It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs are undergoing some changes and will look different next season. They lost Mitchell Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, getting Nicolas Roy in return, acquired Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, and recently brought in Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks. While they haven’t quite replaced the offensive production lost from Marner being involved in a sign-and-trade, they still have some money left over to make another splash in free agency this summer.
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One of the best remaining free agents is forward Jack Roslovic, who has yet to sign a new deal with anyone but is expected to sign a contract before training camp gets going, rather than inking a professional tryout (PTO). At 28 years old, Roslovic has carved out a strong career for himself and has solidified himself as a strong middle-six forward.
Last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Roslovic scored 22 goals and added 17 assists for 39 points through 81 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 102 goals and added 158 assists for 260 points through 526 games, which comes out to a 0.49 points-per-game average. With a little bit of money left over and some holes still in their forward lineup, the Maple Leafs should consider targeting Roslovic before he gets snatched up by another team.
Roslovic’s Offensive Style Could Bolster Maple Leafs’ Bottom Six
The Maple Leafs will be hoping they can find their way back to the postseason and finally end their long championship drought, not having won a Stanley Cup since 1967. While Roslovic’s defensive game isn’t perfect, his ability to produce and create offensive opportunities for himself and his teammates makes him an enticing target for any contending team. Heading into last season, the Hurricanes signed him, hoping to add some speed, and that’s exactly what he’d be bringing to the Maple Leafs.
Jack Roslovic, signed 1x$2.8M by CAR, is a bottom six playmaking winger. Speedy with strong puck skills in transition and likes to deke, but hasn't quite been able to put it all together. #LetsGoCanes pic.twitter.com/wjrjNfwcVp
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 4, 2024
His defensive consistency is in question, but bringing him into a new environment where he has the chance to move up in the lineup could make him a promising project. The Maple Leafs’ top-six forward group is fairly set in stone, with Maccelli, Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, Max Domi, John Tavares, and William Nylander. However, adding Roslovic creates some internal competition, especially considering he can play both center and right wing.
Bringing in Roslovic likely spells the end of either Calle Jarnkrok or David Kampf’s time as a Maple Leaf, if not both of them. They also have to consider what their next steps will be with Nicholas Robertson, considering he will want to be a full-time NHL player, rather than someone who is fighting to stay in the bottom six and often sits in the press box.
Some fans may ask why they would spend more money on Roslovic, if they could keep those others and not risk having too much change in their lineup, which is a fair thing to be concerned about, but the reality is, Roslovic is a stronger player at both ends than both Kampf and Jarnkrok, and while they could fight their way into a full-time role next season, they would be better off adding Roslovic, who is a proven consistent contributor.
The other thing Roslovic brings is playoff experience. The Maple Leafs have had a stereotype following them around for several seasons that they can’t get it done in the postseason, and while their lack of success over the last little while would force people to agree with that, bringing in experience always helps, even if it’s just a little bit. Through 45 career playoff games, Roslovic has scored three goals and added 14 assists for 17 points.
There is still plenty of time to make some decisions on what to do with their roster heading into the 2025-26 campaign, but if Roslovic is available and he’s interested in joining the Maple Leafs, they should be all over trying to sign him. Realistically, he is probably looking at a one-year deal worth around $2 million, which is affordable, considering they have just under $3 million in cap space.
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Salary cap data courtesy of PuckPedia.
