While the major free agency signings have concluded, several players are still seeking teams for the upcoming season.
Forward Jack Roslovic is among the notable unsigned players, and it appears multiple teams are interested in the 28-year-old. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, reporting on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are one such interested party.
Friedman commented, “It makes sense to me because he has a history with Auston Matthews. They played together at the U.S. national development team, so I could see this connection. Roslovic is also a right-hand shot. You know he is a veteran. He’s been around a long time. Matthews obviously knows him. I’m curious to see if that happens.”
Roslovic had a productive campaign last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, tallying 22 goals and 39 points over 81 games.
However, he found it challenging to secure a consistent spot in the Hurricanes` playoff lineup, which may have impacted his standing heading into free agency.
Toronto possesses the necessary salary cap flexibility to potentially sign Roslovic, particularly if he is looking for a deal comparable to his one-year, $2.8 million contract with Carolina from the previous season.
However, one obstacle is delaying the Maple Leafs` ability to sign Roslovic – a factor that also reportedly influenced Andrew Mangiapane signing with the Edmonton Oilers despite Toronto`s interest.
Friedman explained, “I think one of the reasons the Leafs didn’t get Mangiapane was because they kind of indicated, ‘We have to move some bodies out.’ And Mangiapane didn’t want to wait. So far, it looks like, at least for now, Roslovic is waiting. I assume one of them is [David] Kampf, another one could potentially be [Calle] Jarnkrok.”
Friedman also noted that the Washington Capitals have considered signing Roslovic, who is from Columbus. The San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres might also be interested.
Offer Sheet Threat Accelerated Bouchard Deal for Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers recognized the importance of securing a contract for Evan Bouchard this off-season, but it appears their timeline was pushed forward.
According to Friedman`s report, a threat of an offer sheet prompted the Oilers` general manager (presumably Ken Holland, though the source quote names Stan Bowman) to act quickly, finalizing a four-year deal for the 25-year-old defenseman worth $10.5 million per season.
Friedman stated, “The Carolina Hurricanes threatened the Oilers with an offer sheet. We`ll find out some day what the truth is there. I think a lot of people kind of believe that Bouchard was going to come in around four (years) times 9.5 million, but if you look at his arbitration case, he could have gotten $10 million.”
“I think the fact that the Hurricanes were lurking around there got that deal to four times, $10.5 million. So after Carolina didn`t get Bouchard, they pivoted to K`Andre Miller and the (New York) Rangers knew it. You know, the Rangers were aware of it and they got that deal done pretty similar to what an offer sheet would have looked like,” Friedman added.
Tristan Blackwood