Toronto Maple Leafs Miss Out on the Perfect Free Agency Target
Photo credit: Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is going to have to be very active in free agency, although that is becoming harder thanks to their division rivals.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is going to have to be active this summer if he wants to improve his roster and keep this train rolling.
During this year's trade deadline, Treliving was especially active, bringing in guys like Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo. However, one player he was hoping to trade for was Yanni Gourde.
At the time, Gourde was playing for the Seattle Kraken and would have been the perfect third-line center for the Leafs. In the end, it was the Tampa Bay Lightning who beat the Leafs to the punch.
This summer, Gourde was set to become a free agent and would have been a prime target for Treliving and his staff. But once again, the Lightning had the upper hand.
Tampa Bay Lightning extend Yanni Gourde
According to Elliotte Friedman, Gourde not be going to free agency. This is because the Lightning have signed the forward to a 6-year, $14 million deal.
For those at home who are doing the math, the forward is going to be making $2.33 million per season. He is 33 years old, which means this deal goes until he is about to retire.
Of course, this is a great deal for the forward, who had seven goals, 24 assists, and 31 points in 57 games last season. Now, his future is set in stone.
Gourde was a great player for the Tampa Bay Lightning, so it makes sense that they would want to keep him around for the long haul.
It is just too bad that the Leafs have missed out on a free agency target so soon. It feels like a lot of players will be signed before July 1st this year.
However, the Leafs cannot give up hope. Gourde was nowhere near the top of their board, and there are still some amazing players left to go sign.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 2 | 455 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Miss Out on the Perfect Free Agency Target Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs and Yanni Gourde could have been a good fit? | ||
| YES | 189 | 41.5 % |
| NO | 266 | 58.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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