Edmundson and Lyubushkin were mid-season acquisitions made by the Maple Leafs at the 2024 trade deadline – both are set to hit the open market on July 1.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have 12 pending free agents set to hit the open market of NHL free agency on July 1, 2024, but not all of them are expected to return.
But the Leafs are interested in having some of them come back, and that includes Joel Edmundson.
According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, the Leafs have expressed interest in re-signing the 6-foot-5 defender.
Edmundson was acquired from the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline, with the Leafs only having him on the books for $875,000 of his $3.5 million contract (75 percent of his cap hit retained). As an attempt to find stability, grit, and playoff experience in front of his goaltending tandem, Edmundson fit the mold.
As Pagnotta points out, the Manitoba native plans to test the waters in free agency come July 1 to explore all of his options, but he is hoping for a return to Toronto. The veteran defenseman tallied a single assist in his 16 appearances but was a valued physical presence that general manager Brad Treliving would love to have stick around.
Given the new hire of head coach Craig Berube, the same coach Edmundson won the 2019 Stanley Cup with in St. Louis, a reunion between the two parties could become an intriguing factor in the negotiation window.
Negotiations with Lyubushkin Yet to Occur
Ilya Lyubushkin was another salary-retained asset the Leafs acquired in a trade, this time in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. He was brought to Toronto with a cap hit of $687,500 despite playing on a $2.75 million contract.
Pagnotta mentioned that the Leafs have not yet started negotiations with Lyubushkin.
That doesn't mean those talks won't eventually happen. The Russian Bear's' simplicity and ability to clear the front of the net is exactly what Treliving is looking for come July 1 – it would make sense to pursue re-signing him.
After departing the organization in free agency back in the 2021-22 season, he was coherently merged back into the Leafs’ system for his second tenure with the club – playing the perfect fiddle to Morgan Reilly. An aggressive, right-handed, defenseman is hard to come by in today’s NHL, where his services will certainly be wanted league-wide.
These two dominos are many that could fall in a summer full of change in Toronto. Only time will tell if the Leafs attempt to retain them before they hit the open market.
