Report: Maple Leafs Targeting Panthers' Brandon Montour and Stars' Chris Tanev in NHL Free Agency
The Toronto Maple Leafs will reportedly target several defensemen in free agency this summer.
In his latest column with the Toronto Star, Nick Kypreos writes that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has two names circled as potential fits with Toronto next season on the back end: Brandon Montour and Chris Tanev.
"It’s no secret the Leafs will be targeting Florida’s Montour if the pending free agent remains unsigned after this Cup final," Kypreos reported. "Chris Tanev is another name that never left Treliving’s radar."
Montour and the Florida Panthers are one win away from winning the Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers. The 30-year-old right-shot defender is in the final year of a three-year, $10.5 million contract he signed with Florida in 2021.
Montour is second among Panthers defensemen in points (three goals, seven assists in 20 games) and ice time (23:00) in the playoffs. He led all defensemen on Florida with 23:27 in the regular season.
Tanev, who has ties to Treliving during their time with the Calgary Flames, was nearly traded to Toronto earlier this spring before the Dallas Stars acquired him in a three-team trade on Feb. 29.
The Toronto-born native appeared in 19 playoff games with Dallas — who were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by Edmonton — and averaged 22:18 of ice time, the fourth-most among defenders on the Stars.
Tanev is coming off a four-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Flames and Treliving on Oct. 9, 2020. The right-shot defender has a big body at six-foot-two and fits the build of a defenseman that Treliving would target.
The Maple Leafs have Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benout, Conor Timmins, and Cade Webber signed for next season. Timothy Liljegren, a restricted free agent, reportedly hasn't received much dialogue from Toronto, per The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.
TJ Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Mark Giordano, and Ilya Lyubushkin will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Toronto has reportedly expressed interest in retaining Edmundson after acquiring him from the Washington Capitals before the NHL trade deadline.
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