The Toronto Maple Leafs had a relatively busy offseason. They let some notable players walk in free agency, like Tyler Bertuzzi and T.J. Brodie, while bringing in a handful of new faces, like Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
At the beginning of every month, we’ll look at four former Maple Leafs and see how they’ve been performing with their new teams after leaving the Toronto organization.
1. Tyler Bertuzzi
Contract: 4-year, $22 million ($5.5M AAV)
October stats: 12 GP – 4 G – 0 A – 4 PTS
Losing Tyler Bertuzzi in free agency was unfortunate, especially with how his production picked up toward the end of the season after such a snake-bitten first half. His style of play and uniqueness, to go along with a sneaky good offensive game, was exactly what the Maple Leafs needed.
Hours before free agency officially opened, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Bertuzzi was heading to market, ending any possible extension with the Maple Leafs. The Sudbury native then inked a four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Blackhawks, and the Maple Leafs had to pivot elsewhere to fill the void.
But enough about Toronto for now. Bertuzzi is now a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, and his start to the season slightly resembles his start in Toronto. Through 11 games, he has just four points – all goals – but is among the leaders in xGF and xGF/60 while recording 20 + shots for Chicago. He’s been snake-bitten, but it still doesn’t compare to how unlucky he was to start the year last season with two goals in his first 12 games.
Bertuzzi currently plays in the top six and sees time on the top power-play unit, so any slow production from him will likely end soon, given the amount chances he’s been getting to begin the season with his new club.
2. Ilya Samsonov
Contract: 1-year, $1.8 million
October stats: 5 GP – 3-1-1 – 2.95 GAA – .906 SV%
In the summer of 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed goalie Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million contract – and the rest is history. What felt like a low-risk, high-reward contract for Toronto immediately followed success, as Samsonov not only set a career-high in wins but also finished the season with outstanding numbers (.919 SV% and 2.33 GAA) while being the first goalie to help lead this franchise to a playoff series win since 2004.
However, after re-signing with the organization on another one-year contract, the 2023-24 season didn’t bring Samsonov the same success. It was a season-long journey of ups and downs, which included great stretches, poor stretches, and even a week away from the team to clear his head.
The Magnitogorsk native walked in free agency after a two-year stint with the Maple Leafs and signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, hoping to rebound on a prove-yourself contract.
Through October, Samsonov has rebounded with his new club. In limited games, he has posted a record of 3-1-1, along with a 2.95 GAA and a .906 SV%. His numbers were especially tanked by his most recent start against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing six goals on 27 shots (.778 SV%), dropping his numbers drastically from his first four starts.
Vegas’ other goalie, Adin Hill, hasn’t been the same goalie that he’s been in the past. Although he has been picking up wins for his team, posting a 4-2-0 record, he’s holding onto a 3.20 GAA and a .878 SV% through his first six starts. There’s an opportunity here for Samsonov to try and take the crease away from Hill, with both of their play going in opposite directions.
3. T.J. Brodie
Contract: 2-year, $7.5 million ($3.75M AAV)
October stats: 11 GP – 0 G – 2 A – 2 PTS
When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed T.J. Brodie to a four-year contract ahead of the 2020-21 shortened season, they finally had a steady, shutdown defenceman who could play on the top pairing with Morgan Rielly. Through his first two years in the blue and white, Brodie was everything this team was missing on the backend. His poise, defensive awareness and stick were elite.
Unfortunately, his play was declining during the latter part of the 2022-23 season and the entirety of the 2023-24 season. He was no longer the same Brodie from two years prior and the player the Calgary Flames had, which signalled that he was likely heading to the market to sign with a new team.
The veteran blue liner of 919 games inked a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, joining his former teammate Tyler Bertuzzi in the red and white. The Blackhawks, who drafted Connor Bedard first overall in 2023, clearly had a plan this past summer: sign quality veteran players to take a positive step forward in 2024-25.
Brodie, who joined a long list of players to sign with Chicago in the offseason, has recorded just two assists in 11 games. However, he was never known for his offence, especially this season, as he ranks near the bottom among his teammates in expected goals with 0.1 and xGF/60 with 0.05, according to Moneypuck.com.
The Chatham native will continue to be a veteran presence for this Blackhawks team as they continue their rebuild.
4. Joel Edmundson
Contract: 4-year, $15.2 million ($3.8M AAV)
October stats: 10 GP – 3 G – 2 A – 5 PTS
Edmundson wasn’t a Maple Leaf for long, playing in nine regular season games and seven playoff games with Toronto, but I decided to give the Brandon, Manitoba native some love. After all, he has come out of the gate with a surprisingly hot start with the Kings.
For a player known for being a defensive defenceman rather than offensive-minded, Edmundson has recorded five points – three goals and two assists – in his first nine games with his new team after signing a four-year, $15.2 million contract.
As you might expect, while the counting stats look good, the advanced numbers tell a different story, meaning Edmundson is not likely to keep this up, especially the goal-scoring. According to Moneypuck.com, Edmundson ranks 16th on the Kings with an xGF/60 of 0.16, only ahead of Jordan Spence, Caleb Jones, Andreas Englund and Kyle Burroughs.
What are your thoughts on their start to the season with their new teams? Let us know below!
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)
