It definitely wasn’t the start that Toronto Maple Leafs fans were hoping for as it was a quiet first day of free agent frenzy. Instead of making a big splash, the moves that general manager Brad Treliving made left a questionable impression on many, as he signed Ryan Reaves and John Klingberg.
After that is when Treliving made his mark, making two key signings in bringing in Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to fill out the Maple Leafs top-six forwards. While these aren’tlong-term contracts, Treliving did say that teams were definitely going to be smart about how they approached the offseason.
There is a common theme with these new signings. The hope is to change the Maple Leafs’ mentality and outlook by becoming tougher but without losing the skill that makes them a lethal offense. Let’s take a look at each transaction as well as a grade for each one.
Tyler Bertuzzi
Contract: 1-year, $5.5 million
It was no secret that the Maple Leafs needed help up front with the number of forwards they lost to free agency. They especially needed help in their top-six– particularly on the left side– as that has been missing for some time. With Michael Bunting signing with the Carolina Hurricanes and Matthew Knies on the rise, they might have an answer in Tyler Bertuzzi.
Bertuzzi is the prototypical replacement for Bunting. He brings a lot more offensive upside and can still tread that line of being a major pest without crossing it, something that happened quite a bit with Bunting in the second half of the season. Bertuzzi is definitely an agitator, but can still compliment the skill that Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner has. He brings a different element but one that can propel this line to be even more dangerous.
Bertuzzi has dealt with injuries throughout his career and even most of the 2022-23 season. However, he found his game when he was traded to the Boston Bruins, recording 16 points in 21 games. He also had good underlying numbers with both the Detroit Red Wings and Bruins at five-on-five in the regular season.
| Category | With DET | With BOS |
| CF% | 50.34 | 55.71 |
| xG% | 50.26 | 55.23 |
| SCF% | 48.91 | 58.82 |
| HDCF% | 47.44 | 53.03 |
Bertuzzi’s production took off when playing high-end players on the Bruins. He was especially impactful in the playoffs as he was tied for the team lead in points in the playoffs with 10. While he wanted term, he wanted to go to a team with a chance to win and the Maple Leafs were on his list.
If things work out, there could be an extension with the team in the future.
Grade: A
Ryan Reaves
Contract: 3-years, $4.05 million, $1.35 million AAV
Treliving’s first move came with some criticism, signing Ryan Reaves to a three-year deal. For one, he’s 36 years old and the contract will take him until he is around 40. That is a big risk alone. The second is the value of the contract. While $1.35 million may not seem like a lot, for a fourth liner it really isn’t the best value considering the money needs to be spent properly for more important roles in the lineup.
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With the role of the enforcer obsolete at this point, Reaves is still one of the toughest customers out there when it comes to patrolling the ice and keeping the top players safe. He knows what his job is going to be, being in the face of the opponents on the ice and bringing the intensity. Off the ice, he has the character and personality and will look to provide that veteran presence to help change the mood of the team.
Reaves had 196 hits last season between the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers and averaged less than 10 minutes a game. He’s not going to make an impact on the scoresheet, but he does know how to set the tone and let the opposition know that no one will be taken advantage of. We’ve seen that often with this Maple Leafs team where they’re hesitant to stand up for themselves. Reaves can change all that with his presence, but aside from that, there may not be much upside.
Grade: D+
Max Domi
Contract: 1-year, $3 million
For the longest time, many wanted to have Tie’s son Max Domi on the team just because of the name. Well, it finally happened as he inked a one-year deal with the team.
After a breakout season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19 with 72 points, Domi’s production has fluctuated. However, he had 56 points combined with both the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in 2022-23.
Domi can serve as a replacement for Alexander Kerfoot in terms of his versatility to move up and down the lineup. One difference, is there’s more of a willingness in Domi’s game to get in on the forecheck and establish an attack. Kerfoot didn’t quite have the mindset to challenge opponents. Although Domi doesn’t hit, he’s a work horse and battles hard along the boards. The Stars made the Western Conference Finals for a reason and Domi was a key factor on the run with his mindset and drive.
If Domi can generate the secondary scoring like he did last season, plus being a major nuisance for the opposition, this could be a great signing. There’s also the possibility that he can sign a multi-year deal after this one and make this home, as Elliotte Friedman suggested on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast (time stamp- 01:03:10).
Grade: B-
John Klingberg
Contract: 1-year, $4.15 million
John Klingberg will be the biggest wildcard or gamble out of the four signings that Treliving made in the first few days. However, for one season, it’s worth it.
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Let’s be clear, Klingberg was brought in to be another strong puck-moving option on the backend and a factor on the power play. In addition, to alleviate some of the pressure off Morgan Rielly. He’s there for his transitional game, breakout passing and getting pucks on net from the blueline– which was a big issue for the Maple Leafs. Klingberg had 10 goals last season between the Anaheim Ducks and Wild, which would’ve been first on the Maple Leafs last season.
His defensive game is not near the caliber of Jake McCabe or T.J. Brodie. Klingberg was on for 56 goals against at 5-on-5 during the regular season with the Ducks, but he did have an improved goals for percentage with the Wild at 63.16. If you can pair him with a strong defensive-minded player, that could be a good balance.
It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds. Seeing how the Maple Leafs are a strong offensive team with strong transitional play, this might work in his favour with his style of play with his passing and ability to join the rush. He started to show better results with the Wild and could do so again with the Maple Leafs. Can he show a little more consistency within his own zone?
Grade: C
Final Thoughts
All in all, the Maple Leafs did a great job to address every area of importance in the first few days of free agency. They’ve added some much-needed offensive punch and tenacity up front while also addressing the need to have another strong and mobile puck-mover on the backend. There’s some work to do, but Maple Leafs do look like a different team that could be tougher to go up against while not losing the speed and skill that makes them dangerous on a nightly basis.
Only time will tell if these changes pan out.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and NHL. Salary Cap info from Cap Friendly.
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