Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas held court at the club’s practice facility on Friday after the official announcement of the extended bridge deals to wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Kapanen signed a three-year, $9.6 Million extension ($3.2 Million AAV) with $3.7 Million of the first year’s $4.4 Million salary being signing bonus. Johnsson signed a four-year, $13.6 Million extension ($3.4 Million AAV) and his contract is also front-loaded and bonus-laden, with $4.3 Million in signing bonus and a $700,000 base salary in year one.
“(The signings) give us real certainty that they are locked in for more than just the one year.” Dubas said. “It’s a nice relief for us and we hope for them, (it) gives them the ability to relax and just come in and continue to develop and reach their potential.”
With two-thirds of his RFA task complete, Dubas is now focused on clearing the most difficult hurdle of the summer in getting Mitch Marner signed. That is not expected to be easy and may not happen in the next few weeks, as the two sides negotiate the term and salary on the Leafs leading scorer’s second contract.
The Leafs GM confirmed that the club will not be active on July 1 with the limitations of saving cap space for Marner’s new deal, which ends even the remote possibility of pending UFA Jake Gardiner returning to Toronto. Dubas indicated that he would like to bring back veteran blueliner Ron Hainsey, but that the 38-year-old may get offers more lucrative that Toronto cannot match with their limited resources.
What Dubas did admit was that the club will be looking for players willing to take short-term minimum contracts for the opportunity to play in Toronto and restart or extend their career, like forward Tyler Ennis after being bought out by Minnesota last summer.
“We are trying to do some creative things on the edges, with players that perhaps look (the chance to play in Toronto) as a legacy opportunity for them or look at it as a chance to rebound.” Dubas said. “I think Ennis was a great example last year, so that has captured the attention of others. If you are a forward, you have the ability to play with some excellent players and if you are a defenseman, you look at the opportunity and the ability to compete and think that in our marketplace, if you come in and perform, all the attention you are going to get is going to be generally positive.”
Ennis scored 12 goals in 51 games for Toronto, playing mostly on the fourth line, and will likely turn that bounce back season into a significant pay raise from the $650,000 league-minimum salary he signed for last July.
Veterans who were bought out earlier this month (Corey Perry, Dion Phaneuf) are likely to have multiple teams interested in signing them and will draw more than the league-minimum salary on a new deal, but there are a few possibilities that would be intriguing for the Leafs and might be willing to take a one-year contract.
Forwards
Jason Spezza - The veteran forward is not being re-signed by the Stars after five years in Dallas, and at 36, the Toronto native may be looking for one last chance at winning a Stanley Cup.
Riley Sheahan - Sheahan played under Babcock in Detroit and with Pittsburgh and Florida last season. The 27-year-old is capable of playing wing and center and would give the Leafs some flexibility with Zach Hyman out to start the season and an upgrade as a fourth-line replacement for Frederik Gauthier.
Defense
Dan Girardi - The ex-N.Y. Ranger spent two seasons in Tampa and although slowing down, the 35-year-old is still capable of playing a secondary/special teams role on the blueline. Girardi is also a right handed shot, which Toronto is in desperate need of.
Michael Del Zotto - The 29-year-old played only 19 games in Anaheim and St. Louis last season, and may look at Toronto as an opportunity to play regularly and re-establish himself to get another NHL contract.
Alex Petrovic - The rugged blueliner was dealt from Florida to Edmonton last season and played only nine games for the Oilers. The 27-year-old is a righty, who might see an opportunity as a bottom pairing defenseman with the Leafs.
Luke Schenn - The Leafs fifth overall pick in 2008, Schenn has been a journeyman ever since being traded for James van Riemsdyk in 2012, playing for Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim and Vancouver and may see opportunity with his old club.
Marc Methot - The 34-year-old missed all but nine games for Dallas last season and had season-ending cartilage transplant surgery on his left knee in January. The former defense partner of Erik Karlsson might be willing to take a one-year deal to continue his career and a low-risk gamble for the Leafs if he pans out.
There are many other potential bargains on the market and it is possible that some of these signings will happen later in the summer when some players options narrow.
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