Signing Brad Marchand would be another summer W for Maple Leafs' Brad Treliving
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Brad Treliving probably wouldn’t mind hitting repeat.
As the Maple Leafs general manager heads into free agency for the third time in Toronto since he was hired in May 2023, he must look back fondly at his work a year ago and wonder if he can have similar success this week and into the summer.
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Signing Brad Marchand would be another summer W for Maple Leafs' Brad Treliving Back to video
No NHL GM gets every free-agent signing right every year, but when Treliving acquired the rights to defenceman Chris Tanev and signed him to a six-year pact and added goalie Anthony Stolarz on a two-year deal, he gave incoming coach Craig Berube a couple of integral pieces who couldn’t have had a greater impact on the Leafs.
Tanev set a poised tone for the defence corps, emerging as one the Leafs’ most important players, and Stolarz had his best season in the National Hockey League despite missing time because of a knee issue before a concussion knocked him out of the second round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers.
Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson also turned out be a good addition and forwards Steven Lorentz and Max Pacioretty, signed after attending training camp on a professional tryout, each made physical contributions.
As we await word on whether the Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights are able to complete a trade involving the rights to star winger Mitch Marner before free agency opens at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Treliving and his staff will be putting finishing touches on the club’s desired list of free agents.
After John Tavares signed for four years and an average annual value of $4.38 million US on Friday, the Leafs are approximately $21.3 million under the salary cap. Restricted free agent Matthew Knies reportedly has signed a six-year deal worth $7.75 million per season, which would leave approximately $14 million in the Leafs’ bank account.
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We should remind that if the Leafs were to get centre Nicolas Roy from the Golden Knights in a Marner trade, he has an AAV of $3 million.
You can imagine the Leafs would have loved to have got their hands on Sam Bennett, whose post-season play has become the standard for what the majority of NHL teams seek for the playoffs. That’s not going to happen, as the 29-year-old Bennett recently signed an eight-year deal with the Panthers that carries an AAV of $8 million.
There’s no doubt that Bennett would have represented the DNA change that Treliving and Berube know the Leafs must undergo to give themselves a greater chance of breaking through in the playoffs.
That brings us to you-know-who, the one veteran free agent who could really give the Leafs a jolt in that area: Brad Marchand.
Marchand reportedly is firmly on the Leafs’ radar, but the Panthers would like to find a way to keep him and there’s the possibility that the 37-year-old could be open to a reunion with the Boston Bruins. Other clubs who figure the winger could help put them over the top in the playoffs are bound to factor into the equation as well.
If the Leafs can sign Marchand, then go ahead and do it. We keep in mind that with Bennett gone, and even though Marchand’s most productive NHL days are behind him (though he did have 51 points in 71 games last season with Boston and Florida), there likely will be a bidding war for the Nova Scotia native.
What will Marchand command on a two- or three-year contract? Somewhere in the range of $6 million to $8 million a season?
Here’s the catch for the Leafs: If they sign Marchand, there’s not an automatic guarantee that they would be headed for a Stanley Cup title. Marchand, who had 20 points in 23 playoff games and was a close second to Bennett in Conn Smythe Trophy voting, undoubtedly would increase those chances.
You’re not replacing Marner’s regular-season points, however, and Treliving, whether he gets Marchand, is going to have to shore up the Leafs’ forward depth.
There is a talented group of free-agent forwards other than Marchand, but none bring a similar blend of getting under the opponent’s skin while finding a way to put the puck in the net.
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If Marchand doesn’t work out for the Leafs, would any of Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser or Patrick Kane fit for the club? How about Mikael Granlund, Jonathan Drouin or Pius Suter?
The Marchand option for Toronto is a fascinating one.
After continuously helping to put a dagger in the Leafs, first with the Bruins and with the Panthers in May, Marchand long ago became a hated member of the opposition.
Marchand is booed at Scotiabank Arena, probably with more passion than any other player in the NHL.
Put him in the Leafs’ blue and white, however, and we bet those boos would turn on a dime. Marchand would be a fan favourite in Toronto.
If Marchand becomes the centrepiece of Treliving’s offseason additions, the GM will have successfully hit the repeat button.
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