The Toronto Maple Leafs were active on the opening day of free agency, but one deal isn’t well-received.
Toronto signed scoring winger Jack Roslovic to a two-year, $8-million deal. Although with the cap rising, the contract isn’t that much, NHL analyst Justin Bourne of Sportsnet didn’t like the signing, as he doesn’t think Roslovic is much of a fit.
“Leafs take machine gun: Roslovic is tough to fit in, just as Maccelli was. If he’s in your top-6 it’s weak, not sure he fits an L3 role,” Bourne wrote on X.
Bourne believes Roslovic is an odd fit for the Maple Leafs as the analyst doesn’t think he’s a top-six forward for the Maple Leafs. But his style of play doesn’t fit as a bottom-six forward, which is why Bourne isn’t a huge fan of the move.
Roslovic skated in 69 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, recording 21 goals and 15 assists for 36 points. The year prior, he had 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points in 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Roslovic is also good friends with Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, as they played together at the US National Team Development Program. So, perhaps Roslovic can play on his line, but Bourne doesn’t think it will happen.
Maple Leafs GM Explains Roslovic Signing
Toronto went out and signed Roslovic to add some secondary scoring to the wing.
However, Maple Leafs GM John Chayka said Toronto envisions Roslovic as a Swiss Army Knife and someone who can play up and down the lineup.
“He is a bit of a Swiss-army knife, right? We like him up the middle, too. He has actually performed quite well there, especially as his game has matured over the years,” Chayka said. “He’s a great skater who is great through the neutral zone. He is a guy who has a history with Auston, so that certainly helps. The right shot was an important part.
“If you look at our lineup from last year and our inability to create offense in certain situations, we really felt like the over-indexed lefties were a problem. The fact that he is a right shot, and with Auston and John are up the middle, these are different options for the coaching staff.”
Chayka, meanwhile, believes Roslovic adds some flexibility to the Maple Leafs lineup, which is key.
“Everyone kind of looked quickly and said, “What does this look like today on a piece of paper?” Injuries, underperformance, things happen; a move comes up, we move a player, and now we have a hole. The more flexibility we have in the lineup, the better it helps a coach put together the best roster night in and night out. The guy who has flexibility is a helpful attribute,” Chayka added.
Projecting Toronto’s Forward Group
After the opening day of free agency, the Maple Leafs’ roster looks much different.
Following the first wave of free agency, here is what Toronto’s forward lineup could look like.
- McKenna-Matthews-Roslovic
- Knies-Tavares-Nylander
- Joshua-Paul-Cowan
- Duhaime-Blueger-Sissons
It’s a new-look roster, and Chayka is hopeful that it leads them back to the playoffs.
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