Maple Leafs have an opportunity to sign 900-game veteran as their third line center
Tonight a new veteran free agent has potentially hit the market after Ryan Johansen was bought out of his contract and he could be a perfect fit with the Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have mostly addressed their defensive unit during free agency. Today a move was made by the Philadelphia Flyers that could allow that to change. The Flyers put veteran forward Ryan Johansen on waivers for the purpose of termination.
With this termination, Ryan Johansen is expected to be a free agent in the coming days. If he does hit the free agent market Ryan Johansen could fill the much-needed third-line center role for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Could Ryan Johansen be a good fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
In years past the Toronto Maple Leafs third line center role has been a bit of a revolving door. In recent years the Maple Leafs have tried to get David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok, or even Max Domi to fill that role. The problem with this rotation is that it takes each player out of their intended role.
When Max Domi was signed he was expected to be a top-six winger. Due to the struggles, he has had to shift to center in the bottom six. David Kampf is a natural center and is good at locking down the other team but lacks the offensive upside to play higher in the lineup with his career high in points being 27 in 2022-23. Then there is Calle Jarnkrok who has a mix of these problems he is an offensive winger expected to play higher in the lineup who has struggled to score.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs can bring in Ryan Johansen on a player tryout or cheap contract he could be a great addition. At his peak with the Nashville Predators, Ryan Johansen was a 50 to 60-point player playing second-line minutes. However, injuries over the last two seasons have derailed his production.
If the Philadelphia Flyers do go ahead with the buyout of Ryan Johansen he could be one of the best remaining free agents on the market. If the Toronto Maple Leafs still feel the need to upgrade their third-line center spot a call could be made to his agent in short order.
As this buyout situation continues to develop we will provide the latest updates on Ryan Johansen's potential free agency and the Maple Leafs potential interest.
Source: Hockey Reference
Ryan Johansen Stats
| POLL | ||
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs try and sign Ryan Johansen? | ||
| Yes | 308 | 64.4 % |
| No | 170 | 35.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
