The Leafs’ offseason has moved into its real phase now, and the two names sitting at the center of everything are Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly.
All signs point to Rielly being traded, and insiders say he’s fine with it. The only real questions are when it happens and where he ends up. Knies is drawing so much interest that he could also be moved, but that one sounds like it may not come together until after the free-agency dust settles - if it happens at all.
The market, as Chayka put it in his Bay Street voice, is illiquid. In other words, teams are asking for more and giving up less, and that makes moving players harder right now. At this point in the summer, some clubs may have even suspended redemptions, and there’s no Bank of Canada coming in to inject liquidity into the hockey player market.
For now, the Leafs have fish in the river waiting to be reeled in, but nobody has cast a line yet.
Last week brought plenty of other Leafs business, from free-agent signings to trades around the league, plus Paul Holmg... err I mean Danny Briere making an Offer Sheet for Leo Carlsson after a late-night surge that left Carlsson set to become the NHL’s highest-paid player at an average of $18 million per year. Sidney Crosby, by comparison, makes less than half that on the winding-down end of his Penguins contract.
Toronto also had development camp, run by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.
The camp itself doesn’t carry a huge amount of weight when it comes to judging what a player can do, but it still matters to compare what players look like now to prior seasons. It also gave a rare chance to see players from European leagues in a more accessible format, even if the scrimmage was blurry at times.
Brian’s full recap includes individual notes on Tinus Luc Koblar, Gavin McKenna, and several others.
One more offseason wrinkle: the players who elected salary arbitration are now no longer eligible for an Offer Sheet. That group includes both Robertsons, along with:
Bourgault, Xavier (Ottawa Senators)
Dach, Kirby (Montreal Canadiens)
Drysdale, Jamie (Philadelphia Flyers)
Greaves, Jet (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Jefferies, Alex (New York Islanders)
Krebs, Peyton (Buffalo Sabres)
McMichael, Connor (St. Louis Blues)
Perfetti, Cole (Winnipeg Jets)
Robertson, Jason (Dallas Stars)
Robertson, Nick (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Schmid, Akira (Florida Panthers)
Schneider, Braden (New York Rangers)
Seeley, Ronan (Carolina Hurricanes)
Sillinger, Cole (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Zegras, Trevor (Philadelphia Flyers)
In Other News...
Why The Leafs Clearly See More In Brandon Duhaime
Brandon Duhaimes arrival gives the Maple Leafs a very specific kind of depth piece, one they clearly believe can do more than just fill out the bottom six. Signed to a three-year deal, the forward brings a reputation for being hard to play against, and Toronto is betting that edge matters as much as any skill he adds to the lineup.
What makes the fit interesting is the way Duhaime is being cast around the roster, not just as a grinder but as a physical presence who can help keep younger players from getting pushed around. His history of dropping the gloves and his willingness to play a rugged game suggest the Leafs see a tougher, more useful version of the old-school deterrent, with enough offensive touch to contribute if everything clicks. [Read more 🡒]
Bobrovskys Arrival Just Changed Everything For The Leafs Goalie Future
Sergei Bobrovskys arrival in Toronto immediately reshapes the Maple Leafs goalie picture, and not just for the present. Signed to be the starter, Bobrovsky also brings the kind of veteran presence that can matter to a young prospect like Artur Akhtyamov, who still looks like part of the organizations long-term plan. For a club that has been searching for stability in net, the move gives Toronto a proven option while also setting a very different timeline for its next wave of goaltending.
Akhtyamov remains a promising name in the system, but the path to real NHL minutes just got a lot narrower. Bobrovsky is expected to handle a heavy workload and stay durable enough to keep the crease mostly spoken for, which means Akhtyamovs chances could be limited to spot duty if injuries open the door. For now, the Leafs get the security they wanted, while their prospect may have to spend a lot more time waiting for the opportunity that once looked much closer. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Just Settled A Depth Question Fans Have Been Watching
The Maple Leafs quietly wrapped up a small but important bit of business by locking in three depth pieces for the next stretch of roster planning. Forwards Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg each landed one-year extensions, while defender William Villeneuve got a two-year deal, giving Toronto a little more clarity on the back end of its organizational depth chart and in the group of forwards pushing for AHL and NHL opportunities.
Villeneuve stands out as the most immediate insurance policy, a right-shot defender with limited NHL experience who is viewed as an injury call-up option when the Leafs need help. Quillan and Tverberg come with their own roster-management wrinkles, including waiver and arbitration considerations that matter if Toronto wants to keep shuffling players between the big club and the Marlies. For a team that has been watching its depth decisions closely, these were the last relevant RFA boxes left to check. [Read more 🡒]