The dog days of the offseason are upon us and that means NHL teams will not be conducting a lot of business for the next few weeks.
This certainly applies to the Leafs as their most notable moves since the initial flurry of transactions have been getting Connor Dewar extended before his arbitration hearing and their AHL affiliate inking Alex Nylander to a one-year contract. Anything can change in an instant and a major move out of nowhere can take place (ie: Mitch Marner), but it is most likely that Toronto will not be making any more significant adds the rest of the summer.
If any business gets done, it will probably be something small like a PTO. This makes sense because there is zero commitment given to the player and they will only be guaranteed a permanent deal if they make a solid impression during training camp. While some may argue that it’s better to just get the player locked up and deal with the cap shenanigans later, forcing the player to have to earn his spot will allow management to better assess the player and give them more time to decide if it is worth the commitment beyond training camp.
A lot of the remaining free agents fall into the category of having to accept a PTO to grant themselves a chance to stick it out in the NHL. If the Leafs decide to go this route, here are three players that they could consider based on their needs.
Dominik Kubalik
The best way to describe Dominik Kubalik’s career up to this point is an enigma. On one hand, he has shown to be productive offensively with a great shot to match that could make him a reliable top-six forward if put in the right environment. On the other, Kubalik has never been stout defensively and is not very versatile which has been evident with his crazy regression since his rookie season. This past year saw him struggle mightily with the Senators where he was only able to muster 15 points (11 goals and four assists) in 74 games played and his ATOI was drastically reduced to just 12:07 a game.
Kubalik had a rough go in Ottawa which has resulted in his value around the league being at an all-time low. But there is still a quality player in there who just needs to be put in a more ideal situation for him to regain his form and get back some confidence. After all, this is the same guy who was a finalist for the Calder Trophy in 2020 and had a five-point game in his playoff debut so the path for redemption is there for the taking.
With an obvious need for additional depth on the left wing, Kubalik could propel himself into a top-six role and secure minutes on the second power-play unit. Assuming he can earn a spot out of camp, he could help fill the void left behind by Tyler Bertuzzi in terms of net-front presence and offence at a much-reduced price. The soon-to-be 29-year-old would certainly be motivated to revitalize his career and a competitive team like the Leafs could be the ideal place for him to seek that second chance.
Chris Tierney
Chris Tierney would be far from a needle mover and would likely be a player of a similar ilk to what Noah Gregor brought to the Leafs, who was also signed to a PTO. The big difference between the two is that Tierney is significantly better at taking faceoffs and is fine with not being an everyday player at this stage of his career, making him an ideal 13th forward on most contending teams.
He is far removed from his days of being a nearly 50-point producer and has since settled into his role as a checking forward in the bottom six. Tierney could provide some veteran leadership and could be a useful option if the Leafs run into injury trouble in the bottom half of their lineup. Toronto saw a steep drop-off in faceoff percentage beyond their four regulars with the next highest in Pontus Holmberg having a 46.3% efficiency rating. Tierney is coming off a season where he won 57.2% of the draws he took and has a career average of 49.1%, so his arrival would certainly give a boost down the middle and add some cheap depth.
Tierney also would likely want to join a team that could give him a shot at returning to the playoffs as he has missed out on the postseason for the past six years. He won’t be a sexy add by any means, but his playstyle could mesh well with what Brad Treliving wants from his team and give Craig Berube another useful option to consider.
Gustav Lindstrom
I wrote about Gustav Lindstrom last week as a potential option in case Jani Hakanpaa is not able to play. While the Leafs may try and get him to a contract right away, they could instead opt to go the PTO route with the 25-year-old to give themselves a chance to move a body that they deem to not fit their mould before locking him up.
Lindstrom is a RHD who has good size, plays a responsible defensive game, and is dependable at getting the puck out for the breakout. For a defensive defenceman, he is surprisingly active in the offensive zone and likes to jump into the play to set up a scoring chance or go for one himself. He was able to hold his head above water on a bad Ducks team and showed flashes of being an everyday third-pairing guy if granted the chance.
The Ducks opted not to tender him a qualifying offer despite his promising play and their lack of defensive depth on the right side, and their odd choice could be the Leafs’ gain akin to what happened with Simon Benoit. Lindstrom won’t have to be a regular in the lineup, but being coached by Berube can help solidify his role and work his way to becoming an NHL regular on a competitive team. The Swedish blueliner is an intriguing option that Toronto should consider getting regardless of whether it be to a PTO or a permanent contract.
Honourable Mentions: Oliver Kylington, Tyler Johnson, Jakub Vrana, Tanner Pearson
