A trip to the playoffs last season was successful if not ultimately a losing effort for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs faced the Washington Capitals in the opening round and gave the Caps all they could handle in an eventual series loss to Washington.
What the series did was give the Maple Leafs’ faithful cause for anticipation of the coming campaign. The upstart Leafs were more than just competitive as they very nearly upset the Caps.
The first order of business for general manager Lou Lamoriello was getting his goaltending backups set.
Curtis McElhinneywas signed to a two-year deal to backup Frederik Andersen in the nets.
“Curtis did a great job for us, he really did,” Lamoriello said on NHL.com. “He has quality character and gets along with (starter) [Frederik] Andersen, and that’s so important for the number of games he has to play.”
Toronto also signed goalie Garret Sparks to a two-year deal worth an estimated $1.35 million.
At the forward positions, the Leafs brought in Dominic Moore on a one-year agreement worth $1 million.
“It’s a super exciting opportunity to be part of an amazing group of players and an organization I have a lot of pride for,” Moore said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Moore iced for the Boston Bruins last season.
“The way these guys play, these young players, the speed at which Toronto plays the game I think really impressed everyone this season,” Moore said. “Playing against them, you get a clear sense of that, and that’s only going to continue to improve. Looking at this team and being able to be a part of it, to play a role on it, is something that I obviously was extremely excited to do.”
The big signing of free agency was Patrick Marleau moving over to the Leafs from the San Jose Sharks.
Marleau was a fixture in San Jose but money and need to get younger left him out of the mix. But Toronto needs veteran leadership and Marleau is a way to address that need.
“It was the team, the excitement that’s around it, the youth, the coaching staff, the coach, the management, the way they see the game going and the players they have on their roster, it’s extremely exciting to be a part of that,” Marleau said.
Marleau agreed to a three-year, $18.75 million contract.
“It’s not every day that you can acquire a player like Patrick Marleau and what he can bring to the team,” Lamoriello said. “He fits right in with the type of game that we play. His skating ability is still exceptional, his versatility in being able to play in all situations, a tremendous amount of experience into the lineup. It just adds to the depth of our forwards.”
The departure from San Jose was not an easy one for Marleau or his family.
“It was extremely difficult (to leave San Jose); the owners, the organization has been first-class to me over the 19 years I’ve been here,” Marleau said. “For my wife and four boys, it was extremely tough to finally pull the trigger and have them move to a new country, from one coast to the other, but everybody in our house is extremely excited to be a part of the Maple Leafs and where they are going. I’m ecstatic to be a part of that.”
The Leafs also locked up restricted free agent Connor Brown to a three-year, #6.3 million deal this past week.
The signing of Brown puts the Leafs over the cap limit according to Cap Friendly.
Earlier in the off season, Toronto signed former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ron Hainsey to a two-year, $6 million deal.
“I think the system is a great fit for me,” Hainsey said on NHL.com. “When (coach) Bill Peters got to Carolina and put the system in, which is basically what (Maple Leafs coach) Mike Babcock does, it really suited my game and it’s a system I’m really confident playing. Coupled with everything that’s going on there, from the young forwards that can create so much offense to (president) Brendan Shanahan on down, as a defenseman, if you didn’t want to be part of this, you’d be nuts, I really believe that.”
Hainsey gives the Leafs stability on the back line and makes the Leafs an interesting pick for the post season this campaign.
“He’s a veteran, he’s won and he’s had success no matter where he’s been as far as playing with offensive partners,” Lamoriello said on NHL.com. “We feel he’ll come up in the top four and serve a purpose.”
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