Using the old Yogi Berra adage, “It’s déjà vu all over again,” it
seems that each week goes by for Toronto Maple Leafs hockey fans without
any news about favorite son, and still unsigned restricted free agent
(RFA), Mitch Marner. This past week has been no different.
In
the meantime, there are rumors and news items emerging from the team.
In this post, I will pull together some of the items I’m reading,
hearing, and watching.
On Friday, the Maple Leafs announced that they had signed forward Matt Read
to a professional tryout contract (PTO) Read’s signing seems like
another low-risk move by general manager Kyle Dubas to shore up the
bottom forward lines or add depth to the Toronto Marlies.
Similar to the way Tyler Ennis proved last season that a low-risk
signee could prosper, you never know what you’ll get when you sign an
experienced player who seems to have fallen out of favor. Ennis has
since signed with the Ottawa Senators, but perhaps Dubas is hoping to
find a similar player who brings a surprising upside.
Although the 33-year-old right-winger only played 31 NHL games over
the past two seasons, Read experienced success with the Philadelphia
Flyers earlier in his career. He’s scored 20+ goals in a season two
times, and he’s played 449 games and scored 188 points during his NHL
career. Experience does count for something, and being hungry for
another chance with a contending team can be motivating.
As a Maple Leafs fan, I understand that the elite players are the
team’s bread and butter, but I also look forward to seeing who, in the
spate of cheap-contract experienced players Dubas has recently signed,
might do well this season. Will Jason Spezza be re-born? Which, of the
new players, will pan out and become a regular part of the team? That’s
part of the fun of watching this version of the team.
Item Two: Interest in Shattenkirk for the Maple Leafs Defense?
The New York Rangers caught a number of hockey commentators, including myself, by surprise last Wednesday when they bought out the final two years of Kevin Shattenkirk’s four-year, $26.6 million contract. The 30-year-old, right-handed defenseman didn’t have as good a season
as usual, but he’d specifically signed with the Rangers so he could
move closer to his New Rochelle, NY, home, which makes me surprised they
let him go.
As I noted, I was surprised he’s on the market again. However,
signing Jacob Trouba and the addition of depth offered the Rangers a
chance to rid themselves of his over $5 million contract.
Former Ranger Kevin Shattenkirk (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
That Shattenkirk’s
on the market might not mean anything for the Maple Leafs, but if Spezza could
be signed for under $1 million, there’s a chance Shattenkirk might sign as
well. He’s certainly as good or better than any of last season’s defensemen not
named Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, or Jake Gardiner.
Even if he only planned to stay for a season, an offensive defenseman
like Shattenkirk who knows how to move the puck and jump into the play
might leverage even a bargain contract into a bigger deal next summer.
Playing with a strong offensive team like the Maple Leafs might become bit
of a career loss-leader because of the increased visibility playing in
the Toronto market and the good offensive numbers he’d likely put up if
he played with forwards who could actually score. Last season’s Rangers
were horrible.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Dubas might be willing to offer
Shattenkirk a league-minimum deal just to see if he might get a bite.
Item Three: Kapanen Looks Forward to Playing with Barrie
This week, when Kasperi Kapanen was interviewed
during Zach Hyman’s Celebrity Classic golf tournament, he shared his
excitement about the Maple Leafs new players coming in. He especially
had good things to say about defenseman and teammate Tyson Barrie.
Specifically, Kapanen noted that he had played against these players
and now he’s excited to play with them. Although he didn’t quite put it
this way, as I watched the interview I could see he was already looking
forward to a breakaway pass or two from a puck-mover like Barrie. He
also noted that he believed Barrie was an underrated defensive
defenseman and that Barrie was a good addition to the power-play unit.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)
The one troubling thing I have caught during
my watching of interviews this week was how often NHL players simply accepted a
system of non-stop player movement within the NHL. Kapanen said, which I heard
echoed earlier this week by goalie Frederik Andersen, that players moving on-and-off
rosters was “just a part of hockey.”
Item Four: Nick
Robertson and Mikko Kokkonen at the World Junior Summer Showcase
Two Maple Leafs 2019 NHL Entry Draft picks are taking part in this
year’s World Junior Summer Showcase in Michigan this week. This event is
more of a “fun” tournament than an actual competition,
and uses a round-robin format to showcase potential players for the
World Junior Championships. USA’s forward Nick Robertson, the Maple
Leafs’ second-round pick, and Finland’s defenseman Mikko Kokkonen, the
team’s third-round pick, both participated.
Robertson
scored a highlight-reel goal, when he picked off a Swedish defender’s
pass and then deked the goalie for a beauty. It’s worth clicking the
link to watch the YouTube video.
What’s Next?
Although the one move most Maple Leafs fans await seems no closer to
happening, it seems almost every week Dubas does something surprising. I
look forward to what his next surprise might be.
