The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the longest championship droughts in sports, seeing the streak extended another year after being eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the second round. With Florida on the doorstep of back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, Toronto might poach from the Panthers in NHL free agency.

James Mirtle of The Athletic writes that while the Maple Leafs “almost certainly” won’t get Sam Bennett, he does believe that Brad Marchand could be an option for the team. He also thinks Toronto can stand a good shot at landing him if it’s comfortable with the likely cost of a deal.

“I do think he’ll (Marchand) be interested in the challenge/opportunity of coming to Toronto and trying to help them finally have more playoff success. But it’s going to cost the Leafs (or whoever ends up signing him)…If the Leafs are willing to meet that asking price, I really think they’ll have a decent shot. There just aren’t going to be many contenders willing to spend that much. “

The Athletic’s James Mirtle on the Toronto Maple Leafs as an option for Brad Marchand

Advertisement

Related: Insider reveals likely cost to sign Florida Panthers’ Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand playoff stats (ESPN): 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), 2 power-play points, 3 game-winning goals in 22 games

Marchand, age 37, is widely viewed as one of the best NHL free agents this offseason. Heading into Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, with Florida one win away from consecutive titles, Marchand has the third-most goals (10) during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s been especially great against the Edmonton Oilers, scoring 6 goals in five games with two game-winning goals.

Coming off an outstanding run at the end of a contract year, Marchand is poised to cash in next month in NHL free agency. With Florida prioritizing Sam Bennett and also wanting to re-sign Aaron Ekblad, there’s a higher likelihood of Marchand departing this offseason.

Related: Latest on Florida Panthers’ plans with Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand

Toronto Maple Leafs cap space (PuckPedia): $25.709 million

Advertisement

While the bidding war for Marchand will result in a multi-year deal for an even higher salary than he has now ($6.125 million), Toronto could still be fairly well-positioned to add him. The Maple Leafs organization has already decided it won’t be bringing back Mitch Marner, which could open the door to signing Marchand.

Given that a majority of the teams with significant cap space this offseason are either rebuilding or fringe playoff contenders, it’s certainly on the table that Marchand and the Maple Leafs could see one another as the ideal fit.

Also Read: Identifying top landing spots for Mitch Marner

Related Headlines