Jonathan Marchessault emerges as the Leafs plan B if they lose Tyler Bertuzzi
A new report suggests that if the Toronto Maple Leafs lose Tyler Bertuzzi in free agency, Jonathan Marchessault could be Brad Treliving's plan B.
There's a lot of work on Maple Leafs' general manager Brad Treliving's desk. The draft is in less than two weeks, and free agency is set to go down a few days later.
The GM will need to decide on which free agents he wants to sign. As of now, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, and Joel Edmundson are the most likely to sign in Toronto. This could leave Martin Jones, Ilya Samsonov, Ilya Lyubushkin, T.J. Brodie, and Mark Giordano with no other option but to test the market.
An interesting suggestion emerged if Brad Treliving isn't able to reach a deal with Bertuzzi, according to a new report.
Jonathan Marchessault linked to the Leafs as possible plan B for Tyler Bertuzzi
Our colleagues over at Maple Leafs Daily explored the idea of seeing Treliving go after Marchessault on the free agent market if Bertuzzi decides to sign elsewhere.
David Pagnotta reported earlier this month that signing Marchessault would be a priority for the Golden Knights:
However, the Vegas Golden Knights don't have a lot of money to spend this summer, which could force Marchessault to join another team.
Even if Treliving should focus on acquiring top defensemen, if Marchessault is available and the opportunity is there, he'd be an interesting addition to the team's top six.
The Leafs need to get players who can perform in the playoffs, and Marchessault fits that description. In 106 postseason games, the forward scored 76 points and won both the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2022-23.
Depending on how many teams are interested in him on the market, we can expect him to sign a contract valued approximately at seven million a year.
Do you think Brad Treliving should focus on signing Jonathan Marchessault if he can't keep Tyler Bertuzzi?
Source: Maple Leafs Daily
If the Leafs can't bring back Bertuzzi, there's an even better plan B available
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should focus on signing Jonathan Marchessault if he can't keep Tyler Bertuzzi? | ||
| Yes | 262 | 70.2 % |
| No | 111 | 29.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
