueline depth could give Brodie another shot and hope to trade him at the deadline, but unfortunately, his game just isn’t good enough to garner interest from contenders at this point. 

Brodie’s decline was tough to watch in Toronto because it happened so fast, and it might keep him out of the league this year. Hopefully, he gets a chance and runs with it, because he was a phenomenal player and person in Toronto.

Noah Gregor

There was a time in early 2023–24 when it looked like the Leafs had found themselves a really good, young bottom-six forward in Gregor. He started that year hot and popped eyes with his speed and touch near the net.

But as the season went on, Gregor’s game declined, and he only got into two playoff games for the Leafs. Some fans still wanted him to be re-signed, but he instead went to Ottawa.

Last year was another struggle for Gregor, who scored just seven points in 52 games between Ottawa and San Jose. He might get another shot—his speed is always tantalizing, and he’s still only 27 years old—but it won’t be on a contender.

Gregor always shows flashes, but can’t seem to put it all together. I could definitely see a team lacking forward depth signing him for around league minimum, but that’s about it.

Jani Hakanpaa

Does this really count as a former Leaf?

Jani Hakanpaa got into just two games last season after signing a one-year deal last summer. At the time the contract was signed, he was still injured, and people questioned whether he’d even be able to play at all.

Well, he basically didn’t, and gave the Leafs nothing. It wasn’t his fault; he was signed while hurt, but the whole situation was weird. Brad Treliving gambled, but it didn’t pay off.

That being said, apparently Hakanpaa is healthy (or as healthy as he can be). He may be slow and injury-prone, but there is still a useful NHL defenceman in there. He can easily play third-pairing minutes in the right situation, and if he signs a reasonable deal and is actually able to play, that could be a nice contract.

Hakanpaa will have to prove he’s capable of playing without injury, but if he can, whoever signs him might get the best value of any of these names.