Opinion: Maple Leafs Need Their Big Free Agent Signings To Start Justifying Their Massive Contracts

TORONTO - Out of all the NHL players who changed addresses this summer, the one who is enjoying the most productive start to the season also happens to be one of the biggest bargains.

Jack Roslovic, who scored both of the Toronto Maple Leafs' goals in a 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, has eight goals and 18 points in 17 games.

That's more than injured teammate Kirill Marchenko has scored so far. It's also more than Brady Tkachuk, Alex Tuch, Pavel Dorofeyev and every other the other newly acquired player around the NHL.

And the best part is that unlike most of those players, Roslovic is only earning $4 million this season.

That's the good news. The bad news for the Maple Leafs is that their two biggest free-agent signings — goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and defenseman Darren Raddysh — are still trying to justify their massive contracts on a team that is currently on the outside of the playoff picture.

Bobrovsky, who was last summer's highest-paid free agent goalie at $21 million over three years, stopped 33 of 36 shots against Utah on Tuesday. But it was still his eighth loss in 11 starts. 

Raddysh, meanwhile, still doesn't have a goal after scoring 22 times last season in Tampa Bay. In Tuesday’s loss against the Mammoth, it wasn't his lack of offense that stood out. Rather, it was an undisciplined cross-checking penalty on Barrett Hayton at 11:42 in the third period, which then led to the Mammoth scoring the game-winning goal on the power play.

"A stupid penalty," head coach Jim Hiller said after the game. "Let's call it what it is — and it cost us. Thought we had all the momentum, and didn't turn out very well for us."

Following the game, Raddysh also pointed the finger at himself.

"They've got a lethal power play and I kind of took a dumb penalty there, so I take blame for that one," he said immediately following the game.

Give Raddysh credit. He could have ducked the media or blamed the refs for deciding to call an otherwise meaningless penalty in a tied game. Instead, he stood in front of his dressing room stall and made no excuses for getting into a his costly error in judgement.

"No, it's a penalty," he said. "It's one I would like to have back. Nothing I can do about it now. Just move on and just too bad we didn’t get the result we wanted."

No team made more changes to its roster than the Maple Leafs did last summer. Heading into the season, the team had 10 new bodies on its roster. That's a lot of turnover, especially for a team that also replaced its head coach.

While there have been bright spots from the newcomers — most notably, Roslovic and rookie Gavin McKenna, who has five goals and 11 points in 17 games — not every player has looked comfortable in his new home.

Bobrovsky, who has allowed three or more goals in 10 of his 11 starts, has an .889 save percentage and may have lost his starting job to Anthony Stolarz.

Raddysh, who ranks first on the Maple Leafs in ice time, is not in any danger of having his minutes cut back. But with no goals and eight points in 17 games, his increased workload has not exactly led to more offense from last season.

"It's a new year. Whatever you did last year, that's in the past," Raddysh said after Tuesday's morning skate. "If I don't score a goal all year and we go on a long run and win the Stanley Cup, I'm okay with that. So I'm just trying to help the team win as best as possible and just go about my business each and every day."

Of course, it's not just the Maple Leafs who are wanting more out of their new guys.

Bowen Byram, who signed a massive six-year extension with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $75-million after being traded out of Buffalo, had no goals and six points before getting hurt.

After scoring 35 goals or more in back-to-back seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, Dorofeyev is on pace for 21 goals with the New York Rangers. And after wearing a target on his back in Edmonton, it's a good thing that Darnell Nurse is playing in anonymity in San Jose, now that he's got a goal and and just two assists in 15 games.

Raddysh, who signed an eight-year deal worth $68 million, would be the first one to tell you that he "can do a better job" at producing like he did in Tampa Bay. He'd also be the first to tell you that there was a bit of puck luck involved with the offensive production he had last year.

Raddysh ranked in the top-5 among defensemen in shots on goal last season. But he also had a 10.4 shooting percentage — almost double his previous career average. This season, Raddysh ranks in the top-10 among defensemen with 41 shots in 17 games. The only difference is that the puck hasn't found the back of the net.

At least, not yet.

"Yeah, I think I'd like to shoot the puck a little bit more," Raddysh said. "You know, I think there's times when maybe I'm passing it too much, or I do shoot it no one's at the net front. That's maybe not a good shot for me. But yeah, I think just try to keep doing what I do. Try to go about my business, and eventually one will fall."

The season is a little more than a month old, so there's plenty of time for newly acquired players to get acclimated to their new homes. But for now, the Maple Leafs need more out of their new guys.

More specifically, they need Raddysh and Bobrovsky to start justifying the money their making. 

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