Jack Roslovic admitted the Maple Leafs were the best fit over contending teams given that he's familiar with some of the players - and believes they can compete.
Roslovic signed a two-year, $8-million deal on the first day of free agency this past summer, and it reunited him with Auston Matthews while also giving the Maple Leafs a proven 20-goal scorer who can help supplement the rest of the stars up front.
He's a versatile forward who can slide up and down the lineup depending on what Jim Hiller needs him to do, and he's part of John Chayka's win-now approach where short-term signings were brought in for the chance at immediate success.
What Roslovic said about a team that just missed the playoffs
Roslovic explained on TSN OverDrive on Aug. 13 why Toronto appealed to him despite the Leafs coming off a disappointing season. His answer focused on familiarity, the new-look roster and his belief that the group is ready to compete:
They've been a team that you could say didn't have their best year last year. But it's a team that is new, it's young, it's vibrant, it's ready to win. A couple familiar faces around, a really good style of hockey that's exciting, and I just wanted to be a part of it.
Roslovic also admitted that with him not being the only newcomer in the lineup, there's going to be a new sense of camaraderie where the old guard and new faces can come together and find a strong bond and chemistry:
With some new faces around, it creates a little bit more in the department of camaraderie. I think we're all super excited about being able to do that, and I think that the core group that's been here for many years is excited about it as well.
The ability to keep on pushing as fast as we can start pushing the ship with them, it's gonna be really fun.
Obviously Roslovic feels confident that the team is able to keep competitive in the strong Atlantic Division, and after coming off a 21-goal season in Edmonton, he at least knows the pressures of what it takes to stay atop the standings.
Why almost every Chayka signing ends in 2028
But it's that competitive nature that has led the Maple Leafs to adjust their strategy this past offseason with John Chayka betting on the next two years. The majority of the contracts acquired this summer expire in 2028 with only Darren Raddysh, Nick Paul, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Brandon Duhaime are signed past 2028.
That means there's a lot of stock put into the team to win within the next two years, so that not only can they find themselves finally maximizing the potential of Auston Matthews, but also have a chance at re-signing him when his contract expires.
There also may be another reason behind the short-term deals that stretch beyond Matthews' win-now window and that's Gavin McKenna. Whether intentional or not, that window gives the Maple Leafs room to reassess the roster around both Matthews and McKenna after the next two seasons.
It's a gamble that the Maple Leafs have been cautious to take over the last few years, where the team decided instead to play it safe without really stripping things down. Roslovic's scoring, versatility and familiarity with Matthews make him a relatively short-term bet inside a roster Toronto has clearly built to compete immediately.
Do you think Jack Roslovic was the right fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
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