The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they can make it back to the playoffs this season after an underwhelming finish to their 2023-24 campaign. Last season, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins in seven games, and first-round exits have seemed to become a common theme for the Maple Leafs who haven’t been able to win a Stanley Cup since 1967. With the recent news that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov had come to a mutual agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes to terminate his contract, rumours immediately began to circulate as to where he may end up signing next. There was a belief he could opt to join the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, but a recent report states that he could end up back in the NHL this upcoming season.
Kuznetsov was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Hurricanes at last season’s trade deadline in exchange for a draft pick. The Capitals had no more plans for him and simply gave him another opportunity elsewhere with a contender that could give him some ice time. While the Hurricanes used him well and the fit seemed to be there, he opted to agree to a mutual contract termination, walking away from millions of dollars in hopes of finding a new home. In this article, let’s take a look at why the Maple Leafs could be a fit for Kuznetsov and why he could be brought in as a reclamation project.
Maple Leafs Need Forward Depth, Kuznetsov Adds That
While the Maple Leafs have a strong team that should have no problem making it to the playoffs this season, they don’t quite have a deep enough roster to be able to consider themselves real Stanley Cup contenders. They made some fantastic additions this offseason bringing in Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to bolster their defensive lineup, but they still have some weaknesses when it comes to their forward group. Their top-six looks fine, but it’s their bottom-six group that is worrisome. While he may need some time to readjust and find his confidence, it’s not out of the question Kuznetsov could play on one of the top two lines and produce well enough to bounce back to what he once was in Washington.
Bringing in Kuznetsov allows the Maple Leafs to experiment with their lineup a bit too. While Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies were great last season, there is no guarantee they’re able to continue that strong play into this season. It’s also risky to bank on two young players to continue producing at an elite level, and an even bigger risk to predict they will take a step up in an elevated role. I have confidence in both Knies and McMann, but adding Kuznetsov could give them something to fall back on if the two do slow down at all. It would also help if any injuries hindered their forward lineup, as those happen quite often in today’s NHL.
The other benefit to bringing in Kuznetsov is that it likely wouldn’t break the bank and affect their salary cap in a big way. He would likely ask for a short-term deal, probably for one season, worth around $1 million. If that’s what he’s asking for, the Maple Leafs should be chomping at the bit to try and sign him. Surely, if he is eyeing an NHL return, there will be plenty of teams interested. With that, the Maple Leafs should be trying to get something done sooner rather than later.
