Darren Dreger Outlines the Maple Leafs' Top Priority This Offseason, and It Says a Lot About Their Plans
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
NHL Insider Darren Dreger has an idea of how the Maple Leafs are going to approach the offseason this summer, especially in terms of roster construction.
While the Maple Leafs focus on the season ahead of them, they are going to be implementing a lot of changes. Be it the roster, management, or coaching staff, it's going to look a lot different from 2024's squad.
A lot of talk about who they might bring in has dominated the headlines recently, and everyone from Sam Bennett to Nikolaj Ehlers to Brandon Tanev have all been named as potential new faces.
Toronto Aiming To Get Bigger, Therefore Better: Darren Dreger
But NHL Insider Darren Dreger believes that Toronto's top priority is going to lie within their newly formed identity:
With the Leafs «DNA» possibly changing, especially if players like Marner or even Tavares are on the move.
There's no doubt head coach Craig Berube wants his team to be grittier, heavier, and more bullish up front. But that's where it gets challenging.
The trade market isn't clearly defined, and while you can look at the UFA pool and maybe make sense of some RFAs, it's tough to know what kind of conversations Toronto has had; or will have.
There's money that can be reinvested, but once you look past free agency, how are you acquiring those pieces? Berube coaches a certain way and demands a specific structure.
There's no doubt head coach Craig Berube wants his team to be grittier, heavier, and more bullish up front. But that's where it gets challenging.
The trade market isn't clearly defined, and while you can look at the UFA pool and maybe make sense of some RFAs, it's tough to know what kind of conversations Toronto has had; or will have.
There's money that can be reinvested, but once you look past free agency, how are you acquiring those pieces? Berube coaches a certain way and demands a specific structure.
But Dreger eventually laid it all out plain as day for everyone to understand:
I think for the most part, the Leafs adhered to and embraced that type of playing philosophy. But it's believed he [Berube] wants a different style, one that's tougher and more direct; and that's where things could shift moving forward.
So with that in mind, who are some potential targets the Maple Leafs could look at to get tougher for next year?
Toronto's Potential Free Agent Targets
First and foremost, Sam Bennett seems the most ideal target for Toronto to both make a splash and also add that toughness, grit, and physicality.
He's going to cost a pretty penny, but given his offensive capabilities, playoff acumen, and ability to impact the game both mentally and physically is a huge asset.
He only scored 51 points this season, but has 16 points in the playoffs and is fighting for his second straight Stanley Cup win, and third straight appearance in the Finals.
But with the potential that he doesn't want to play in Toronto, it would leave them empty handed.
Or maybe not. They could look to lower tier options such as Brandon Tanev, the younger brother of defenseman Chris Tanev; he's a no-nonsense winger who doesn't mind putting his body on the line and can give you 10-15 goals a season.
Christian Dvorak is going to be an underrated free agent who would be fairly cheap and offer Toronto a solid 3C/4C while giving them solid enough defense up the middle; Dvorak scored 33 points in 82 games and won nearly 56% of his face-offs.
There's also Yanni Gourde, a veteran Cup winner who despite his short stature plays like a giant. He doesn't mind throwing his body on the line, can give you steady offense, and has proven to be a clutch playoff performer.
Gourde dealt with injuries this season, but has averaged 17 goals for his career, and has a total of 43 points in 88 games (20G, 23A) but within that has 7 game-winners.
He'll definitely be cheaper than his near $6M cap hit this year, and would easily slot into Toronto's third line. If they made a couple potential moves, here's how a lineup could look next year:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Bennett - Nylander
Tanev - Tavares - Gourde
Holmberg - Laughton - Lorentz
That lineup, albeit a bit expensive, can still give the Maple Leafs a balanced lineup that spreads out the offense a bit, while not sacrificing the defense, and adding the tougher names into the lineup.
You're looking at roughly $18M altogether by signing Bennett, Tanev, and Gourde (and not including re-signed names like Tavares or Matthew Knies) and while it's a lot at first glance, the team has options to dump cap too.
But it's worth a shot, given that it seems Toronto is going through an identity change, and a makeover seems woefully overdue.
| POLL | ||
MAI 31 | 583 ANSWERS Darren Dreger Outlines the Maple Leafs' Top Priority This Offseason, and It Says a Lot About Their Plans Who should be Toronto's top target this free agency? | ||
| Sam Bennett | 275 | 47.2 % |
| Mitch Marner | 150 | 25.7 % |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 56 | 9.6 % |
| Aaron Ekblad | 102 | 17.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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