Teams in total rebuild mode have been known to cash in their coach, get a new goaltender, bulk up on the blue line or sign free-agent forwards, all in a single off-season.
Not so much a club coming off three straight 100-point regular seasons. But with a shrinking chance to win the Stanley Cup while its core is still in prime, the Maple Leafs chose to change all four aforementioned areas.
Brad Treliving, in his second year as Toronto’s general manager, has truly put his stamp on the roster and while some moves have a gambling element, the pay-off will be if the Leafs are still alive in late May.
Meet the new guys on Bay Street, keeping in mind Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz still have to sign NHL contracts.
G Anthony Stolarz
Born: Edison, N.J., 1/20/94
Nickname: Larz, Stolie
WHERE HE’S BEEN: A second-round pick of the Flyers in 2012, Stolarz has never played more than a half season in the NHL in any of his four city stops. But last year saw him in a key regular season support role with the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 16 wins and a .925 save percentage.
WHAT HE BRINGS: Opportunity knocks here for a 30-year-old who stands 6-foot-6 and has long sought a chance to show he can run with the No. 1 designation. If he doesn’t beat out Joseph Woll, he’ll certainly push the younger man. Stolarz did well in three exhibition games, including a 30-save shutout. And unlike Woll and recent Leaf netminding projects Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, Stolarz hasn’t been distracted by injuries.
DID YOU KNOW?: Among goalies with at least 20 appearances last year, Stolarz posted first with 0.83 goals saved above average per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, via The Hockey News and naturalstattrick.com. He’s 14th overall the past three seasons with 0.27 GSAA/60, despite time with the weak Anaheim Ducks.
D Chris Tanev
Born: Toronto, Ont.,12/20/89
Nickname: Tanny, Tan Man
WHERE HE’S BEEN: It’s taken a long time for the East York native to find his way home, 13 ½ seasons in Western Canada with Vancouver and Calgary before the Dallas Stars rented him for playoffs. Those 19 games last spring accounted for a third of his career post-season appearances. He’s almost at 800 career games, remarkable for an undrafted player.
WHAT HE BRINGS: Since Treliving got to Toronto and saw first-hand the need for long-term physicality on the blue line he’d been making a pitch for Tanev. His enthusiasm for corner work, contact and shot blocking make him “exactly the type of defender Leafs need to be successful in playoffs,” noted TSN analyst Craig Button. He could be the perfect complement for Morgan Rielly, a former Team Canada partner.
DID YOU KNOW?: He was a lesser-known GTHL teammate of future NHLers Steve Stamkos and P.K. Subban with the Jr. Canadiens.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Born: Karlskrona, Sweden 17/7/91
Nickname: OEL, Ollie
WHERE HE’S BEEN: Years of near anonymity in the desert for the sixth overall pick in 2009 (just before the Leafs selected Nazem Kadri) ended couple of high-profile years in Vancouver and then a Cup with the Panthers. His 24 games last spring nearly doubled his career playoff run, on top of 80 regular-season games, his best attendance in five years.
WHAT HE BRINGS: In addition to experience, he possesses a better point shot than most on the current Leafs, which will help at 5-on-5 and the power play. If Berube can find a complimentary right-handed shot as a partner, Ekman-Larsson will boost the third pairing or higher.
DID YOU KNOW: As a Coyote, broke the single season NHL record for game-winning goals by a defenceman in one season (eight), a mark that was partly held by Leaf legend Tim Horton.
D Jani Hakanpaa
Born: Kirkkonummi, Finland, 31/3/902
Nickname: Hawk
WHERE HE’S BEEN: Almost a decade after he was drafted by St. Louis in 2009, making a decision to stay in his native land, Hakanpaa made his NHL debut with Anaheim. He was completing a third strong season with the Dallas Stars last March when a knee injury sidelined him from full practice right until the end of Leaf camp.
WHAT HE BRINGS: The riskiest of all the UFAs because of the uncertainty with the knee’s durability, a healthy Hakanpaa can nonetheless use his 6-foot-7 span in his zone and ideally help a penalty kill that tumbled down the NHL rankings last season.
DID YOU KNOW: His favourite NHL player as a kid was American Brian Rafalski, who played later played club hockey in Helsinki won the 1998 Finnish league title.
LW Max Pacioretty
Born: New Canaan, Conn., 11/20/88
Nickname: Patches
WHERE HE’S BEEN: Ranks fifth in points (668) from the first round of the first round of the 2007 draft that featured Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk. Just missed the Stanley Cup train in a long tenure with Montreal and a move to Vegas, before torn Achilles tendon surgery put his career in doubt.
WHAT HE BRINGS: When younger and healthier, he was a five-time 30-goal scorer. After a summer spent solely on season prep rather than injury recovery, Pacioretty could fill a hole as a physical left winger created by Tyler Bertuzzi’s departure. He adds the voice of a former captain, one who has experience in the ups and downs a major Canadian market.
DID YOU KNOW: Like current Leaf captain Auston Matthews, Pacioretty’s mother is of Mexican origin.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
F Steven Lorentz
Born: Kitchener, Ont. 4/13/96
Nickname: Renzo, Lorry
WHERE HE’S BEEN: The former Peterborough Pete junior paid his minor league dues as a mid-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, winning a Calder Cup with Charlotte. After some COVID-shortened time with the Canes, spent a year in San Jose before the perfect timing of a half season with the ‘24 Cup champion Panthers.
WHAT HE BRINGS: More size and speed to a fourth line, possibly with Ryan Reaves and David Kampf or as a centre, if not eventually a role higher in the lineup. Waterloo native comes from a family of Leaf fans and is embracing this PTO opportunity.
DID YOU KNOW: Years ago when Jersey defenceman and former local junior Scott Stevens brought the Cup to Kitchener-Waterloo, Mark Lorentz advised young son Steven to wear hockey gloves as it would be bad luck to touch the trophy until he’d won it himself.
Coach Craig Berube
Born: Calahoo, Alta., 17/12/65
Nickname: Chief
WHERE HE’S BEEN: After more than 1,100 games as a player, one of its most effective fourth liners and enforcers, Berube caught the coaching bug. Promoted behind the bench in St. Louis early in the 2018-19 season, he led the Blues to the first Cup in franchise history.
WHAT HE BRINGS: He won’t hesitate to step on toes and bruise some egos of star players if the Leafs don’t respond to his urge to up their intensity. This is a far more talented team than the Blues and after years of playoff disappointment it shouldn’t be hard for the Leafs to buy into Berube.
DID YOU KNOW: In Philadelphia under coach Mike Keenan, his willingness to take on all comers in a fight included current Leaf president Brendan Shanahan when the latter was a Devil.
X: @sunhornby