There was bound to be changes for the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the offseason. While they won a playoff round, a disappointing effort in the second round showed that there’s still a long way to go with this team.
Especially with news that Justin Holl, Alexander Kerfoot and Michael Bunting won’t be returning, that frees up a lot of space for the Maple Leafs to pursue some quality depth options in free agency. There is also the option of going for a high-profile name or two to address a top-six forward or top-four defenseman.
New general manager Brad Treliving has a lot of work to do. He could go for a big name, but there are still serviceable players that can move up and down the lineup and provide a strong presence as key depth pieces in the middle part of the lineup. Here are three strong candidates that can fill out those roles.
Carson Soucy
I thought of Carson Soucy as a potential trade target last season for the Maple Leafs as he would be everything that they need in a strong second or third pairing defenseman. He’s big, physical, can play the left or right side and has a very underrated offensive game. Now that he’s a free agent, he’s definitely a target the Maple Leafs should pursue.
Soucy is coming off a three-year deal with the Seattle Kraken where his cap hit was $2.75 million. Considering his production was down slightly– going from 21 points the previous season to 16– you could look to the fact that he could come in at a cheaper price. However, his value lies in his transitional play and breakouts that the Maple Leafs would value. He is quick on puck retrievals and is successful on the exits where he can start an attack.
Soucy is a minute eater at both even strength and on the penalty kill. Last season, he averaged 14:24 per game and 1:42 while shorthanded per game. He was a consistent defensive presence for the Kraken, getting into lanes and blocking shots, with 96 last season. In addition, he definitely isn’t afraid to make his presence felt with the physical play as he had 143 hits. Having the stable defensive-minded player on the back end would definitely improve a Maple Leafs team that was already strong defensively.
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Should they target Soucy, the Maple Leafs could sign him to his AAV (average annual salary) from last season or just under it. He may be a valuable option on defense should the team feel that Timothy Liljegren isn’t ready for a top-six role.
Miles Wood
The New Jersey Devils have a few unrestricted free agents that need to be signed, including Miles Wood. But they do have a number of key restricted free agents that need to be prioritized like Timo Meier. Could Wood be pushed out of the roster and could the Maple Leafs pursue him as a strong and cheap middle-six option on the left side?
Wood is a veteran of 402 games, but injuries have been a major concern– including a long recovery from hip surgery in 2021-22– as he hasn’t played a full 82-game season as of late. When he’s healthy, he’s extremely effective with his speed and ability to establish a forecheck. He’s a player that provides an impact at even strength as he had 24 points. Wood had a 54.24 goals for percentage at five-on-five in the regular season, showing that the results are there when he’s on the ice.
Wood would also be a player that can be a factor on the second powerplay unit. He plays with a great amount of energy and ability to crash the net and isn’t afraid of playing the body in order to gain possession. That kind of mentality is what was missing in the playoffs and Wood can bring that element as he had 16 hits in eight playoff games.
Because of Wood’s injury history, it’s possible that he can still be signed at his current contract or just slightly over. Anything more than $3.5 million could be a big risk given the history. But considering he can be just as productive as Kerfoot and bring more of an edge to his game, he would be a very decent replacement option. Signing him would be worth it considering his ability to impact in all facets of the game.
Evan Rodrigues
Evan Rodrigues’ time as a Maple Leaf was previously short lived. He was initially acquired in the Kasperi Kapanen trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Toronto didn’t extend him a qualifying offer, eventually re-signing with the Penguins.
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Since signing with the Penguins and eventually going to the Colorado Avalanche, he has recorded 96 points in three seasons. That is decent production for a player that could provide a little more consistency and compete in a middle-six role. Rodrigues did a commendable job with the Avalanche to cement himself as a key role player that can chip in offensively every now and then.
Considering he had a cap hit of $2 million last season, Rodrigues seems like a player that could’ve made a strong impact when the Maple Leafs initially acquired him. Even comparing him to Kerfoot, Rodrigues has better numbers at five-on-five during the regular season.
| Category | Alexander Kerfoot | Evan Rodrigues |
| CF% | 52.39 | 55.94 |
| xGF% | 52.92 | 54.10 |
| SCF% | 54.08 | 57.53 |
| HDGF% | 59.52 | 62.26 |
These results bode well for Rodrigues as he had great success. Despite moving up and down the lineup as well, he spent 21.6 per cent of his time with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen at even strength last season according to Dobber Frozen Tools. When he was playing with them, Rodrigues provided results offensively. That line was on for 20 goals for and 12 against. Compared to Kerfoot, he was a combined 11 goals for and against at even strength when in the top-six.
If the Maple Leafs signed Rodrigues to a contract around $3 million, that would be ideal. He would be another player that lives up to his contract with the production that he’s capable of.
Given how the Maple Leafs need to start filling roster spots with a number of free agents possibly leaving, they need to start finding quality talent at cap hits that are affordable. Soucy, Wood and Rodrigues are players that have shown upside and success lately that can definitely make the team more skilled and competitive.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick, NHL and Dobber Frozen Tools.
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