As the sun set on the first day of NHL free agency, the Maple Leafs had done nothing to fill the gaping hole left by the departure of Mitch Marner.
In truth, there was probably little GM Brad Treliving could do; Marner is such an elite talent and the list of top-six wingers in free agency was remarkably thin.
So Treliving did what few Leafs GMs have done in the history of the salary cap: He restrained himself.
“You’re not necessarily going to find a player to replace Mitch,†Treliving said. “The market was limited in terms of those players. So now you have to look at other avenues.â€
The longer time passed without Marner re-signing with the Maple Leafs, the more GM Treliving had
It quickly became apparent that teams had the money, thanks to a rising salary cap, to keep their own players as many big names, like Vancouver’s Brock Boeser on Tuesday, and Florida’s Sem Bennett last week, simply decided to stay put.
So Treliving finished the day with more than $5 million in salary-cap space and will look to the trade market in the coming days and weeks to find a first-line right winger.
“I’ve got a little change in my pocket,†he said. “We would have liked to have used that but, if there’s not a fit, we will take the flexibility. We want to find players. We’ve got lots of time in front of us before we start the season. We’re certainly going to be looking to add.â€
As much as the first-line right-wing position is open, the left-wing job is firmly taken, with Matthew Knies’ six-year, $46.5-million (U.S.) deal officially announced.
“I wasn’t the happiest to see that (Marner) is leaving but I think we’ve made some great moves, some great additions,†Knies said. “I think we’re going to be stronger. I think we’re going to be a great team.â€
As much as the pressure of the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ market appears to have contributed to Marner’s departure, it also contributed to the Phoenix-born Knies wanting to stay.
“It’s a lot to do with how much I love the city, the guys on the team, the staff. We get first-class treatment. We have a great group. We’re continuously making the playoffs and making pushes. That was a huge part of it, too. And, all in all, the culture and the city, I just love it all.â€
Monday saw the Core Four era that began with unprecedented hope end in a debacle of managerial
Treliving worked hard to get something for Marner, ultimately landing third-line centre Nicolas Roy in the trade with Vegas.
“In a situation where a player was walking away for nothing, we were able to recoup a player that fits a need for us,†Treliving said. “We’re excited about Nic. Big centreman. He’s got a Stanley Cup ring to his name. And kills penalties. Right shot.â€
The 28-year-old Roy, who has two years left at a cap hit of $3 million, said he grew up a Leafs fan despite living in Amos, Que.
“My favourite player growing up was Mats Sundin, so I was cheering for the Leafs until I was 11 or 12,†Roy said.
Roy, who was with Marner in the Hockey Canada program as teenagers, said he understands there is pressure in being the player coming to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
“(Marner is) an awesome player,†Roy said. “Obviously brings a little bit of pressure knowing what he’s meant to the team. (But) there’s only one thing I can control and it’s getting ready for the season, working out and skating. That’s what I’m focusing on right now.â€
Roy won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023. He has played in 79 career playoff games, with 10 goals and 22 assists.
“The pressure of the moment, it’s really what I enjoy,†he said. “I really like to play in those big moments. That’s what we play for.â€
Cowan has a decent chance of making the Leafs next season after ending junior career with a
Treliving spoke for the first time since placing a bet of sorts in a buy-low trade with Utah for crafty winger Matias Maccelli. The Finnish 24-year-old has one year left on his contract at $3.425 million. He fell on hard times (18 points) and out of the coach’s favour last year after putting up seasons of 49 and 57 points.
“He is a player that our staff had been excited about for a while, (who is) coming off a down year in Utah,†Treliving said. “When he came into the league, he was a dynamic playmaker. When you look at some of the areas that we need to address, playmaking ability was one of them. There’s a bet here on a on a player that we think can rebound from the season he had.â€
Beyond Marner, the Leafs lost a few players. Forwards Pontus Holmberg and Nick Abruzzese signed with Tampa Bay, goaltender Matt Murray joined Seattle and forward Alex Steeves signed with Boston.
The Leafs made their own depth moves, re-signing defenceman Dakota Mermis, signing tough guy Michael Pezzetta from Montreal and forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx from Anaheim, while bringing back veteran centre Travis Boyd, who spent most of last year with Iowa of the AHL. Boyd played 21 games for the Leafs in 2020-21, lost on waivers to the Vancouver Canucks.
Groulx, Pezzetta and Mermis signed two-year contracts with an average annual value of $812,500, while Boyd signed a one-year contract worth $775,000.
Pezzetta, a ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ native, is six-foot-one and 219 pounds. He is known more for his fists than his scoring touch. It’s a low-risk signing for the Leafs, who may see him as a replacement for 38-year-old Ryan Reaves. Reaves is entering the last year of his deal and spent the final part of last season with the Marlies.
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