Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly interested in Calvin De Haan
By James Reeve
After landing the biggest fish in free agency on Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly now turning their attention to the blueline.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in unrestricted free agent defenceman Calvin de Haan, who most recently played for the New York Islanders.
De Haan is a left-handed defenceman who has over 300 regular season appearances under his belt in the NHL, with 81 points (12 goals and 69 assists) to his name.
With the Maple Leafs landing John Tavares on Canada Day, the team is now targeting a top defenceman to help take them to the next level, and de Haan could certainly do that.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently expressed serious interest in D Calvin de Haan. The Islanders also still very interested. A few more teams remain in the mix. Offers in the table, and he’s turned down one long-term offer from a team. Talks very much ongoing.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 1, 2018
His HERO Chart places him firmly as a second-pairing player, but the presence of Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner could see him moved around often to spread out ice time and keep the Leafs’ defence competitive each game.
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There are some concerns over de Haan, however, as he has been out with an injury since around December last year, after playing in just 33 regular season games for the Islanders (averaging 18:45 of ice time).
When healthy, he is a solid player who would be an immediate upgrade for the Leafs and make them a true contender starting from this upcoming season.
The biggest question, however, would be how much the Carp, Ontario native would cost the team?
His most recent contract saw him earn $3.3 million for just one season and the 27-year-old could be looking to earn a longer, higher-paying deal this time around.
De Haan’s injury history, however, could work against him and he may be forced to sign a shorter-term deal to prove he is capable of playing a full 82-game season, something he has done just once in his career.
If he can stay healthy and dress for every game, he would give the Leafs some quality depth that they currently don’t have and could be the difference for the team’s Stanley Cup aspirations.
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What do you think Toronto Maple Leafs fans? Would you be happy with the team targeting de Haan? Or should they look elsewhere? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!