Potential Targets: Six Defensemen the Maple Leafs Could Pursue in NHL Free Agency
Three weeks away from the opening of NHL free agency and one thing remains clear: the Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for some significant changes this summer. A revised forward corps, a new-look goaltending tandem, and perhaps the biggest hole to fill, addressing the blueline.
With Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano, and John Klingberg among the notable unrestricted free agents on the club’s backend come July 1, it’s no secret this defensive core will need a shake-up – a newly improved one to be precise.
Plenty of viable options are set to hit the open market this summer if not re-signed by their respective teams. If presented, here are six worthy candidates that general manager Brad Treliving should consider in the offseason to help bolster the team’s roster.
Brandon Montour, Florida Panthers
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Though many question if Brandon Montour will continue to flourish under a system that is not the Florida Panthers, his offensive abilities tied with his physicality and aggressiveness will be serviceable for many teams looking to add to their right side, including the Leafs. Even though he is 30 years old and due for a pay raise, Montour would be a forceful help on the Leafs’ backend at five-on-five and on the powerplay.
Logging well over 20 minutes a game, Montour is another right-handed option that competes on both ends of the ice while leveling out his game through his physical presence. On an expiring three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Florida Panthers (carrying a cap hit of $3.5 million), Montour is expected to attract plenty of attention come July 1 as one of the most highly sought-after two-way defenseman on the market.
For the Leafs, Montour could be a great option to acquire, but for the right price. His best season in the NHL was in the 2022-23 season when he posted a career-high 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games. However, outside of that, he hasn’t exactly produced the same numbers in his 10 years of experience.
Perhaps what helps him jump off the page is his ability to perform in the postseason. In the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Montour scored eight goals in 21 games, the fifth-most by a defenseman in a single playoff run in NHL history and the most in the 2022-23 postseason. As the Panthers are currently competing in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, Montour has recorded three goals and seven assists in 18 games throughout the playoffs.
The Brantford, Ontario, native, has anchored the Panthers’ power play this season and, as mentioned, could be another feasible option for the Leafs on that end. Regardless of that, it must be prefaced that the Leafs don’t want to find themselves stuck paying top long-term dollars for an aging defenseman – because one team likely will.
Nikita Zadorov, Vancouver Canucks
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The Vancouver Canucks made a splash at the 2024 trade deadline to acquire the 6-foot-6 defenseman Nikita Zadorov in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-round pick in 2024. Zadorov, otherwise known as “Big Z”, came as advertised: tough, gritty, and played a physical brand of hockey. He excelled in the postseason with the Canucks and is widely considered among the top two available lefties on the open market if he reaches that point.
At 29 years of age, the Russian native will be in search of obtaining a lucrative contract wherever he ends up, following the conclusion of his two-year, $7.5 million contract signed by Treliving in July of 2022. The Leafs attempted to trade for Zadorov at the deadline, but their lack of wiggle room within the salary cap boundaries halted their chance to nab the coveted defenseman.
Now set to hit the open market, the talks with former Calgary Flames and current Maple Leafs general manager Treliving, can resurface. If the club managed to land him, he would bring a tenacious playstyle and become a strong addition to a depleted blueline in Toronto while likely seeing time inserted on the penalty kill.
Split between time with the Flames and Canucks in the 2023-24 regular season, Zadorov scored six goals and added 14 assists for 20 points before erupting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – finding the back of the net four times and tacking on another four assists bringing his point total to eight through 13 games.
Chris Tanev, Dallas Stars
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In relation to Zadorov, the Leafs attempted to trade for Chris Tanev as well – before he was shipped off to Dallas for Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 conditional third-round pick at this year’s trade deadline. Tanev, the 34-year-old, is a player the Leafs may want to revisit as an addition to their right side.
The right-handed defenseman is an elite defensive defenseman with excellent shot-blocking abilities. Though he may be turning 35 in December, he carried the workload for the Flames before he was moved to Dallas, where he then took on first penalty kill unit duties. The Toronto native played in his final season of a four-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Flames back in October 2020. His contract carried an annual average value of $4.5 million, and a reunion with Treliving in his hometown may be an opportunity he seeks to take.
In the 2023-24 regular season, the 14-year veteran had two goals and 17 assists split between his time with the Flames and Stars adding two assists in 19 postseason appearances in Dallas. Despite his age, Tanev would be a strong fit for a Treliving-led Maple Leafs team that is not only tremendously impactful, but he plays with heart, passion, and intensity in the defensive zone. If brought in for a respectable number and shorter term deal, the Leafs should not close the door on the idea to bring in Tanev.
Matt Roy, Los Angeles Kings
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Perhaps a more underrated selection, Matt Roy set a career-high in assists (20) while adding five goals in his sixth season with the Los Angeles Kings. Slotted in on the second pairing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov, Roy brought a physical presence with reliable penalty-killing abilities as a solid two-way, right-handed defenseman.
The Leafs are in the market for a steady right-handed defender who has an opportunistic upside at 29 years of age. Coming off a three-year, $9.45 million contract, Roy will be in search of maximizing his value this time around as he’ll be high in demand. For Leafs’ management, Roy is presented as a relatively cheaper option than some of the other names on this list, but he does plenty of things right as a potential second-pairing defenseman – quite frankly, a potentially underrated signing.
Brady Skjei, Carolina Hurricanes
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Despite being a left-handed shot, Brady Skjei is a valuable asset the Leafs could use on the powerplay and penalty-killing units. In Raleigh, where he spent the last five seasons, Skjei has been a reliable puck-moving defenseman, finishing this past season with 13 goals, 34 assists, and 47 points in the regular season. Impressively, Skjei followed up his regular season production with nine points in 11 postseason games (1G, 8A).
Though the Leafs are in dire need of an attractive right-handed shot defenseman, Jake McCabe played on the right side last season with lefty Simon Benoit entering the mix – meaning Skjei could still be inserted on the left side. Concluding a six-year, $31.5 million contract that carried a cap hit of $5.25 million this season, logging over 21 minutes a night in 2023-24, the former first-round pick (28th overall) can play anywhere in the top two defensive pairings and be effective.
For the time being, he can be seen as a utility man to help lead the club’s special teams from his experience in Carolina. The only concern for the Leafs’ management could be giving him a rather lengthy contract, considering he turned 30 in March.
Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes
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The Carolina Hurricanes will be feeling a cap crunch this summer that may force the team to move on from highly coveted players like Brett Pesce. As reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, the Leafs are expected to pursue the right-handed blueliner if he becomes available.
Drafted by the Hurricanes in 2013, the 29-year-old could be seeking a contract that earns him more money than Carolina has to offer. Coming off a six-year $24.15 million contract carrying an average annual value of $4.25 million per season, Pesce will likely earn upwards of $5-6 million when considering other deals given in 2023 and the value he has heading into the open market as a right-handed penalty-killing defenseman.
Pesce could fit nicely on the team’s top pairing alongside Morgan Rielly adding stability and experience to the right side. His asking price isn’t estimated to be too high and could certainly become manageable for the Leafs when considering all the transactions the club will see over the next few months.
Pesce has averaged over 20 minutes per game for eight consecutive seasons. Over his nine years of experience, he’s scored 44 goals and added 175 assists for a total of 219 points across 684 games in the regular season and postseason for the Hurricanes.
All in all, the Leafs have to be wary of where and how they spread their money, though it may make things difficult with many other potential suitors amongst the 31 other teams looking to add to their roster. These are six candidates that, if the price and term are right, could be suitable fits to fill out their blueline come October. All six of these candidates are sizable upgrades and would be beneficial in the postseason. With an estimated $19.7 million in cap room according to Puckpedia.com, expect the Leafs to be aggressive on the open market and involved with names on this list.
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