Toronto Maple Leafs lose defenseman Joel Edmundson

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Julien Trekker
July 1, 2024 (1:49 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs officially lost defenseman Joel Edmundson to free agency on Monday afternoon.

Edmundson, acquired by Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs at the last trade deadline, has officially joined another organization. His status as a free agent was confirmed when the free agent market opened, and only a few minutes after he was eligible to sign a contract, he did so.

He signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings, valued at $3.8M a year.

Per Frank Seravalli:

"Sources say #LAKings have agreed to terms with defenseman Joel Edmundson: 4 years x $3.8 million."

Toronto Maple Leafs replace Joel Edmundson with Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson

To replace Edmundson, the Maple Leafs signed Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, two of the most sought-after defensemen on the market:

"🖊️ We've signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year contract"

"Oliver Ekman-Larsson signs a four-year deal with the #leafs worth $3.5M AAV, per @DarrenDreger."

While Edmundson's departure could have hurt the team, Treliving made key acquisitions to replace him. With Tanev and Ekman-Larsson, the Leafs' blue line promises to be interesting to watch next season.

As for the Kings, they got a good player for a reasonable price. Edmundson's leadership and defensive reliability could help LA finally get past the first round of the playoffs following three straight eliminations at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.