Toronto Maple Leafs discussed multi-year deal with Andreas Johnsson
By Paul Taylor
Despite recently signing a qualifying offer, it turns out Andreas Johnsson was reportedly in negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs over a multi-year deal.
It’s been a little over a week since Andreas Johnsson accepted a qualifying offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The one-year, two-way contract comes with an NHL salary of $787,500.
From Johnsson’s perspective, the deal is just reward for the progress he showed last season. He made his NHL debut late on in the campaign and scored three points (two goals and one assist) in nine regular season games, along with another two points (one goal and one assist) in six playoff appearances.
In addition, the 23-year-old had an excellent regular season campaign in the AHL, with 54 points (26 goals and 28 assists) in 54 appearances. In the playoffs, he helped the Marlies win their inaugural Calder Cup, by producing an impressive 24 points (10 goals and 14 assists) in 16 games.
As far as the Leafs are concerned, they sign a promising young player to an extremely cap-friendly deal. However, it turns out negotiations between the two side went beyond just agreeing a qualifying offer.
According to James Mirtle of The Athletic, Johnsson and the Leafs actually discussed a multi-year deal. This speaks volumes about how much the organisation rates the winger.
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In the end, an agreement which made sense for both sides was not possible. As per Brian La Rose of Pro Hockey Rumors, the main sticking point was a lack of comparable players for someone with potential, but just 15 NHL games to his name.
Ultimately, the failure to negotiate a multi-year deal shouldn’t matter too much. Johnsson will get his big payday eventually.
The 2013 seventh round draft pick has arguably exceeded expectations, and has an intriguing upside. As things stand, he is projected to flank Nazem Kadri on the Leafs’ third line next season.
About the only thing which can hold Johnsson back, is his lack of size. However, his talent and work ethic should overcome this, putting him in line for a substantial pay rise next summer.
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What kind of season are you predicting for Johnsson in 2018-19? What will his impact be with the Toronto Maple Leafs? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.