Maple Leafs Reportedly Interested in 2 Former Canucks. The team only has $18.8 million in projected cap space and will likely want to re-sign one of the two….
According to Rick Dhaliwal from the Donnie & Dhali show, the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly interested in two Vancouver Canucks players set to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs): Dakota Joshua and Nikita Zadorov.
Regarding the Maple Leafs’ interest, Dhaliwal stated as follows: “I won’t be shocked if the Maple Leafs are a team that looks closely at Zadorov and Joshua if they make it to July 1. Teams are currently considering Joshua and thinking, “We need that kind of guy in the playoffs.” Joshua will have a lot of attention if July 1st arrives, I can assure you of that.
Joshua & Zadorov Have Connections to Toronto
Both players have connections to the Maple Leafs organization, so it makes perfect sense for the team to be interested in them. Joshua and Toronto’s newly-hired head coach, Craig Berube, were both with the St. Louis Blues from 2020–22, and Joshua was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft but was traded to the Blues in 2019 for future considerations.
Regarding Zadorov, he has a relationship with Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving from their time together with the Calgary Flames through the 2023–24 campaign. Treliving made every effort to sign Zadorov from the Flames, just like Chris Tanev did, but he was unable to meet the asking price.After being traded to Vancouver, Zadorov enjoyed a fantastic season and postseason run with the organization.
It won’t be shocking to see the two in blue and white for the upcoming season and for them to immediately become fan favorites in Leafs Nation if they both become free agents.
Predicting Joshua & Zadorov’s Contracts
Predicting free agent contracts is always a challenge. However, in this situation, considering both Joshua and Zadorov already have a relationship with an important member of Maple Leafs’ brass, the organization could be the front-runner for both.
Zadorov will be the one management is willing to spend money on. He brings such a unique style to the blue line that the organization would be foolish to pass on him. With six goals and 20 points this season and a solid playoff run, he will likely be asking for around $4.5–$6 million per season, and, frankly, the Maple Leafs should consider it (especially if they can also sign Brett Pesce — a pending Carolina Hurricanes UFA — to a similar contract to help round out their top-two pairings.)
At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Zadorov is exactly who the Maple Leafs need to play alongside Simon Benoit or Jake McCabe. He is one of the best open-ice hitters in the NHL, can block shots, defend the slot, break up the cycle, and contribute offensively. Treliving should target him when free agency opens and pay him somewhere in the neighbourhood of what he is asking, which could be $5 million for five years.
Joshua had an outstanding contract year and upped his asking price by over $2 million. In 63 games, he scored 18 goals and 32 points; however, that could be a problem for the Maple Leafs. If he is seeking a contract in the neighbourhood of $4 million, then he likely won’t sign with Toronto.
The team only has $18.8 million in projected cap space and will likely want to re-sign one of Tyler Bertuzzi or Max Domi, as well as rebuild their blue line. This means, barring anyone being traded — such as David Kampf or Calle Jarnkrok — to clear space to sign him to a much larger deal, he would need to come down to just north of what Kampf is making, somewhere around $3 million per season for three to four years.
