The Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest offseason headline was easy to spot: Sergei Bobrovsky coming in to handle the crease. That move carried the kind of weight that instantly brings back old memories, the sort of signing that makes people think of the 2002 summer when the Leafs added Ed Belfour.
But tucked into the rest of the roster shuffle was a move that didn’t get nearly the same attention: Brandon Duhaime.
John Chayka has already taken heat for it, especially with Duhaime landing on a three-year deal worth $7.8 million. Plenty of fans looked at the number and saw a depth forward getting paid like more than that.
The argument for Duhaime is simpler than the contract debate. He’s not there to pile up points. He’s there to be the kind of presence the Maple Leafs didn’t really have last season - a big brother type who can step in when things get messy.
That role is less about intimidation for intimidation’s sake and more about making sure nobody gets too comfortable. Duhaime isn’t the old-school enforcer type Kyle Clifford or Ryan Reaves was.
He can actually play. He’s the sort of player who would have gone straight after Radko Gudas’ throat after the hit on Auston Matthews.
He’s not going to become Matthews’ full-time bodyguard, and that’s not really the point. The point is that he can keep other tough guys honest.
And there’s another layer here: Duhaime could get a boost from skating with better talent. A center like Colton Sissons, for example, could help him improve on last season’s numbers.
That’s where the upside starts to creep in. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Duhaime reach double-digit goals, and there’s even a path to 20 points again. For a player brought in with this kind of job description, that would be a pretty useful bonus.
There’s also the Gavin McKenna angle. Opposing coaches are going to look for ways to lean on the Maple Leafs’ first-overall pick, even if McKenna isn’t exactly small. He’s not the biggest guy out there, which makes him a natural target for tougher assignments.
That’s where Duhaime fits in. He doesn’t need to shadow McKenna every shift to make an impact.
Just having him around changes how opponents think. With 54 fights on his resume, he’s not someone anyone wants to test.
Take a run at McKenna, and there’s a good chance Duhaime is the next problem coming your way. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to imagine the two on the same line for a stretch, either. If the Maple Leafs want to protect a potential franchise cornerstone, Duhaime gives them a straightforward way to do it.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Be Eyeing The Blue Line Swing Fans Fear And Crave
Daniel Alfredssons arrival as an associate head coach has already given the Maple Leafs a new layer of intrigue, and it naturally invites a look at how Toronto might try to use that connection to its advantage. Alfredsson spent years on the other side of the rivalry as the face of the Senators, so his presence behind the bench gives the Leafs a familiar name with real weight in any conversation about improving the blue line.
The idea is complicated, though, because any move of that size would have to clear both roster and financial hurdles, and Toronto would be dealing with a player on a major contract who is still set to hit free agency next summer. Even before the Maple Leafs get to the hockey fit, they would have to decide how much they are willing to part with from a defense corps that already has its own structure, which is why this remains more of a tantalizing possibility than a simple next step. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Added Two Underrated Names With Real Paths To Matter
The Maple Leafs have added a pair of low-risk, potentially useful names in Ryan Tverberg and Samuel Hlavaj, both on one-year contracts as part of recent roster movement. Tverberg, a forward, comes off a role in the Marlies Calder Cup run, while Hlavaj brings a goaltenders resume that includes international work for Slovakia and another season in the AHL.
For Toronto, the appeal is obvious: these are players who are not being handed anything, but who can push for real consideration if they carry their momentum into camp and into the fall. Tverberg has already shown he can help in a winning environment, and Hlavaj arrives with enough experience to make the goaltending picture worth watching, even if both still have to prove they belong in the Leafs conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Have Found The Young Winger This Top Six Needs
Trade chatter around Buffalo has given Toronto another name to think about as it looks for a winger who can help the top six. The appeal is easy to see: a young forward coming off a career-best season, with enough production to suggest there may still be another level to reach, and enough age to fit with a team trying to balance present urgency with longer-term value.
Quinn is also in the final year of his contract, which only adds to the intrigue for a Maple Leafs front office that has spent plenty of time weighing fit, cost and upside on the wing. Nothing has been reported officially, but the idea of adding a player with his scoring touch and room to grow is the kind of conversation Toronto will keep circling as it looks for ways to deepen its forward group. [Read more 🡒]