Toronto Maple Leafs: What to do with the UFAs this offseason?
By James Reeve
The Rest
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a number of other UFAs this summer, but none of them requires as much attention as the previously mentioned players, for one reason or another.
Tomas Plekanec
He will re-sign with the Montreal Canadiens in the summer so the Leafs will not need to waste too much time considering his future.
Tomas Plekanec hasn’t been a particularly great addition so far, struggling to adapt to a new team for the first time in 15 years.
Dominic Moore
Dominic Moore has been pretty poor this season, with age finally appearing to have caught up with the 15-year veteran.
His performances led to the trade for Plekanec so it is reasonable to expect the Leafs to move on and find a new fourth-line centre, if Miro Aaltonen isn’t ready to make the jump up next autumn.
Joffrey Lupul
This one requires no explanation. Joffrey Lupul‘s time in the NHL is over and a strange, long-running situation will no longer hang over the team.
Colin Greening
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Colin Greening has been a solid leader in the AHL for the Toronto Marlies, wearing the alternate ‘A’ this season while putting up 28 points (16G-12A) in 65 games.
He is likely to be re-signed to a cheap two-way deal to keep him around the Marlies, assisting the development of the team’s top young talent.
Ben Smith
Ben Smith has worn the captain’s ‘C’ for the Marlies this season and has had a great year as the team seek to win the Calder Cup, registering 52 points (25G-27A) in 65 games.
A good influence on the young players in the Leafs’ system, Smith should be kept around on another cheap deal to help provide some experience and leadership on one of the best farm team’s in the league.
Kyle Baun
Kyle Baun came across in the Plekanec deal from Montreal and has contributed four points (1G-3A) in 10 games with the Marlies.
He may be retained for depth and has shown an improvement in his offensive output since moving to Ontario, making him an intriguing option for the AHL team next season.
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What do you think Leafs fans? Which of these 10 UFAs should the team keep and which should be let go? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!