As discussed in yesterday’s column, the position that may see the greatest transition for the Toronto Maple Leafs is left wing, with the potential departure of Zach Hyman and Nick Foligno.
If both veterans depart in free agency after July 28, the left side could be the biggest weakness on the Toronto roster, with rookie Nick Robertson stepping into one of the top-six vacancies and an unknown replacement filling the other.
The question is who does GM Kyle Dubas potentially target in free agency or on the trade market to replace Hyman and/or Foligno. Arizona RFA Conor Garland has been connected to Toronto as far back as the trade deadline, but adding the righty shooter would likely mean moving William Nylander permanently over to left wing.
TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Wednesday that if the Leafs do not get a deal done with Hyman or Foligno, that it is possible that they look towards a couple players who celebrated on the ice in Tampa last night as members of the Stanley Cup champion Lightning.
UFA’s Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman could potentially be free agent targets, since both shoot left, kill penalties, and can play multiple positions, but coming off two straight Cup victories, it is likely that they will draw significant interest from multiple clubs and get multiple offers in the same neighborhood as Hyman.
Another name mentioned as possibly being someone that Toronto would have interest in is Taylor Hall. The former Hart Trophy winner scored eight goals in 16 games after being dealt to Boston at the deadline and is rumored to be negotiating with the Bruins on a long-term extension, but Dreger said that the Leafs would have interest in him depending on the length of term and AAV.
The Leafs could have opted for Hall at the deadline for a lower price than Foligno, but the rugged veteran was a better fit for Toronto’s needs than the skill set that Hall possesses. That fact has not changed since the club was eliminated by Montreal in May, so the rumor of Leafs interest in Hall may be a ploy to get more money out of the Bruins on a long-term deal.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.*******
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»