The Toronto Maple Leafs have added some more veteran depth for training camp, signing Matt Read to a professional tryout. Read spent last season in the Minnesota Wild organization, though most of his actual playing time came at the minor league level.
Now 33, Read has had quite the tumultuous last few seasons. Signed to a four-year, $14.5MM extension by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2013, he responded brilliantly with a 22-goal, 40-point campaign in 2013-14. Read looked like he might be one of the best undrafted college free agents in history, but things quickly fell off a cliff. He scored just 30 NHL goals in the following four seasons combined, and found himself in the minor leagues with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to finish his time in the Flyers organization.
Agreeing to a one-year, two-way deal with Minnesota last season he must have known he was headed for the minor leagues once again. Read was an excellent leader for the Iowa Wild, scoring 37 points in 61 games and helping them to the first playoff appearance in franchise history. It’s surprising that the team wouldn’t bring him back, but perhaps Read believes the Maple Leafs provide a bigger opportunity.
Whether that opportunity really exists is unclear. The Maple Leafs have brought in a huge number of NHL forwards to compete for just a few spots at the bottom of the roster, including names like Pontus Aberg, Nick Shore, Garrett Wilson, Kenny Agostino and Kalle Kossila. Read provides just another option for Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs’ coaching staff, and Toronto could perhaps be a path to redemption for the winger.
And yet another peewee sized player. Will Dumbas ever learn…..?
yep that Tyler Ennis signing last year was ridiculous.
Should’ve resigned Ennis and Hainsey 2 year extension and I bet they would’ve taken 2 mil or under. Still too thin on the blue line and unless the front office and Babcock don’t plan in sneaking up a hot shot youngster in goal (Joseph Woll or Ian Scott) Freddy is going to be under serve and sure as well won’t have anything left in the tank come playoff time … and they may not even make it at this point. Marner still isn’t signed and if he ends up sitting out until December or at any length of time that’s another unnecessary distraction that the club doesn’t need and it should cost some people their jobs. But this season is pretty much entirely on Mike Babcocks shoulders. Fall to advance to the second round — and making the playoffs right now doesn’t even look good — then he is first to go!
* meant to say Andersen will be under siege not serve
And where’s Ennis now? Was he that good that they resigned him? Inquiring minds want to know….
The D is horrible. By that I mean their defensive zone coverage and penalty kill. Agreed that this team is 50/50 just to make the playoffs and even if they do, it’ll be an early 1-2 round exit.
Tyler Ennis signed a $800,000 contract with the Ottawa Senators
link to capfriendly.com
Exactly. A near minimum contract on the worst team in the league.
Ottawa signed him. Along with Hainsey. They have Zaitzev and Brown as well.
Honestly agreed with you MapleJay, with the situation with Marner and depth on Defense and rosters with possiblities of having Woll , Scott, and maybe Liljegren seeing signifigant time on blue line and the moves they have depleted a lot of core players , I don’t see the Leafs making playoffs but maybe if luck or Marner coming to his senses and signs , maybe struggle to get 7th or 8th seed, for wild card, but with some new blood in mix with improved by roster moves.
he’s a checking line player maybe 3rd line now. Read is on a PTO. seriously these guys aren’t being brought in for 18 mins a night.
and you do realize this is a team that had 100 points last year right? could they miss the playoffs? sure. no one expected TB to get swept. but this the sky is falling schtick is embarrassing.
You beat me to it! All this doom and gloom for a team that is easily still in top 10 in nhl without Mitch Marner. It honestly reminds me of toddlers throwing tantrums.