Five games into preseason, Brad Boyes has won the battle of the PTOs.
Brad Boyes gets a one-year deal from #leafs.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 27, 2015
The contract is worth $700,000 — a dirt cheap cap hit to move at the deadline.
Helping Boyes’ cause is the fact that he is a right shot competing on a thinner right flank of the Maple Leafs depth chart.
Last night, Boyes looked good on a line with Peter Holland at center and Shawn Matthias on the left, while the now-released Curtis Glencross played on the left side of Byron Froese and Kasperi Kapanen — behind van Riemsdyk, Matthias, and Komarov. And that’s without LWers Daniel Winnik and Joffrey Lupul (he could play the right, but at least one of him or Michael Grabner will be on the left) in the lineup.
The right side now shapes up something like:
- Lupul (could play LW)
- Parenteau
- Grabner (could play LW)
- Boyes
- Panik
- Frattin
- Brown
- Hyman
Not the best of news for at least one of Richard Panik or Matt Frattin.
Among the invitees at camp, Boyes had the strongest recent numbers, having scored 14 goals and 38 points last season. His career production is also superior to both Glencross and Setoguchi, to go along with solid career possession and scoring chance numbers.
Of the 3, Boyes was the obvious keeper. Seto and Glencross -may- have had value but are marginal 3rd liners. #Leafs pic.twitter.com/KYbgopwFui
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) September 27, 2015
There are 45 forwards who have had a positive scoring chance impact on their teams in five consecutive years. The names that populate that list run the gauntlet of elite talent. Alex Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar, Claude Giroux, Corey Perry, the Sedin twins, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Mikko Koivu, Taylor Hall – I think you get my point. In total, 44 of our 45 names have contracts signed for next year, and only one of those 44-players is set to make less than $3-million AAV next season. (The average cap hit of this group is $5.8-million). The 45th forward on this list, as you might have guessed, is Brad Boyes.
– Travis Yost, TSN
The signing takes the Leafs to 46 Standard Player Contracts.
