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Leafs Sign Chris Tanev To Six-Year Contract

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year, $27MM contract. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $4.5MM. This signing vindicates Toronto’s acquisitions of Tanev’s rights following the draft, with the Leafs sending a 2026 seventh-round back to the Dallas Stars.

Tanev has become one of the league’s most sought after defensive-defensemen, making his looming free agency headlining news when it was learned that he wouldn’t re-sign with the Dallas Stars. Dallas paid a pretty penny for Tanev at the Trade Deadline, dealing away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round pick used on Jacob Battaglia, and a 2026 third-round pick. But Tanev quickly vindicated their efforts, seamlessly stepping onto the team’s top line. He only managed five points in 19 regular season games, bleak scoring that dropped to just two points in 19 postseason games, but Tanev made sure to find other ways to be effective. He recorded 30 hits and 73 blocked shots during the postseason, leading the league in the latter stat even despite being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.

The defiant showing in Dallas continued the legend around Tanev’s defensive impacts. He began his career as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Vancouver Canucks in 2010 following the end of his freshman year at R.I.T. Vancouver put Tanev to quick work, awarding him the first 29 games of his NHL career in the 2010-11 season. He’d record just one assist as a rookie, adding two more in 25 NHL games during his sophomore season, while still searching for an everyday role in the NHL. He’d find his first two NHL goals in year three, posting seven points in 38 games, and finally command an everyday role in the lineup in year four.

Tanev quickly found his way to Vancouver’s top pairing in his first full year, averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time a game and scoring 17 points in 64 games during the 2013-14 campaign. He found the style that works for him that year, holding firmly to it in the 10 seasons since. Now 34, Tanev has accumulated 792 games and 157 points in the NHL, spread across three teams.

Toronto will soon become Tanev’s fourth organization, with this deal returning him to his hometown club and finally awarding Toronto a top-line defender they can trust. It’s been a grueling few years for the Leafs, who have had to lean on players like T.J. Brodie and Jake McCabe to fill top-pair minutes next to stout offensive-defenseman Morgan Rielly. Tanev’s addition should form a much more natural pairing with Rielly. The two are opposites in the best way – and Tanev’s control over the back end could give Rielly a chance to once again chase high-scoring, after posting 58 points this year and 68 points two seasons ago.

With the Tanev deal in place, Toronto is down to just $7.58MM in cap space, with one forward spot and two goalie spots yet to be filled. They’re likely to prioritize adding a backup goalie next, after extending Joseph Woll and expressing interest in Anthony Stolarz.

Maple Leafs Sign Joseph Woll To Three-Year Extension

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07/01: The Leafs have made Woll’s three-year extension official. The deal will carry a formal cap hit of $3.66MM, giving the deal a total value just shy of $11MM. Woll becomes Toronto’s first goalie under contract this summer.

06/24: The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly closing in on a three-year contract extension with goaltender Joseph Woll (as per Kevin Weekes of ESPN). The extension can’t be formally announced until Woll is eligible for an extension after July 1st, but Weekes indicates that the contract is expected to fall in the range of $ 3.5MM – $4MM annually. The 25-year-old has one year left on his current deal that will pay him $775K next season and will be a restricted free agent on July 1st, 2025. If Weekes’ report is true, the Maple Leafs would be wasting no time in locking up their potential goaltender of the future.

Woll has shown himself to be capable during his brief time in the NHL, compiling a 22-13-1 record with a .915 save percentage in parts of three NHL seasons. He stepped into the net for Toronto in Game 4 of the first round of this year’s playoffs and led the Maple Leafs to victories in Games 5 and Game 6 to force a seventh and deciding game.

Therein lies the risk in signing Woll to an extension, the Dardenne Prairie, Missouri native, while capable, hasn’t been able to stay healthy and that is certainly a cause for concern with any young goaltender.  Toronto management surely considered the risk and reward when it comes to Woll’s health and is hoping that the youngster is just scratching the surface of his potential.

Toronto is in the market for another goaltender as they are likely to let Ilya Samsonov walk into free agency and with Woll’s services secured for the next handful of seasons, they will need a capable goaltender to supplant Woll should he run into injury troubles once again.

Tyler Bertuzzi Won't Return To Toronto

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  • While the Maple Leafs were hoping to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, that won’t be the case according to TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link) who notes that the contract he’s expected to get is more than what Toronto can afford. The 29-year-old couldn’t get a multi-year deal at his asking price last summer, instead settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the Maple Leafs.  Bertuzzi picked up 21 goals and 22 assists in 81 games during the regular season.  That, coupled with his production in the past (three other years of at least 20 goals) has Dreger feeling that Bertuzzi will land a deal around four years at more than $5MM per season.

Nicholas Robertson Requests Trade From Toronto

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TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that former second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nicholas Robertson, has no intentions of signing a contract with the organization this offseason and has requested a trade. Robertson will become a restricted free agent tomorrow as his entry-level contract is set to expire.

Robertson made the full-time jump to the NHL level during the 2020-21 NHL season as he suited up in six games for the Maple Leafs. He only managed one assist at the NHL level and put together a strong performance with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL as he scored 11 goals and 16 points in only 21 contests. The organization gave him another mild chance the following season with 10 games for the Maple Leafs but Robertson once again spent a large part of the season with the Marlies in a year that saw him put up 16 goals and 28 points in 28 games.

It would not be until this past season that Toronto would give Robertson a longer look with the Original Six franchise. Robertson didn’t disappoint either as he scored 14 goals and 27 points for the Maple Leafs in 56 games while only averaging around 11 and a half minutes a night.

All signs indicate that Robertson is disgruntled with the Maple Leafs organization inconsistently shuffling him back and forth from the minors to stay under the salary cap. The 22-year-old still has considerable promise at the NHL level and believes he has earned a larger role with an organization than Toronto is willing to give. Given his age and the fact he will not demand too much as an RFA, Robertson should have plenty of suitors on the trade market willing to give him an established role in the NHL.

Maple Leafs Sign Timothy Liljegren To Two-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are continuing to chip away at their pending free agents, signing defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year, $6MM extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). The deal will carry an annual average value of $3MM and carry Liljegren through his remaining years of RFA eligibility.

The Maple Leafs drafted Liljegren 17th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, taking him as part of what’s turned into a first-round to remember. Liljegren moved to North American pros immediately following the draft, making his NHL debut in 2019 and earning a daily role by 2021. He recorded 23 points in 61 games as a rookie, though his two years since have been limited by a hernia and high ankle sprain respectively. Liljegren still managed a strong year this season despite missing games, tying his rookie scoring of 23 points in just 55 games. He also played in a much more commanding role, averaging 19:40 in ice time after spending the last two seasons on Toronto’s third pairing.

More ice time helped Liljegren avoid the traffic jam that formed at the bottom of Toronto’s depth chart. The Leafs leaned on a long list of depth defenders in the year’s second half, including Simon Benoit, the reacquired Ilya Lyubushkin, William Lagesson, Conor Timmins, and more. Luckily things should clear up quickly, with both Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson set to enter free agency. But Liljegren will feel the pressure of whoever wins out the role behind him. Now on a deal that will carry him to his UFA years, Liljegren can focus solely on establishing as much of a lineup role as he can.

Maple Leafs Sign Max Domi To Four-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly signed forward Max Domi to a four-year, $15MM contract extension, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic (Twitter link). Johnston mentions that the deal will carry an annual cap hit of $3.75MM. These reports come shortly after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman alluded to a deal coming soon (Twitter link). The new deal will carry Domi through 2028, his age-32 season.

Domi, the son of former Leafs second-round pick and era-defining enforcer Tie Domi, found his groove late into the year, posting 16 points in the last 19 games of the regular season and adding four points in seven playoff games. The inspiration for the scoring came while Domi was filling a top-line role next to superstar Auston Matthews. The two were a great pair of grit and talent – a duo that Toronto is likely set on returning next year.

Domi made quick work of what was his first year brandishing his dad’s old logo, having joined Toronto on a one-year, $3MM contract nearly a year ago today. But Domi could still have untapped upside. He’s proven to be a perennial scorer at the top level, recording 20 goals and 56 points in 80 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in 2022-23; and boasting a career-high of 28 goals and 72 points scored in 2018-19. The roles that led to that scoring often placed Domi in much more of a spotlight role, giving him room to showcase strong puck skills and shooting. But he had to lean into a grittier style with the Leafs, supporting the stars rather than standing next to them. That could begin to change if Domi holds on to a top-line next season. A smash season would quickly earn Domi the price of his extension, and give Toronto the top-end, high-scoring utility winger that they’ve been needing.

Maple Leafs Could Sign Tanev To Six-Year Deal

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the Nashville Predators have told teams interested in goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov that they would like to get a current NHLer back in a trade or another highly touted forward or defensive prospect.

The 22-year-old Askarov appeared to be the Predators goaltender of the future, but with Juuse Saros expected to sign a long-term extension in Nashville, Askarov will not have a path to a starter job in the NHL until he is in his 30s. Given his pedigree as an 11th overall pick and his solid AHL numbers, Askarov figures to be an NHL goalie sooner than later, but it appears likely that it will happen in a different market than Nashville.

In other morning notes:

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is guessing that the Toronto Maple Leafs will look to sign recently acquired defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year, $24MM contract extension. Toronto acquired Tanev’s rights yesterday and early reports indicated that they could offer a deal of five to eight years in length. The 34-year-old Tanev wasn’t likely to sign in Dallas and the team elected to get something for him rather than letting him walk for free. Toronto has long sought after a defenseman like Tanev, and now that they’ve jumped the line to negotiate with him, they are expected to get a deal done.
  • Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic write that the Minnesota Wild have had talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets about potentially acquiring scorer Patrik Laine. The 26-year-old Laine hasn’t been the goal-scorer he was when he broke into the league with the Winnipeg Jets back in 2016-17 but hasn’t had much support in Columbus and was limited to just 18 games last season. A change of scenery could be just what Laine needs as he tries to get his career back on track. The Wild struggled to score last season and with limited cap space, they will be looking for bounce-back seasons from several current players. Acquiring Laine might provide a safety net for Minnesota if they aren’t able to get depth scoring from their current roster of players.

Leafs Among Teams Interested In Nikita Zadorov

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It was announced yesterday that defenseman Nikita Zadorov will be testing the open market, after not finding agreeable terms with the Vancouver Canucks. Now, TSN’s Darren Dreger has reported the specifics of those negotiations – sharing that Vancouver’s highest offer to Zadorov was $5MM. The veteran defender feels he can up that price in free agency, where Dreger adds at least 10 teams have expressed interest, including the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto’s interest comes as no surprise. General manager Brad Treliving has shared that the team will be prioritizing size and grit in their defensive additions this year – two traits that Zadorov brings in abundance, even if he may need reigned in elsewhere. Toronto were among the teams pushing to trade for Zadorov before his move to the Canucks, though they were joined by the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders in the race.

Each of those competitors should be expected to return to Zadorov this summer. The Devils recently drafted highly acclaimed Russian defender Anton Silayev – who plays a similarly brazen and aggressive style to Zadorov. That could make the older Russian a great mentor, though it’d also likely limit New Jersey to a short-term deal, as they anticipate the emergence of both Silayev and Seamus Casey in the NHL. Dallas and New York could be in better spots to give Zadorov term – with the Stars facing the possibility of losing Chris Tanev to the market while the Islanders could use all of the defensive help they can get.

It’s that kind of desperation that Zadorov will be banking on, looking to inspire a bidding way among teams in need of stout top-four defenders. But teams could run a risk of buying in a player’s market. In his age-29 season, Zadorov posted six points in 21 games with the Flames and 14 points in 54 games with the Canucks. What’s more, he added a career-high 125 penalty minutes in those matchups. It was one of Zadorov’s most eventful seasons, though 2021-22 still stands as his career-year, when he recorded 22 points and 77 penalty minutes in 74 games.

With July 1st just days away, Zadorov has set his price north of $5MM. Even with his low scoring, he’ll still stand as one of the market’s top defensemen, behind players like Tanev, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, and Shayne Gostisbehere. It will be likely in Zadorov’s best interest to sign as quickly as he can, before more acclaimed defenders have a chance to set the market price.

Toronto could also be pushed off the scent here, after acquiring the rights to pending UFA Chris Tanev for Max Ellis and a seventh-round pick. The Leafs haven’t yet engaged in talks with Tanev, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link), though the two sides will have through the weekend to find Tanev a deal in his hometown. Tanev is likely pushing for a similar dollar figure as Zadorov, and fills a like role on the right-side of the top four. Even then, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that both Zadorov and Oliver Ekman-Larsson could remain in Toronto’s plans (Twitter link).

Maple Leafs Acquire Rights To Chris Tanev

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars (Twitter link). The return is depth forward Max Ellis and a 2026 seventh-round pick, shares Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Toronto will have two days to negotiate with the prolific defensive-defenseman before he enters free agency on July 1st.

This trade reunites Tanev with his hometown of Toronto late into his career. Now 34, Tanev has pulled together a career to be proud of, totaling 190 points in 792 games, spending 10 years with the Vancouver Canucks, four years with the Calgary Flames, and then one brief playoff run with the Dallas Stars. His role has held steadfast through the changes of scenery – with Tanev among the most popular top-pair shutdown defenders in the league. He’s vindicated that reputation over the last five seasons, with plenty of teams reportedly in the market when Vancouver and Calgary traded him away.

It’s Toronto who will win the Tanev sweepstakes this time around, though they show up to the race a bit late in Tanev’s career. That might not stop them from giving him healthy term, though, with TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that Tanev’s next deal could run for as long as five-to-eight years (Twitter link). That term would carry Tanev to, or beyond, 40 – though it could also help keep the deal’s cap hit down. The Leafs could use every dollar they can save, with $18.83MM in cap spcae to re-sign a daunting 15 pending free agents. That list includes players like Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as the rotation of backup goaltenders in Ilya Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray.

While Toronto has the luxury of not needing to re-sign every player, they’re bound to commit more money than they’d like to the few they do bring back. It’s hard to think Tanev is in line for a team-friendly deal, even if he were to land substantial term with his hometown club. But with a deadline right around the corner, fans may not have to wait long for the mysteries of his deal to be revealed. When they are, Toronto will be locking up a stout, reliable defensive-defenseman who should compliment Morgan Rielly’s offensive style much better than his previous linemates.

Tanev’s representation did not speak with Toronto before the trade, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Anaheim, Toronto Swap 23rd And 31st Overall Picks

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The Anaheim Ducks have acquired the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 31st and 58th overall picks (X Link).

After making a surprise selection of Beckett Sennecke with the third overall selection, the Ducks used the 23rd overall pick to select defenseman Stian Solberg out of Vålerenga in Norway. Stolberg is a quality shutdown defenseman and represents one of the most physical defensemen in the draft. Not only does Solberg effectively shut down offensive pressure from opponents, he makes sure to punish them if they ever touch the puck.

In Vålerenga this season, Stolberg scored five goals and 15 points in 42 games while collecting 47 PIMs in the process. At the international level, Solberg scored one goal and one assist in five games during the 2024 World Junior Championships and added two goals and one assist over seven games for Team Norway in the 2024 World Championships.

In Toronto, the team moves back eight spots while adding some draft capital in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Heading into this evening’s festivities, the Maple Leafs did not have a second-round pick as they had moved theirs to the St. Louis Blues in the deal that landed Ryan O’Reilly with the Maple Leafs. Without factoring in any other moves for Toronto, the Maple Leafs will now only be without choices in the third and sixth rounds of this weekend’s draft.

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