The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the middle of one of their worst injury crises in recent history. While injuries are a normal part of the NHL, the Leafs haven’t gone through something like this in a long while.
In particular, the blue line has taken a significant hit. The loss of Brandon Carlo stung. Then, the prospect of losing Chris Tanev for the rest of the season has adversely affected the Maple Leafs’ defensive situation.
And while Troy Stecher has been a blessing from the sky, more depth is necessary. Enter soon-to-be UFA Egor Zamula. Before anyone starts rolling their eyes, making a pitch for Zamula is the type of low-cost, potentially solid-reward situation.
On Monday, the Penguins placed Zamula on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. The move comes on the heel of his suspension for failing to report to the AHL. That means that once Zamula clears, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. That scenario means the 25-year-old blueliner can sign with anyone he chooses.
D Egor Zamula (PIT) – for purposes of contract termination.
According to chatter, various teams have been looking at the Russian D-man. While it’s unclear what teams those might be, there’s a chance cap-strapped contenders are looking at him. Zamula’s termination stems from the fact that he refuses to play in the AHL. He believes he’s an NHL defenseman. As the rumours suggest, teams, potentially the Maple Leafs, like him but not at his current $1.7 million cap hit.
Does that mean that if Zamula took a lower cap hit, he would sign with the Maple Leafs?
It’s a possibility. Although it’s not quite certain, he’d pick the Maple Leafs over other interested parties.
How Zamula Fits into Maple Leafs Lineup
Now, let’s be realistic. Zamula is nowhere near a top-pairing NHL defenseman. He’s a physical, checking defensive defenseman with limited offensive upside. He’s the typical third-pairing guy that can log about 10 minutes a night.
Zamula washed out in Philadelphia because he couldn’t find his footing in Rick Tocchet’s defensively responsible system. That’s something that could hamper Zamula’s fit in Toronto. But then again, the Maple Leafs can’t be choosy. At around $1 million against the cap, Zamula would be a worthwhile gamble on the bottom pairing with, say, Simon Benoit. The Russian blueliner could be a limited step up on Phillippe Myers or Matt Benning.
However, the bar should be low for Zamula. But if Stecher is any indication, Zamula might rediscover his game.
Leafs Need all the Help They Can Get
Egor Zamula is not the option Maple Leafs fans would like to see. If anything, fans would like to hear about Rasmus Andersson joining the club. But then again, the pickings are slim for Toronto. The team doesn’t have the cap space and the assets to swing a massive trade.
So, GM Brad Treliving needs to think outside the box. And just like he reached for Troy Stecher, signing Zamula would make sense. Even if Tanev and Carlo returned, the Maple Leafs could still hold onto Zamula as a seventh defenseman. That’s why cost is important. The Leafs cannot afford to overpay for the former Flyer.
At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs don’t have many options. So, checking in on Zamula would be just about as good as it could get for the club this season.
Maple Leafs Should Look into Soon-to-Be UFA D-Man