The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to add more depth to their roster this offseason.
Toronto has a need at third-line center, as the Maple Leafs will also look to get more offensive production from the bottom-six. With that, NHL analyst Spencer Lazary of The Hockey Writers links Toronto to signing former Vancouver Canucks centerman Pius Suter.
“Pius Suter, the former Vancouver Canucks forward had a breakout year this past season,” Lazary wrote. “He set a career-high in goals and points. Which should earn him a nice raise on his next deal. But also, more attention from other NHL teams. In 81 games, he scored 25 goals, 21 assists for 46 points, which if he can reach that amount of points or close to it, he will be one of the sneakiest pickups this free agency…
“If Suter can continue to score 45-50 points per season, it would prove to be a very good pickup for Treliving and the Maple Leafs,” Lazary added.
Suter is coming off a two-year, $3.2 million deal and will be in line for a raise this offseason. The 29-year-old would be a perfect third-line center for the Maple Leafs and can add some much-needed offense to the bottom of the lineup.
What is Suter Expected to Get in Free Agency?
Suter is coming off a career year, and with the salary cap going up, he should cash in on a big payday.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff listed Suter as his 19th-ranked free agent. The outlet used AFP Analytics and projects Suter will sign a four-year deal worth $5 million per season.
$5 million per season does seem a tad high. But, even if it is a tad lower, it will be a raise from what Suter made last season.
Suter is coming off a career year as he recorded 25 goals and 21 assists for 46 points in 81 games. In his NHL career, the undrafted Swiss forward has 82 goals and 80 assists for 162 points in 364 games.
Maple Leafs GM Comments on Offseason Needs
Toronto is coming off another disappointing playoff exit.
The Maple Leafs were blown out in Games 5 and 7, and after the playoff exit, Toronto’s general manager, Brad Treliving, said the team needed a DNA change.
After the comment, Treliving says the team needs to embrace the hard moments and challenges of playoff hockey.
“We have to find a way to push through at the most critical moments. And that’s the challenge in front of us. Moving forward, we have a good team,” Treliving said. “We’ve changed, we’ve changed a lot in the last 12 months…
“You have to embrace it with all the challenges that are in front of you: good opponent, the stage, what’s at stake,” Treliving added. “You got to find a way to embrace that moment and ultimately succeed in it. The margins are really thin. And when I say that, I don’t believe you have to go and change 20 players. It’s not always about that. It’s what can we do to help our guys, what can we do to find guys that can help.”
Toronto enters the offseason with just over $25.7 million in cap space.
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