The Toronto Maple Leafs should be looking at the remaining free-agent pool to find value. While it would be nice to have enough cap space and trade assets to make one last splurge before the season, the fact is that there is not much space or capital at the moment.
That’s why targeting players on Professional Tryouts (PTO) makes a ton of sense.
And one player who could be ideal for Toronto is Eeli Tolvanen.
The 27-year-old winger remains unsigned at this point in the summer. Likely, that’s because his camp is holding out for a multi-year deal. But none is coming, the former first-round pick from 2017 will have no other choice but to take whatever he can get.
If that means agreeing to a PTO, it could be a decent move for the Maple Leafs.
Tolvanen appeared in 78 games last season for the Seattle Kraken. He scored 12 goals and 36 points, while averaging about 15 minutes a night. The numbers aren’t mind-shocking, but they could be good for the right price.
If the Maple Leafs could eventually sign Tolvanen to a one-year deal around $2 million, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. He’s coming off a two-year deal with a $3.475 million cap hit. That seems reasonable, especially considering the going rate for middle-six wingers these days.
As long as the cap hit remains reasonable, Tolvanen could be an intriguing choice.
Tolvanen Could Give the Maple Leafs Some Much-Needed Scoring Depth
The Maple Leafs don’t necessarily need another star winger. What they could use is someone who can step into the middle six and provide a little offense without costing the organization much.
That’s where Tolvanen could make some sense.
If he can give Toronto 12 to 15 goals over a full season, that’s useful production from a third-line player. The Maple Leafs have enough players capable of carrying the offense. What they need is more players who can contribute when the top lines aren’t doing all the heavy lifting.
Tolvanen has already shown that he can provide that secondary scoring. His 36 points last season weren’t spectacular, but they’re respectable for a player who averaged roughly 15 minutes per game.
There is also an important distinction here.
Tolvanen wouldn’t need to take someone’s job. It would be difficult to justify pushing a player such as Easton Cowan out of the lineup just to accommodate him. Instead, Toronto could view Tolvanen as insurance.
The concern is his physicality.
Tolvanen isn’t exactly the kind of player who is going to make opponents miserable along the boards. That’s something that could work against him when the Leafs are deciding how to construct their bottom six.
Still, goals are goals.
What to read next:
Toronto Would Have to Live With Some Defensive Warts
The bigger concern might actually be what Tolvanen does when he doesn’t have the puck.
He’s never been regarded as an especially reliable defensive forward, and that’s not exactly an insignificant problem for a player who would presumably spend a lot of time in Toronto’s bottom six.
The Leafs can’t afford to have every depth forward be an offensive specialist. Somebody has to win battles, kill penalties and make life difficult for opposing teams.
Tolvanen doesn’t necessarily check all of those boxes.
But that’s also why the price matters so much.
If Toronto could bring him into camp on a PTO and eventually sign him to a one-year contract around $2 million, the organization wouldn’t be asking him to become something he’s not. The Maple Leafs could simply use him as a relatively inexpensive secondary scoring option and deploy him in situations where his offensive abilities are most useful.
There are no guarantees that Tolvanen would work in Toronto.
There is, however, a reasonable argument that he could be worth the gamble.
For a team with limited cap space and few trade assets left, the Maple Leafs don’t have many opportunities to add legitimate NHL scoring depth.
If Tolvanen is willing to prove himself on a PTO, Toronto should at least give him a look.
Maple Leafs Could Have Ideal PTO Candidate Floating Around