The Toronto Maple Leafs were extremely busy on the opening day of NHL free agency.
Brad Treliving and company dished out a whack of cash.
All in all, they were resourceful with their cap space.
Naturally, that’s where the conversation started on the Canada Day edition of Leafs Morning Take. In generalities, we spoke about Toronto’s day and how it stacked up to the rest of the chaos around the league. I was a bit underwhelmed, but to be fair, that’s more about them not pulling off a big trade to shake up the core of the roster. Big picture, Rosey and I are feeling much more optimistic about the direction that the team is going. At the very least, the blue line is much better than it was this time last week.
Presented by Greta Bar YYZ, we went through the free agent signings in chorological order. Firstly, we started by breaking down the Chris Tanev deal. After acquiring the 34-year-old’s rights from Dallas on Saturday afternoon, the Leafs were able to hammer down an extension with the East York native. Brad Treliving finally got his guy. And honestly, he’s a really good fit for where this team’s at right now.
After that, we talked some Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The 32-year-old, who’s coming off a strong postseason with the Panthers, inked a four-year deal. After seeing what some other guys got, the Leafs did pretty well with this contract, too. At least to start, Ekman-Larsson figures to play in the 5-6 pairing. On top of that, he could become a big-time factor on the first power play unit as well.
Then, we broke down the crease. Anthony Stolarz, who just won a Stanley Cup with Ekman-Larsson in Sunrise, comes in on a two-year deal. Additionally, Toronto re-signed Matt Murray, who effectively, will play the Martin Jones role from last season as the tertiary option. On paper, things look decent in between the pipes. That said, it’s understandable to be weary of injuries.
Meantime, the Leafs finalized a trio of extensions. Max Domi, Joseph Woll, and Timothy Liljegren were all handed multi-year extensions. Again, keeping with the theme, Treliving did pretty well —all things considered. After that, we got into a conversation about Nick Robertson. In case you missed it, the 22-year-old officially requested a trade on Sunday night. For what it’s worth, Rosey and I both agreed that it’s time for a change. They need to figure this out. It’s fair to question if Robertson has any trade value right now, though.
Lastly, we talked about all the departures. Tyler Bertuzzi (Blackhawks), Joel Edmundson (Kings), Ilya Lyubushkin (Stars), Noah Gregor (Senators), and Ilya Samsonov (Golden Knights) all found new homes on July 1st. Oh well. Such is life.
We’ll be back with you on Wednesday at 11 AM ET. Talk then!
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