The free agency period has opened with the news of two former Maple Leafs — both of whom the organization made serious efforts to retain — headed to the Music City in deadline rentals Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn.
The terms of the deals: four years, $4.5 million AAV for ROR / three years, $2.25 million AAV for Schenn.
While he played a marginal role in the regular season after the acquisition, Schenn emerged as one-half of the team’s most dependable five-on-five defense pairing in the playoffs and complemented Morgan Rielly really effectively. Three years and $2.75 million AAV is too rich for a player who isn’t going to be a surefire, full-time #4/5 (more safely slots as a #6) over the duration of the deal, but clearly, the Leafs have a glaring need for a dependable right D with Schenn departed and Justin Holl gone to Detroit unless they want to roll ahead banking on both Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins in their top six.
Ryan O’Reilly wasn’t in Toronto for long, but the team’s ability to overcome Tampa in the playoffs owed a lot to their additional depth down the middle of the ice and the contributions ROR made with a clutch game-tying goal late in Game 3, seven points in six games in the series, and the benefits he provided in the matchup game for Sheldon Keefe as a 200-foot play-driving center. There is a decent-to-good chance ROR can deliver enough overall value at both ends of the ice to justify the $4.5 million AAV over the four years, so it’s curious if the Leafs walked away from those terms.
Update (1 p.m. EST):
Toronto was trying to retain Ryan O’Reilly. The term and money wasn’t an issue. ROR decided to look outside of Toronto.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2023
Ryan Reaves arguably replaces some of the dressing-room character and veteran voice on the bench that’s been lost with both departures but he certainly does not replace the meaningful minutes at two critical positions at C and RHD.
Lots of work to do for Treliving.
