Maple Leafs Miss Out on Key Free Agent After Signing Massive Deal

While the Maple Leafs are focused on re-signing Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies before they get anything else done.

If those moves failed, they could have shifted gears and went after a premium defenseman and work from the back end up in terms of reshaping their team.

There are several who could be available, though one who won't be on the market for the long-run is Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun who signed a massive contract extension on Tuesday.

The deal keep Chychrun in Washington through 2033 and will no doubt see him be the leader of the Capitals defense for the foreseeable future.

The last time it feels like Washington was so dead set on keeping a defender was Mike Green, and while he may not have that 30-goal season that Green once had; he's doing a darn fine job of taking his place as the leader.

In 65 games this season he has 43 points (18G, 25A) with a plus-24, a staggering 54 point increase from last year. He's grown defensively and only being 26 is just reaching the prime years of his career, and who knows what he's capable of.

Drafted 16th overall by Arizona in 2016, he spent seven seasons in the desert before being traded to the Ottawa Senators.

Washington then acquired him on the first day of free agency last season, in a move that the Sens may be kicking themselves over; even if there was a bit of friction with Chychrun.

So with Chychrun being extended, the Maple Leafs will need to shift gears to names like Aaron Ekblad, Ivan Provorov, and Neal Pionk. It's not a big list of premium players, and no doubt the price is going to be high given the pool of talent.

Losing out on Chychrun might hurt, and Toronto very well could have been the frontrunners this summer, we have no idea.

But they have more pressing matters to attend to, and money that needs to be better spent elsewhere, all things considered.