Daniel Alfredsson Could Help Maple Leafs Land $92 Million Veteran

Assistant coach Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators handles bench duties during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on October 12, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1.

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Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

There were more than a few eyebrows raised among both Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators fans when Daniel Alfredsson, who captained Ottawa for most of his NHL career and later served as an assistant coach, joined the Leafs as an assistant on Jim Hiller’s staff.

Alfredsson is now on the other side of the bitter Battle of Ontario, which has featured several postseason clashes involving him in some capacity with Ottawa. Naturally, it’s been difficult for many Senators fans to see him with the opposition now.

Now that he’s in Toronto, one prominent NHL insider believes Alfredsson’s presence could help the Maple Leafs land a $92 million veteran.

Could Daniel Alfredsson Help The Toronto Maple Leafs Land A $92 Million Veteran Defenseman?

GettyThe Toronto Maple Leafs could make this trade thesis work with an Eastern Conference rival as part of a 1-for-1 swap.

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Alfredsson’s presence on the Maple Leafs could potentially help recruit fellow Swede Erik Karlsson, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to Toronto.

“One thing about Erik Karlsson that’s really interesting…one of my guys has a theory out there that because Daniel Alfredsson’s in Toronto, Karlsson’s gonna end up [there],” Friedman recently said.

As fans remember, Karlsson and Alfredsson played together with the Senators early in Karlsson’s NHL career; it would be Karlsson who later inherited the captaincy from Alfredsson when he departed town in 2013 to play his final campaign with the divisional rival Red Wings.

Alfredsson retired in 2014, and would later be added to former coach Jacques Martin’s staff in December 2023; he remained in place upon the hiring of coach Travis Green.

So far this year with the Penguins, Karlsson has played in 11 games and has a goal with 10 assists.

Erik Karlsson Is A Pending UFA In The Last Year Of His Current Deal

Karlsson is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season; he’s in the last year of an eight-year, $92 million pact that carries an $11.5 million salary cap hit.

So far in his NHL career, he’s suited up for the Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Penguins. He’s appeared in 1,170 career NHL games and has scored 216 goals with 731 assists; he’s also added nine goals and 47 assists in 73 Stanley Cup Playoff games.