Former members of the last year’s Toronto Maple Leafs had to suffer through 27 days of free agency before one finally was able to latch on with a team. The Los Angeles Kings signed left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky, who will take over the spot vacated by former King Alexander Frolov, who just signed with the N.Y. Rangers. Ponikarovsky and Frolov both signed one year deals.

Lee Stempniak’s name has been in the wind recently, so it seems likely that a signing is imminent. Jamal Mayers might get a one way contract from a team looking for a veteran 4th liner, but it is also possible that he could be left without a chair when the music stops. Based on how Vesa Toskala’s game has regressed the last few years, it would be surprising if he got any interest from an NHL team. Hope he has a warm coat for those winters in Russia. Former Leaf Pavel Kubina was one of the first wave of free agent signings when he agreed to a multi-year deal for $3.5 Million per year on July 2nd, but others ex-Leafs like Darcy Tucker and Dominic Moore are still on the market and looking for a home for next season.

The free agent market is still laden with talent. Names like Selanne, Kariya, Modano, Guerin and Madden are some of the quality veterans who could help a number of teams(like Toronto) with their talent and experience, but as the cap space evaporates, these players and others will be forced to taking short term deals with teams that will give them a chance to play and showcase their skills. This is a chance for astute managers to add key pieces that could make the difference between success and failure.

With Toronto, the next move is totally dependent on whether a Tomas Kaberle deal is completed. The talks should heat up now, since the clock is ticking towards the August 15th deadline. The likely return of a scoring forward would make it unnecessary for Brian Burke to go back into the free agent market, unless there is a bargain that he cannot pass up. If Kaberle remains a Leaf after the deadline, then Toronto still needs to add someone who could be a viable stop gap as a top-six forward. The name that continues to be rumored is Toronto native Raffi Torres, but others like Marek Svatos and Maxim Afinagenov have also been mentioned.

Stay tuned……

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