The Toronto Maple Leafs went all on a mission to further develop their cautious profundity this offseason with the increases of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on long haul bargains.
In any case, they supposedly pursued another enormous name safeguard who turned down their proposition. With the Florida Panthers, Brandon Montour had a strong season and helped them win the Stanley Cup by strengthening their defense.
Montour’s departure from the Panthers, despite the fact that his contract was about to expire, chose to sign a long-term deal with the Seattle Kraken.
Montour acknowledged in a recent statement that the Maple Leafs offered him a contract but that he ultimately decided to decline it.
Even though the Maple Leafs should be pleased with the moves they made this offseason, it hurts to know that they tried to add one more strong defensive player but were unable to succeed.
Montour joins major areas of strength for a group that is hoping to make a drive into the postseason in the 2024-25 mission. Montour may be the veteran player they need to be taken seriously and finally make a run.
They made some strong moves this offseason and have a team that could make the playoffs if everything goes as planned.
The addition of Montour could have been the cherry on top that transformed the Maple Leafs from a contender into a favorite, but the team should also be pleased with the moves it made this offseason.
Fans should be confident that the Maple Leafs can make a deep run in the playoffs even without Montour because they signed Anthony Stolarz, re-signed Max Domi, and strengthened their defensive depth.
With the Maple Leafs, where would Montour have fit in? Some fans will be left wondering what Montour could have accomplished if he had signed with the Maple Leafs after considering them.
It is evident that he could have fit into the second-pairing on the right side alongside his former Panther teammate Ekman-Larsson, which is a major consideration.
The team would have been better off if they were successful in their pursuit of the 30-year-old Stanley Cup champion, but it appears that Timothy Liljegren will get the opportunity in the top-four group.
While the Maple Leafs would have benefited from Montour’s defensive play, the team would have loved to add him to their back line for his strong offensive play last year. He had 33 points in 66 games with the Panthers last season, including eight goals and 25 assists, and he had 11 points in 24 playoff games.
He is exactly the type of player that Maple Leafs fans would have wanted to help their team on and off the ice because he is a veteran who just won a championship. Unfortunately, however, that did not happen.
Only Montour, and nobody else, will ever know for sure why he didn’t sign with the Maple Leafs. When it comes to competing, the Maple Leafs have a lot going for them.
They play in an extraordinary field, and have some of, on the off chance that not the most faithful fans in the whole NHL.
Even if they missed out on Montour, they have a strong enough team that they’ve built, and fans should be confident that they can compete for the Stanley Cup this season.
There is no need to panic because the Maple Leafs still have a few months until the regular season to make another move to improve their defensive depth if they see a problem with the current situation.
