Toronto Maple Leafs: Best remaining free agents to consider

As the opening weeks of free agency pass us by, the market is fairly picked over. Curiously, the Toronto Maple Leafs have some cap space to work with, a lack of draft picks and assets to trade, and their sights are set on contending. It follows that even a thin secondary free agent market will have Leaf Nation interested. Let’s take a closer look at some unsigned players or archetypes that could offer some value for the Leafs.

Roslovic

Jack Roslovic stands out as the best available free agent forward. Though he has had his share of ups and downs throughout his career, Roslovic is coming off one of his best seasons. Revitalized by playing on a stronger team, Roslovic scored 21 even-strength goals last year. While his shooting percentage returned to rates that vanished with the Columbus Blue Jackets, so did his usage as a centre increase with the Carolina Hurricanes last season.

He’s not a defensive force, but Roslovic clearly has all the skills to be a capable and versatile middle-six forward. While he might be similar to Max Domi in terms of relative role on a depth chart, Roslovic is clearly more of a shooter. The Leafs seem to favour a certain ruggedness or directness under GM Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube, which Roslovic does not necessarily fulfill.

Still, given that Mitch Marner’s departure could have a significant impact on the team’s overall offensive quality, the Leafs might not be able to pass up the opportunity to get Roslovic at a reduced rate. One might think that Roslovic’s expectations exceed his market at this point, so there might still be some posturing as the secondary market transitions into the tertiary market.

Olofsson

Victor Olofsson is an even better shooter than Roslovic, but has shared a similar roller coaster as an NHL player. Coaches seem prone to have a hot or cold relationship with Olofsson, though his flow-of-play stats are often strong enough. The talent is obvious, but Olofsson might have a hard time maintaining a full-time spot near the top of the lineup. Finding some chemistry on a line with a defined role will be crucial, but this is a precarious position to be in.

The Leafs have seen Nick Robertson, who has a similar situation, find it difficult to take hold of such a spot on a contending roster. Other free agents that might fit this role are Jeff Skinner and Michael Carcone. With Matias Maccelli joining William Nylander and Max Domi as quality playmaking wingers, and players like Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan pushing for spots, there does not seem to be a huge need in this area. There is a good chance the Leafs value traits these players lack over their offensive skills, but they still make a strong addition for a low price.

Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty embodies a lot of the traits some of the aforementioned scoring wingers lack. Physically imposing, experienced, and unafraid to stir the pot against opponents, Pacioretty can thrive in the tough areas. Unfortunately, health is a major concern at this point, and with the new CBA rules, the use of LTIR cap space is much less flexible.

While Pacioretty still has some of his scoring touch, he is also the best power forward on the market. Clearly, teams are not convinced that he can stay healthy enough to appear in more games than he did last season. Despite all his missed time, Pacioretty was still an important playoff contributor for the Leafs.

Fourth-line wingers

Elsewhere on the power winger market is Klim Kostin. While far younger, Kostin simply does not possess the same offensive qualities as Pacioretty. He can still fill a regular role, but his icetime has never truly expanded beyond that of a fourth-line player.

Kostin is a bit younger than some other options, like Nathan Bastian or Luke Kunin. Jakub Lauko is not as big, but he has some jam to his game and could be a depth winger who cycles through the fourth line.

Perhaps Brett Leason might be an interesting option, as the Leafs have found themselves investing in some other Anaheim Ducks castoffs, Simon Benoit and, more recently, Bo Groulx.

All these players are fourth-line wingers who might hope to follow what Steven Lorentz has achieved with the Leafs. Some are a bit bigger, others a bit more physical, younger, or with slightly more offensive tools. The Leafs did add Michael Pezzetta, who is likely not better than some of the aforementioned, but could be brought in as late as a training camp tryout.

Veleno

Perhaps off of draft pedigree alone, Joe Veleno still has believers, but he has accumulated a lot of experience through his early 20s. Given how competitive the centre market has been, it is a bit surprising to see Veleno without much attention. His offensive totals seem to have stagnated, as has his icetime, but Veleno has continued to take on a more defensive role through his career.

An issue might be that his face-off percentages have not been strong, and a lack of progress in this area is not ideal. Entering his age-26 season, Veleno is nearing an inflection point. He has been on weaker teams throughout his career and has often been out-chanced and outpossessed.

Grzelcyk

The best defenceman left on the market is Matt Grzelcyk. His left shot and smaller stature have left him without a deal despite some fairly impressive work for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Despite his somewhat underdog status, Grzelcyk has proven himself a reliable player throughout his career.

After a tougher last season with the Boston Bruins, Grzelcyk does not seem better off for his best offensive performance, as well as the most icetime of his career. Perhaps many feel the wheels of time have started to catch up to him, or maybe the league’s recent emphasis on size for defencemen.

Grzelcyk should continue to be used in offensive situations, though not without his defensive abilities. Clearly, the right partner will be a big factor in finding a landing spot, and the Leafs are not necessarily a good fit that way. The Leafs have been looking for bigger, more defensive players for their blueline. To boot, the Leafs have Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson as offensive left shots.