The Toronto Maple Leafs have been active this offseason, and they could be aggressive in free agency in adding more talent to the roster.
Toronto will look to add more secondary scoring to the lineup and should look to bolster the middle-six. Ahead of free agency beginning on July 1, NHL analyst Josh Wegman of TheScore predicts the Maple Leafs will sign Viktor Arvidsson to a three-year, $15 million deal.
“Prediction: Signs with Maple Leafs for 3-years, $5M AAV. Arvidsson’s speed and motor should be appealing for a Maple Leafs team that needs to get faster and could use another top-nine winger option. The Swedish influence already on the team in William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, plus Mats Sundin in the front office, could help sway Arvidsson. He also excelled playing under new Leafs head coach Jim Hiller in Los Angeles,” Wegman wrote.
Arvidsson would add more speed and secondary scoring to the Maple Leafs lineup, which desperately needs it.
The Swede spent last season with the Boston Bruins, a rival of the Maple Leafs. He recorded 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points in 69 games. If he can do that in Toronto, it would be a great addition to the lineup, especially at just $5 million per season.
Maple Leafs GM Reveals Free Agency Approach
Toronto is looking to add more depth to its roster in free agency.
The Maple Leafs are coming off a disappointing season, and new GM John Chayka said they plan to be active in free agency to add more depth to the roster.
“It is depth, for the most part,” Chayka said about the Maple Leafs plans. “There are a few holes we have, but we are going to be really focused on the depth early and see if we can round out the roster.
“Again, there are some bigger swings we’ll take and look at some things, but ultimately, it is a two-sided marketplace. There are some smart agents out there who are trying to maximize the value for their players as well. We are going to be disciplined in the marketplace and make sure we do our best to make the team the best possible.”
Chayka, however, knows free agency is where some bad contracts are handed out, so he plans to stay patient.
“There are some players we like. There are some needs we have. We will be aggressive, but we will also make sure we are not doing anything to hurt the future,” Chayka added.
The Maple Leafs have just over $22.2 million in cap space.
Bruins Continue to Talk to Arvidsson
If Arvidsson reaches free agency, he will be highly-sought after as he’s a solid second-line winger.
Yet, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said he’s still talking with the forward about a potential extension.
“We still have our own UFAs that we haven’t finalized anything. We have continued to discuss there,” Sweeney said. “I think complementing that group as it sits, and being cognizant of the goalscoring. We talked about adding speed, and any time we can add skill to our group, we are going to try to do that.”
Arvidsson’s career high is 34 goals, while his career high in points is 59, showing he can be an effective secondary option.
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