The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to likely be exclusively in the free agent market for forwards this summer, with the departure of Mitch Marner to parts unknown and the possibility of bottom-sixers like David Kampf, Nick Robertson, Ryan Reaves, and Calle Jarnkrok, as well as the uncertain status of pending UFA’s John Tavares and Steven Lorentz.
There is an expectation that GM Brad Treliving will be able to get a deal done with Tavares — who scored 38 goals last season — and Lorentz, who was a consistent performer on the Leafs fourth line, but it will be up to Treliving to find cost-effective additions in the bottom half of Toronto’s forward complement that will enable him to spend bigger money to replace Marner in the top-six.
Over the next few weeks leading up to July 1, we will take a look at a few players who might be fits for one reason or another for Toronto.
Tanner Jeannot
The idea of Mason Marchment lasted a whole 24 hours, as the former Leaf was salary dumped to Seattle for a couple of mid-round picks — something that Toronto is in short supply of the next couple years – but part of the DNA change that GM Brad Treliving is looking for may be to get his club playing more Craig Berube-style hockey and that means getting tougher and more rambunctious.
Those traits fit Jeannot to a tee. The 28-year-old rough-and-tumble winger has had a precipitous fall from the 24-goal season in 2022. He was dealt to Tampa Bay for five draft picks at the 2023 deadline, but the move proved a massive mistake for the Lightning, as the Saskatchewan native scored only eight goals in 75 games over two seasons.
Jeannot was traded to the LA Kings for a pair of draft picks last summer, but he managed only seven goals in 67 games before suffering a season-ending injury in March. You might ask why should Toronto be interested in a player who has disappointed the last three seasons, and the answer would be they would not be acquiring him to be a goal scorer, they would be adding him to be a buzzsaw. The 6-2”, 220 lb. forward led the Kings in hits with 220 and having him on a fourth-line unit with Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton would cause nightmares to most of the Leafs opposition.
He is also an effective fighter, which is something that the Leafs could use since Ryan Reaves will likely not be on the club next season. After a two-year bridge deal at an AAV of $2.665 million, it is likely, even if the demand is high, that Jeannot will be a costly addition. Opportunity and stylistic fit may be the determining factor, and playing in Toronto on a one-year deal to get some notice around the league may put the Leafs in a good position.
