Getty Brandon Montour of the Florida Panthers might be a Maple Leafs target.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to improve their defense corps during the offseason and according to reports they will be big players in the free-agent market.
Former NHL player and current analyst Nick Kypreos of the Toronto Star reported on June 13 that the Leafs will pursue two top defensemen in free agency.
Those two players would be Brandon Montour of the Florida Panthers and Chris Tanev of the Dallas Stars. Both will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
“It’s no secret the Leafs will be targeting Florida’s Montour if the pending free agent remains unsigned after this Cup final,” Kypreos wrote. “Chris Tanev is another name that never left (Maple Leafs GM Brad) Treliving’s radar.”
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed the Leafs’ interest in multiple top-tier defensemen appearing on the Leafs Morning Take podcast on June 12, mentioning Montour and Tanev among other blueliners.
“I think they like (Nikita) Zadorov, (Chris) Tanev, (Brandon) Montour, (Brett) Pesce, (Sean) Walker, I think they like all these guys,” Friedman said. “I did have people say to me–they think Toronto is going to go out to try to get two really good defensemen in the UFA market and they’re going to be a force when it comes to some of those names.”
Kypreos believes the Leafs could sign both Tanev and Montour for a combined cap hit in the $12-to-13 million range. That’s certainly doable if only because of Toronto’s current cap space. PuckPedia projects the Leafs to enter the offseason with $19.7 million of cap space.
“It’s conceivable the Leafs could land both with a combined spend of $12 million to $13 million of the roughly $19 million in cap space that’s available to them,” Kypreos wrote.
Brandon Montour’s Stanley Cup Season & Expectations
Montour, who is still fighting to win the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers, will become an unrestricted free agent if the franchise does not re-sign before July 1.
The blueliner will complete his three-year, $3.5 million deal when the postseason ends, and he’s likely going to get a significant raise.
The Athletic projects Montour to sign a contract with an AAV north of $8 million. However, Evolving-Hockey projects Montour to sign a deal of around $7 million per season.
Montour scores just 30 seconds into the third period 🔥
In 66 regular-season games, Montour scored 8 goals to go with 25 assists for those 33 points. He has also contributed 3 goals and 7 assists in 21 playoff games through Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Although he mentioned Montour as a blueliner the Leafs would like to sign, Friedman noted that the Panthers could attempt to retain Montour before or after July 1.
“There’s noise being made down here that Florida is going to try to find a way to keep him,” Friedman said. “I don’t think that’s going to be easy, but I think they’re going to try.”
Maple Leafs Could Chase Mid-Season Rental Chris Tanev
The Dallas Stars traded for Tanev before the March 8 deadline, acquiring him from the Calgary Flames. Already 34 years old, however, he might be a bit riskier player to spend a lot of money on with a decline potentially around the corner.
“Tanev is perfect, but at 34, there is a risk of his game dropping off at any moment,” Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic wrote about the blueliner on June 6. “That does drive down the price, especially depending on how long the contract is. Finding the right length is key.”
The Athletic projects Tanev to sign a deal for around $5 million per year, while Evolving-Hockey projects him to sign for around $4.5 million with slight fluctuations depending on the term.
In 75 regular-season games, Tanev scored 2 goals and provided 17 assists, totaling 19 points. He added 2 assists in 19 playoff games.
Friedman noted there will be a tough battle for the signature of Tanev in free agency, highlighting the Stars and the Ottawa Senators as two suitors to land him.
“Tanev, I know Dallas wants to try to keep him but I have heard the offers out there are going to be high. Ottawa people are looking at Ottawa might do something for Tanev. So that I think is going to be a big deal,” Friedman said.