In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs had a disappointing season this past year as they missed out on the postseason, posting a 32-36-14 record. The silver lining is the fact Toronto struck gold in the NHL draft lottery, which allowed them to select generational prospect Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick. The club has cleaned house over the summer with a new management and coaching staff implemented. John Chayka takes over as GM while Jim Hiller steps behind the bench.
Who are Toronto’s Additions?
Key additions: Teddy Blueger, Sergei Bobrovsky, Brandon Duhaime, Zack MacEwen, Gavin McKenna, Cole McWard, Nick Paul, Darren Raddysh, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons
Of course, McKenna is the biggest addition to this team. He should be in the Calder mix as one of the top rookies in a loaded class. Toronto has been active with movement outside of the draft as well. Sergei Bobrovsky comes over from the Florida Panthers, hoping to provide stability to a team that has had struggles in net. Darren Raddysh has been inserted on the blueline from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs defensive play left a lot to be desired last year, Raddysh will aim to help change that. The team has also made a flurry of depth additions with Teddy Blueger, Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic and Colton Sissons among those added to the forward core.
Who are Toronto’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Matt Benning, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Dennis Hildeby, Calle Jarnkrok, Matias Maccelli, Nick Robertson, Henry Thrun, Joseph Woll
There have been plenty of big name Maple Leafs players that have been involved in trade chatter throughout the offseason. With that being said, there have not been any major departures from this Toronto group over the summer. However, there are a few losses of note. Defenseman Brandon Carlo heads off to the St. Louis Blues. Forwards Matias Maccelli and Nicholas Robertson were not brought back. The goaltending has also been adjusted with Dennis Hildeby and Joseph Woll on the move elsewhere.
Overall, this has been a busy offseason for the storied Canadian Original Six club. Chayka has been aggressive in his goal of getting this team back into that postseason mix next season. It is important that this retooling process is a quick and smooth one for the sake of this team’s future moving forward. Franchise player Auston Matthews only has two years remaining on his current contract with the squad. It is crucial that this team shows progression towards returning to contention status for their efforts of keeping Matthews in town. McKenna should provide this team a massive boast next season. The loss of Mitch Marner heavily impacted last year’s unit. The hope is that McKenna could replace that production that was lost at the top of the lineup. Perhaps, he can develop a similar type of chemistry with Matthews that was previously seen with Marner.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Toronto Maple Leafs Offseason Recap appeared first on HEAVY.