The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised fans by signing former Edmonton Oilers forward Jack Roslovic. The club inked the 29-year-old to a two-year, $8 million deal.
This deal was one that should have happened last offseason. The Leafs were reportedly close to Roslovic, but somehow, he remained unsigned the entire summer. Roslovic finally inked a one-year deal with the Oilers, seemingly filling a major hole alongside Connor McDavid.
And it’s precisely that link that makes this signing all the more intriguing. Yes, there’s a definite connection between Roslovic and the Leafs. The former 25th-overall pick from the 2015 NHL Draft is close friends with Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
But the signing also brings Connor McDavid one step closer to Toronto.
In particular, the Oilers did not do their team any real favors on Wednesday. The club did not solve its goaltending situation, while losing Darnell Nurse for a meagre return. Roslovic’s departure leaves a hole in the team’s top six, one that hasn’t been filled.
That situation puts the Oilers in a tough spot. And it could pave the way for McDavid to give up and seriously think about moving on next season. That’s where the Maple Leafs could become a destination for McDavid.
After all, if Roslovic gave up on Edmonton and signed with Toronto, what’s to say that McDavid won’t do the same? There might be a trade as soon as next summer. Or McDavid to the Maple Leafs could be the biggest signing of the 2028 offseason.
Sure, this is purely speculation. But the way the deal worked out, there’s plenty to think about.
Matthews Likely Played a Role in Landing Roslovic
Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic go way back. They were teammates in the US National Development program. Roslovic is about a year older than Matthews, hence getting drafted in 2015. Matthews went first overall in 2016.
But that situation didn’t deter the two from maintaining a good relationship over the years. Now, their friendship is likely the catalyst that led to this decision on Wednesday.
The bond between Matthews and Roslovic will also play a role in the two of them being linemates with the Maple Leafs. It would be a stretch to imagine Roslovic playing on Matthews’ right, with Matthew Knies on his left.
It’s an interesting thought to be certain.
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Are Maple Leafs Done This Offseason?
After all the buzz the Maple Leafs made on the opening day of free agency, the team used its $20+ million in cap space to the fullest. The club is now officially $127K over the cap. That’s not a problem, as teams can exceed the cap by 10% during the offseason.
As such, the Leafs won’t need to be cap-compliant until they are ready to play their first game in the fall. In the meantime, the moves that lie ahead will likely involve seeing if there really is a market for Morgan Rielly.
It seems that the easiest move at this point would be for the Leafs to place Max Domi on LTIR and get cap relief that way. That might be the best move forward, especially since Emil Andrae remains unsigned.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Gavin McKenna’s ELC will also have to go on the books. But those should be relatively minor cap issues for the Maple Leafs.
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