The Toronto Maple Leafs made several attempts to sign top-tier free agents at the beginning of July, but they have repeatedly said in public that they were turned down by the Canadian team.
Defenseman Brandon Montour, who signed a free agent contract with the humble Seattle Kraken after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024, is the most recent addition to that group.
On July 18, Montour made an appearance on TSN’s OverDrive, where he revealed that the Leafs expressed interest in signing him and that he and his agent had discussions with the team but had finally decided against it.
“Discussions were held [with the Maple Leafs],” Montour stated. “I found it intriguing and thought I could absolutely help when I looked at the roster and myself. However, a lot of consideration goes into both business decisions and my family’s needs when it comes to [free agency].
On July 1, the first day of free agency, Montour decided to sign a seven-year, $49.98 million contract with the Kraken.
Being a native of Brantford, Ontario, Montour has connections to the province. Nevertheless, he chose to sign with Seattle due to the team’s attraction to him. Like he did when he brought the first championship to Florida, the blueliner said that his greatest desire would be to win the first Cup in Kraken’s history.
“In retrospect, the most amazing thing about their victory in Florida was that it was their first championship and they experienced it together,” Montour remarked. “I’m excited about Seattle and the possibility of doing that there.”
The Trip of Montour From Florida to Seattle
Toronto was able to acquire Montour’s large $50 million deal with Seattle, but only because of his remarkable performance in leading the Panthers to the Cup during his breakthrough season.
In 66 regular-season games, the defenseman finished 2023–24 with 8 goals and 25 assists for a total of 33 points. After that, Montour scored three more goals and provided eight more assists to finish with 11 points in the postseason.
In comparison to the Panthers’ 2024 triumph, the Kraken was on the other extreme of the spectrum. Despite missing the playoffs, Seattle had enough promise to entice Montour to accept a long-term contract with the team.
The Kraken, who were founded prior to the 2021–2022 season, secured their first postseason berth in 2023 and made it to the second round before losing to the Dallas Stars 4–3 over seven games.
In the 2014 NHL Draft, Montour was selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 55th overall pick. Following his rookie year in 2016–17, Montour has been a member of the Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Ducks.
In 510 regular-season games, Montour has skated for 252 points, 66 goals, and 186 assists.
Maple Leafs Lose in Free Agency Several Times
When the top players to enter the market were still available in the early days of free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs faced multiple rejections.
In addition to Montour, they had their eye on defenseman Matt Roy, but the former blueliner for the Los Angeles Kings chose to accept a $14 million, four-year contract with the Washington Capitals. Roy’s potential appearance on the Steve Dangle Podcast on July 8 was reported by Chris Johnston of Toronto.
“I believe that Matt Roy was partially the one who escaped.” Brady Skjei piqued their interest, but it was evident from the start that this would not be it. They mentioned Pesce, but I didn’t get the impression that they were ever (close). According to Johnston, Roy was a prime target on the SDPN.
In addition, after the Sabres bought out his contract, the Leafs tried to sign forward Jeff Skinner. However, Skinner ended up signing a $3 million, one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
Chris Johnston offered additional context for Skinner’s choice, stating that Toronto is no longer a desirable destination for free agents because the team isn’t regarded as a successful league enterprise.
“It’s obvious that he is heading to Edmonton to win. During the July 2 broadcast of The Chris Johnston Show, Johnston stated, “I mean, he could have signed for one year and $3 million in about ten spots.” “I am aware that the Leafs were one of the teams who spoke with him and attempted to convince him to join our team so he could play with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.”
Johnston claims that Skinner’s choice to sign with the Oilers rather than the Toronto Raptors highlighted his desire to play with superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid rather than players like Matthews and Marner, who may be moving shortly.
Leave a Reply