This former Buffalo Sabre confirmed he considered signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour landed a big payday in free agency earlier this offseason, signing a seven-year, $50 million contract with the Seattle Kraken. With this move, he will be the Kraken's new No. 1 defenseman.
While Montour joined the Kraken, he seriously considered joining one of the Sabres' biggest rivals: the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While on TSN's OverDrive with Mark Roe and Frankie Corrado, Montour confirmed that he considered and was excited about the prospect of signing with the Maple Leafs.
Brandon Montour
Here's what Montour said on the matter: "There were conversations. You look at their roster, you look at yourself and you know, for me, look at myself and saw the player, and definitely could help. It was intriguing, you know, in that week. There were talks, but again, there’s a lot that goes into it with family, with what they need, and what I need, business decisions, and such. There were definitely talks, we were excited, we thought about it, but tons of options for us, and grateful for Seattle and excited for that experience and excited to get down there, to what you can say, is a new organization."
Leading up to the first day of free agency, the Maple Leafs were viewed as one of the top potential landing spots for Montour. It was understandable, as the right side of their defense needed a big boost, and the former Sabre would have certainly provided them with it. They naturally were interested him, but he will now be playing in Seattle instead.
It is a good thing for the Sabres that Montour did not end up in Toronto, as it would have been a pain to continue playing against him in the Atlantic Division. However, they will see him far less often now that he is with the Kraken.
Montour appeared in 66 regular-season games this past season with the Florida Panthers, posting eight goals, 33 points, and a plus-1 rating. He also added three goals and 11 points in 24 playoff games.
