Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Although Finland was shocked by Slovakia on Wednesday, there is one player who would be a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs who happens to be a pending free agent.
It started Finland’s tournament off in the worst way possible, and things don’t get any easier as they take on Scandinavian rivals Sweden on Friday.
Post-Olympics, Toronto needs to target Finnish forward
But in the midst of this shocking upset came one player who showed that he should be getting perhaps a bit more attention than he has — and he could be a perfect target for the Maple Leafs post-Olympics.
Finland’s Eeli Tolvanen doesn’t look like your typical Brad Treliving or Craig Berube staple but he certainly plays like one. He’s 5’10 but plays like he’s seven-feet tall, never fearing to throw hit after hit despite his smaller frame.
Couple that with an innate ability to defend (a Finnish staple) and pretty good offensive skills; he’s the perfect case for an affordable player perfect for a retool.
Tolvanen, 26, has 185 points in 400 NHL games (91 goals, 94 assists) while adding 938 hits and 314 blocks in only 14:45 TOI. He’s averaged 117.25 hits so far in his career as well as 23.13 points-per-game and if Toronto wants to get younger and cheaper without sacrificing offense — he’s their guy.
Toronto needs new faces for a retool, and Tolvanen fits the bill to a tee
Only making $3.475-million this season, he’s a free agent who could easily be signed long term for a fair bargain.
If Toronto were to pay him $15-million over the next four years then that gives him a pay raise, keeps him in his prime with the Maple Leafs, and is a contract that gets cheaper the more the cap rises.
Acquiring him won’t be an issue either as the Kraken would likely entertain a deal especially if they find themselves on a losing streak coming out of the Olympics. With only a couple weeks left until the deadline, there’s not much time to get things done.
They run the risk of missing out on him if they don’t pursue him ahead of the deadline but if the Kraken are also going in a different direction then they could forgo re-signing Tolvanen and focus on internal options.
If Toronto is going to lose names like Scott Laughton, Calle Jarnkrok, Bobby McMann and Nicolas Roy — all who have potential to be traded — then they need talented bottom-six players who bring the grit, physicality, and some offense sprinkled in.
Eeli Tolvanen fits the bill, and if not now then hopefully he’s still available by the time July 1 rolls around.
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Watching Finland, this is the kind of player the Leafs should be eyeing
Should the Maple Leafs pursue Eeli Tolvanen as a retooling target?