With free agency slowing down, the Leafs still have a number of contract spaces available. Hopefully Brad Treliving will go a little against what Kyle Dubas did earlier and not burn through their 50, leaving himself with no wiggle room once the season begins, but with the Leafs out of cover space and a list looking close full save for the starting goalkeeper, my attention has turned toward some swing. for options for depth of fences. Here’s who I’d like Leafs to take a chance on.
Tyler Benson
Benson is a two-way forward who can easily be used in the top six Marlies and is a perfect bubbler in the bottom six of the Leafs. Coaches love players who can come in and fill their low-event hockey and don’t look out of place, and that’s who Benson is currently.
Benson was at one time very popular and like Patrick has been slowed down by injury. So far, he’s only been developed in the Oilers system and it will be interesting to see what he can do in a few different directions.
Isaac Ratcliffe
You can’t teach size but you can teach other things. Isaac is 6’6 and that’s a good starting point, but in the six years since he was drafted, Ratcliffe hasn’t added much in the way of tools to prove himself in the NHL or even really stand out in the AHL.
With a need for warm bodies on the Marlies, Ratcliffe might be an interesting option to pursue, but it’s definitely a long shot.
Jesse Polijarvi
It seems every reclamation list should include Puljujarvi. There are many who still expect big things from him and think he was simply done in Edmonton. I don’t think it’s that simple. What’s more realistic is that Puljujarvi needs a chance to be the solid third-line player he always was and evolve into a player who mainly slows things down in the no-man’s land, throws the occasional giant bunt, and cracks in some. Accidental offense.
Puljujarvi will be on the shelf for a long time and that actually benefits a team like the Leafs. He can be immediately thrown in at LTIR and Toronto can be confident with injuries and reactivation while working for Puljujarvi’s health, development, and Leafs salary situation.
Ryan Merkley
At 22 years old, Merkley still has some time to piece it together. He was a very promoted prospect but had to work through some behavior issues. Not being around him I have no idea what happened from these alleged issues but at one time there was a lot of talent trapped in Merkley and with a defensive coaching specialist at the Marlies now in John Gruden it looks like it wouldn’t be the worst thing to send a tough project his way and give the Leafs A chance to see if there is anything that can be unlocked on a skillful right shot.
Andreas Johnson
The road after the Leafs has been rocky for Andreas Johnson and perhaps reuniting Johnson with Keefe, who has consistently gotten the best hockey out of Johnson, is a reasonable course of action.
At his best, Johnsson was a would-be penalty killer who could score 20 goals while playing on the third line. With the Leafs looking to boost their depth and Johnson looking to stay in the NHL, this looks like a possible matchup and a much better alternative than paying Connor Brown $4M for this encounter.
If Johnsson can be picked up on the cheap or brought in on a PTO, the Leafs would be wise to bet on getting him back on track.
Honorable Mention: Nolan Patrick
I was a huge fan of him at the Wheat Kings, and while injuries certainly took their toll on him and slowed down his career if not ended it outright, I wonder if slow but steady rehab in the Leafs organization might get him back on track. If the Leafs hold out for several years with Nolan Patrick at a high but totally buoyable AAV ($1.15 million), he may have some time to recover and restart his career.
It’s also very likely that this is the unfortunate end to Nolan Patrick’s career, but if there is hope that he can make a comeback, risking the 6’2 second overall position isn’t the worst thing you can do.
If none of these options excite you, it makes sense. They are reclamation projects and with the Leafs in winning mode now it’s definitely not the priority. However, it is a good way to create better depth.
Max Lajoie was already a start in the right direction as the Leafs went with a player Dean Chynoweth had some experience with and someone John Gruden could get the best out of. With Lajoie already a high-performance AHL defenseman and captain of the AHL team in Carolina, he also has potential for some promotion with the Leafs.