Maple Leafs’ Top Free Agent Defence Targets This Summer – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The NHL offseason is about to heat up, and for John Chayka and the Toronto Maple Leafs, that means he can finally put his own stamp on this team.

It’s no secret that the two main focuses should be center depth and the blue line. Especially with the rumours that they are going to be moving on from Morgan Rielly. Now is Chayka’s time to address the blue line properly and hopefully have some success next season. 

Obviously, he can address these needs during the draft via trades. But the best opportunity to fix it would be during free agency, and here are a few names that could be a target on his list.

Darren Raddysh

First up, Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning. There’s a good chance that he will be hitting the open market, and it does kind of feel fitting that he would join his boyhood team. They are in desperate need of an offensive defenceman, and he brings that. Last season with the Lightning, he had 22 goals and 70 points. If he could emulate that in Toronto, it would really help them, especially with how dynamic their top-six could be this coming season.

At 30 years old, Raddysh is going to be looking for a massive pay day. He hasn’t gotten one yet in his career. And while that comes with a bit of hesitation for the Maple Leafs, they could very well give him $7.5-$8 million but for a shorter term. Given his age, a four-year deal may be better suited for him. 

Andrew Peeke

Next, Andrew Peeke from the Boston Bruins. He is an interesting name because he brings a lot of what they already have on the blue line. He plays great defence and could very well be another Jake McCabe. The plus is that he shoots right and could be a third-pairing guy with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who could be more stay-at-home. He would be an ideal fit on the last pairing because he brings more physicality. Peeke would also be a good addition if they were to land Raddysh and opted to trade Brandon Carlo. He could bring a lot of what Carlo was supposed to bring but failed to during his time with the Maple Leafs.

In terms of a contract, Peeke’s asking price isn’t going to be a lot. He is coming off a deal that paid him $2.7 million for three years. He’d probably want another three- or four-year deal, given he is 28 years old. That would likely fall in the range of $3-3.35 million.

Mario Ferraro

Lastly, Mario Ferraro from the San Jose Sharks would be the last defencemen on the wish list. The Toronto native is a left-handed-shooting defenseman, but he has a dog mentality. At just 27 years old, he and McCabe would be competing internally for the most blocks. He doesn’t hit as much as Peeke would per se, but he does put his body on the line on a nightly basis. He can score a bit too. His career-high is 23, which came last season. But he does have the potential to hit the 30 point mark. 

Ferraro is the type of player that the Maple Leafs don’t necessarily need. They have McCabe, Carlo, and Chris Tanev. But he is younger than all three and can skate. Toronto can’t just go for all offensive-minded blue liners; they need a good mix. But more importantly, they need mobility on the back end, and Ferraro brings that. As mentioned, at 27 years old, the Maple Leafs would be wise to give him a five- to six-year contract, somewhere in the $5-6 million range.