First PTO Signing Drops, Maple Leafs' Next Move Could Be a Big One
Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Wild kicked off PTO contract season by agreeing to terms with Jack Johnson, so could the Maple Leafs follow suit with a move of their own?
Training camp and the preseason is going to kick off shortly which means teams are going to be shoring up their last-minute additions and may be looking for that final piece that pushes them over the edge, or gives them a solid insurance policy.
Minnesota decided to get some festivities started, and while it's not the flashiest signing, it could end up paying off for them; and also kickstart the next moves.
It was announced on Monday that the Wild had signed veteran defenseman Jack Johnson to a PTO, giving him a chance to audition in the preseason with the hopes of landing with the team.
Johnson, 38, appeared in 41 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, registering six assists, and a minus-13 rating in only 12:52 TOI. A Stanley Cup winner with Colorado, he'll be appearing in his 20th NHL season if he ends up signing with the team.
Why PTO Season Could Be Brad Treliving's Best Chance to Add Key Depth
With Johnson being added to the fray in Minnesota, perhaps the Maple Leafs should follow suit and take a look at a few names on the market and see if they have interest in a brief audition.
The trade market is slim, and unless the team can swing a deal and dump a lot of bodies, that's going to be tough. Plus, they are running out of cap room, and while they have an overage they can hit; the more they save, the better/
Adding a PTO like they did last year with Steven Lorentz who translated that into a hard-fought season which earned him a three-year extension; it went from a potential spot to being locked in for the next little bit.
Toronto is an injury-prone roster, so the more bodies they can add, the more chances they'll have to handle some of the inevitable rough patches the team will encounter.
Three Low-Risk Targets Who Could Boost the Leafs' Roster Before Opening Night
So who could the team go after? If they were looking for scoring they can take a look at either Andreas Athanasiou or Craig Smith; two veterans with aa solid offensive resume and can help out in a pinch.
They won't cost much either should they sign a deal, and Toronto can overload their contract with performance bonuses to sweeten the pot.
Athanasiou is a former 30-goal scorer who is only two seasons removed from a 20-goal output. It's worth taking a flyer on him, and his lightning quick speed could give Bobby McMann some competition.
Smith is older at 35, but he would be a great depth option for the bottom-six, and his versatility and two-way prowess could give them what they need.
Finally, they should look to add James Reimer just to see what he has left in the tank, as the team lost Matt Murray and could use a veteran to help out instead of relying on their rookies in case of emergency.
So there's a lot of choices for Brad Treliving, and beyond these three there's a dozen more and it's about time Toronto started making some more plays before it's too late.
TRENDING NOW
