The Toronto Maple Leafs need to add more offense to their roster this offseason, and Nikolaj Ehlers is a perfect fit for them.
Ehlers is the top free agent available after completing his seven-year, 42 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old would be a perfect second-line left winger for the Maple Leafs, which was an issue for Toronto last season.
Toronto had used Bobby McMann and Max Domi as second-line left wingers last season, and that is a clear area of need, which is why the Maple Leafs should sign Ehlers.
Ehlers would be playing with William Nylander and John Tavares and would give the Maple Leafs more offensive production. The Maple Leafs lost Mitch Marner, and Toronto needs to try and replace his offense.
With the Jets last season, Ehlers recorded 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points in 69 games. The Danish winger is good for 25+ goals a season, and adding more offense to the Maple Leafs roster is a must this offseason.
Toronto also currently has nearly $6 million in cap space. But if the Maple Leafs do sign Ehlers, Toronto could look to trade Domi, Calle Jarnkrok, and/or David Kampf to help fit in Ehlers and his contract.
Ehlers is projected to sign a six-year deal worth $8.1 million per season, according to AFP Analytics.
Insider Expects Maple Leafs to Have Interest in Ehlers
With Toronto losing Marner, the Maple Leafs will look to replace his offense.
Toronto has already acquired Mattias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, who will have every chance to be the Maple Leafs’ first-line right winger with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.
Yet, NHL insider Chris Johnston reported on OverDrive on June 30 that the Maple Leafs do have interest in Ehlers.
“The next best option in free agency might be someone like Nikolaj Ehlers. He’s a different type of player than Brad Marchand, a proven top-six winger that has been in the league a long time. And, I do believe holds some appeal to Toronto,” Johnston said. “The problem, of course, is (that) he holds appeal for other people, too. He is going to have options. I certainly don’t have enough what percentage chance the Leafs would have in him, but he is someone they are at least making the call to when he hits the market.”
As Johnston says, the Maple Leafs will be one of several teams interested in Ehlers. However, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Ehlers could take his time in signing his next contract.
“I don’t think we are going to hear anything on Nik Ehlers today. This one is going to play out a bit,” Friedman wrote on X.
Ehlers was selected ninth overall in 2014 by the Jets.
Maple Leafs GM Preaches Patience in Offseason
Toronto has a big hole in the roster in replacing Marner, who had 102 points last season.
Before the Maple Leafs traded Marner, general manager Brad Treliving hinted at a rather quiet offseason.
“You’re trying to make your team better and you’ve got the potential there to lose a really good player,” Treliving said on June 28. “So there’s lots of challenges. But we try to look at it as using those opportunities as well, right? That’s the job. Everybody’s focused on July 1, and I get it. We don’t play on July 2. So you can use the time on July 1 to try to make your team better. And that may come on July 1. It may come Aug. 1, Sept. 1. You’re not sure. So you continue to work the market.”
The Maple Leafs did trade for Maccelli and signed Michael Pezzetta to open free agency.
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