The August 15th deadline for unsigned draft picks cost the Maple Leafs Joe Miller, but it also opened the door for them to have several of them audition during camp.
Toronto had until August 15 to sign Joe Miller to an entry-level deal after his four years at Harvard but neglected to, therefore leaving him as a free agent. Though he's signed to their ECHL affiliate in Cincinnati, he's able to be lured away by an NHL deal and Toronto has to simply accept it.
However it does give them a lot more of an opportunity to see if certain players fit, given that they have a slew of free agents to choose from - and can sign them to a PTO. Not only that, but they can sign as many as they want so long as they don't commit to any of them.
Toronto can add NCAA prospects in addition to veterans as they can bring in as many PTO's as they'd like
Aug. 15 also pushed other unsigned NCAA draft picks into the open market, including Cruz Lucius and Chase Clark. That gives Toronto another pool of players it can evaluate alongside veteran free agents if it wants to use camp as an extended audition.
It's a great bit of business if John Chayka were to add a bunch of free agents on PTOs just to get a better sense of who may fit - and use his last contract slot on them.
Lucius, 22, is a deceptive playmaker who uses quick thinking and deft hands to get past opponents and find his teammates. He posted 46 points in 36 games with Arizona State last season, and put up a combined 124 points in 125 games for the University of Wisconsin and Arizona State over his four years in the NCAA.
He could make for a solid bottom-six offensive weapon for the Maple Leafs, and is young enough to be a complementary piece over the next few years. Plus, with Toronto actively improving their scouting department in the US - the Lawrence, KS native may already be being discussed.
Why August free agency gives John Chayka a low-risk way to test the market
For John Chayka, he has a lot on his plate to deal with but when it comes to signings - a PTO is his saving grace. Given that the team can add multiple people, he can at least stock up on potential names who deserve their final contract slot, or if not - be sure they can use it later on.
There's no real committal to these players beyond training camp and with Toronto desperate to add a true final piece. The advantage is simple: Toronto can evaluate players in its own environment before deciding whether any of them are worth an NHL contract
Chayka only has one slot left so he has to be sure who he picks is the right fit, so if there's a method to see as many players as possible then he needs to utilize it.
He's also got the benefit of having his entire team locked up past 2026-27 so he doesn't have to worry about potential free agents, so he can solely focus on adding for right now, and that short-term deal fits in with that short-term win-now timeline.
A PTO doesn't guarantee that any of these players will be signed beyond that, and it's more of a way for them to audition prospective lineup fits without committing ahead of time while also managing to see first hand how they may fit.
That's something that's important for the Maple Leafs given they only have one contract slot left to work with though at least John Chayka has the chance to host an open audition to fill it.
Do you think the Maple Leafs will sign multiple players to a PTO?
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