According to Pierre LeBrun, free agent forward Luke Kunin is medically cleared and ready for an NHL job as the Maple Leafs could use him to turn things around.
Times are dire in Leafs Land right now. They've lost six straight at home, there's serious concerns about William Nylander and his sudden inability to do anything offensively, and Auston Matthews might be one step closer to leaving town.
They don't have much room to improve externally, and because of their cap situation they can't add many players without sending money out. That thins their roster even more, and could cause bigger issues down the line.
They could take a look at certain free agents available like Patrik Laine and Vladimir Tarasenko, as both remain unsigned and could fit with a one-year deal or even find themselves on a PTO.
Luke Kunin gets the green light for medical to continue his NHL career
But there's one name who has appeared back on the free agent list after off-season surgery, and according to Pierre LeBrun - he's ready to get back on the ice:
UFA forward Luke Kunin got fully medically cleared this week; NHL teams have started to circle back on him. I suspect Kunin...will find an NHL home before too long.
Kunin has been recovering from off-season ankle surgery, and just got the green light to resume hockey activities and get himself back on the ice.
The former 15th overall pick of the Wild is a solid bottom-six contributor who you can rely on for 10-15 goals, and 100+ hits while adding some solid face-off metrics and shot-blocking as well.
For his career, Kunin has 77 goals and 152 points in 496 career games and he's a versatile forward who can add some much needed scoring help to a bottom-six that lacks offense.
Kunin offers the Maple Leafs their cheapest external option
He would make a solid replacement for Dakota Joshua on the wing, or if there are concerns about Zack MacEwen's future given his wrist issues then he's a solid asset - and provides a better offensive look than Bo Groulx and Vinni Lettieri.
Kunin would also come cheap as they would end up likely signing him to a league minimum or at the very least give him a PTO to see if he's a fit.
Right now, the team is desperate to see if anything can work and giving Kunin a shot is at least a brand new look. They have some internal options available like Brendan Brisson, but Kunin is also not really an aging veteran as he's only 28.
Toronto can't do much with the situation they put themselves in so they need to get creative and find help in the unlikeliest of places. Perhaps that lies in a motivated Kunin, who is ready to get back to the NHL in a hurry.
Should the Maple Leafs bring in Luke Kunin as part of the roster through free agency?
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