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NHL analyst James Reeve of TheLeafsNation is urging the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign free agent forward Kevin Labanc.
Labanc has been a free agent since July 1 after completing a four-year $18.9 million deal with the San Jose Sharks. The forward had just 9 points in 46 games last season as he dealt with injuries, but with the Maple Leafs not adding a single forward in free agency, Reeve believes Labanc is a good fit for Toronto.
“Well, first of all, the team has a Nick Robertson-size hole they likely need to fill on the roster, with the 22-year-old looking for a move elsewhere after struggling to truly cement his place within the team. While predominantly a left winger, Robertson has lined up on the right often enough as injuries and adjustments were made under previous head coach Sheldon Keefe. Losing a talented winger, should the Leafs budge and accept his trade request before the in-season deadline for him to sign a contract,” Reeve wrote.
“Outside of Robertson, the Leafs’ right side could do with better strength, with Calle Järnkrok and Ryan Reaves, who combined for 14 goals between them last season, some of the players to feature on that side behind stars Mitch Marner and William Nylander,” Reeve added. “With Reaves, the team gets exactly zero offensive upside, and Järnkrok, who has his own offensive limitations, could be better suited to playing center. So, adding Labanc, who could potentially add 15 or more goals to the team’s bottom end, would be an upgrade.”
Reeve thinks Labanc should get a professional tryout to try and compete for a roster spot in training camp with the Maple Leafs.
Labanc could project as the Maple Leafs’ third-line right winger and add some more scoring to the lineup. In his NHL career, Labanc has skated in 478 NHL games recording 82 goals and 178 assists for 225 points. His career-high came in the 2018-19 season when he recorded 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points.
PTO for Labanc Doesn’t Cost the Maple Leafs Anything
If the Maple Leafs do sign Labanc to a professional tryout for training camp, it wouldn’t cost Toronto anything.
Labanc wouldn’t count against the cap and if he impresses, he could sign a one-year deal to prove to the other NHL teams he is worthy of a long-term deal next offseason.
“At the very least, he could be another experienced body at camp, play some preseason games, and leave if things don’t fit. However, bringing him in on a risk-free deal and seeing him flourish could benefit the Leafs throughout the season or potentially even beyond. He has good years left ahead of him, assuming he can stay healthy. So a PTO could turn into a one-year ‘show us’ deal that could, in turn, become a longer-term deal if Labanc fits in well. There’s virtually no risk if things don’t work out. But, there’s potentially all the reward for the Leafs if it goes well,” Reeve added.
Labanc is just 28 years old so he does likely have several years left in him, which is why the NHL analyst is urging the Maple Leafs to sign him.
Maple Leafs GM Wants Robertson Back in Toronto
A reason why Reeve thinks Toronto should sign Labanc is due to the fact that Nick Robertson has asked for a trade and has no plans to re-sign.
However, despite the trade request, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has made it clear that he believes Robertson will be a big part of their team this season.
“I have certainly known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” Treliving said on July 1. “There is a great opportunity for Nick here. We need him to be a good player for us. I am not going to get into any speculation or public back-and-forth. We will just leave it at that and continue to move forward.”
Robertson has skated in 87 NHL games recording 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points.
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