FTB: Where did the UFAs go?

Nov 26, 2022 - 11:00 AM

Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

We’re two months into the NHL season, the Maple Leafs are fourth overall in the NHL (yet somehow still only second in their division), and the players who love Toronto are doing great.

What about those players who don’t love Toronto? Who chose money over happiness? Where are they? Luckily for you, I have some answers.

Ilya Mikheyev (F)
Vancouver Canucks - 4 years, $4.75M AAV
17GP - 5G - 6A - 11Pts

The Cobra Soup Man got his first big free agent contract by leaving the comforts of Toronto for the beautifully bitter city of Vancouver. The Canucks are 26th overall, but who needs quality when you got paid? No Mikheyev.

Ilya Lyubushkin (D)
Buffalo Sabres - 2 years, $2.75M AAV
15GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt

An injury replacement defender didn’t expect to get more than league minimum or top six ice time in Toronto and went to Buffalo, who are barely above the Canucks in the standings. He’s getting regular ice time, which he wouldn’t have had until recently in Toronto. No glory, but he’s skating.

Colin Blackwell (C)
Chicago Blackhawks - 2 years, $1.2M AAV
17GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts

Another tweener player who may never have made the Leafs moved on to a bottom tier team and a bigger paycheque. How’s the weather down in 29th place? Windy? I bet it’s windy.

Ondřej Kaše (RW)
Carolina Hurricanes - 1 year, $1.5M AAV
1GP - No Points

Injured in the Hurricanes home opener, the oft-injured Kaše is once again missing significant time in concussion protocol. All the best Ondřej.

Brett Seney (LW)
Chicago Blackhawks - 1 year, $750k
No NHL games played

Seney played only two Leafs games last season, and signed a league min. deal with Chicago. He’s been with AHL Rockford all season.

Kristians Rubins (D)
Ottawa Senators - 1 year, $750k
No NHL games played

Another Marlies who had an NHL taste last season. He’s been playing with the AHL Belleville Senators all year.

Michael Hutchinson (G)
Vegas Golden Knights - 1 year, $750k
No NHL Games played

A tweener goalie for the last few seasons, Hutchinson signed with Vegas expecting to take advantage of Robin Lehners injury, but has been upstaged by others. He’s been with the AHL Henderson Silver Knights all year.

Chad Krys, Joseph Duszak, Teemu Kivihalme
No NHL deals

A trio of players no one wanted, Kivihalme is with TPS Turku in Finland, Duszak is with Minsk Dynamo in the KHL, and Krys is playing with Vienna in Austria.

Jack Campbell (G)
Edmonton Oilers - 5 years, $5M AAV
11GP - 4.15GAA - .876sv%

Hooooo boy. Thank you Jack for not wanting to stay in Toronto and chasing the money. Thanks to your abysmal play the team with two of the best goal scorers in the league is 21st in the NHL, and sitting outside the playoffs. The Leafs have Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray combined for just over what Campbell makes and that’s been working out much better for them.

It turns out the Leafs aren’t missing any of the players who left in the off-season, maybe the Ilyas, but they were replaced.

Thanks Kyle!

Here’s some news:

The Maple Leafs won yesterday!

Man, I wish I could go to the Olympics.

A watermain break cancelled the Predators/Avalanche game. Who could be responsible?

The Maple Leafs play at 7PM tonight in Pittsburgh. Enjoy the day, and see you there tonight!