Two big names the Toronto Maple Leafs need to avoid this summer
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving have a lot of work to do heading into the offseason but not all moves are good moves and two big-name players could be players to avoid.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a new era of hockey under head coach Craig Berube and GM Brad Treliving in his second offseason. This means many fans are expecting big moves to set the new core going forward. Names like Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Sam Reinhart, and Brandon Montour have all been linked to the team.
Steven Stamkos
Brandon Montour
Sean Walker
Tyler Toffoli
Sean Monahan
Chris Tanev
Matt Duchene
Warren Foegele
Adam Henrique
Dylan DeMelo
Who will the Leafs bring home?
As much as some of these names could be exciting to Maple Leafs fans a pair of them the team should stay away from. Both Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane are entering the back half of their career and are going to want too much term.
In the case of Patrick Kane he has shown an inability to stay healthy in recent seasons. His hip surgery last offseason creates longevity issues. He did come back and play well but generally players with his type of injury do not last long after. On top of the hip injury he suffered another injury shortly after signing with the Detroit Red Wings.
Kane suffered a lower-body injury Sunday against the Maple Leafs, but it's said not to be his surgically repaired hip.
In the case of Steven Stamkos, the issue becomes more fit and age than health. He has been a consistent contributor to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a decade now. His production did take a dip over the last two seasons but he still put up 40 goals this season.
He reached the 1,100-point milestone and moved into sole possession of 16th place all-time in power-play goals.
The problem then becomes that at age 34 Steven Stamkos could still demand a big paycheck and a long contract. At that age, Steven Stamkos likely will not be worth the contract he gets. On top of that, his value is mostly tied to goal scoring and at the moment the Maple Leafs already have goal scoring in spades with Auston Matthews and John Tavares.
While both of these players would be a splash signing to bring excitement to the city of Toronto they just simply are not worth the risk and resources. Heading into this offseason the Maple Leafs need to build for the future and find pieces that will compliment their stars already in place.
Source: Editor In Leaf
3 Big-Name Free Agents the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Pursue, 2 to Avoid
| POLL | ||
Would you like if the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Patrick Kane or Steven Stamkos | ||
| Yes Patrick Kane | 103 | 13.2 % |
| Yes Steven Stamkos | 270 | 34.7 % |
| No don't sign either | 406 | 52.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
