By Alex Hobson
Tomorrow is a day for tons of Canadians to celebrate the birth of their wonderful country. But for the average hockey fan, July 1st is a day to celebrate two things. A, Canada Day. And B, free agent frenzy. The day where tons of UFA's and RFA's explore different teams in hopes of cashing in and enjoying a change of scenery. The Leafs have made the announcement that they wouldn't be making any big splashes in terms of free agents on free agency day, but you can expect them to sign a couple of players. There is a chance that the roster overhaul takes place this summer, and if it does, you can't fill up your team with prospects, and Leafs management has made that clear. They will more than likely be signing players to one year contracts to fill in roster spots, and then potentially trading them at the deadline for prospects and picks. Even if the Leafs won't be as active as they usually are, Leafs fans should still be prepared for tomorrow. Without further ado, here are three potential players the Leafs should sign.
1. Cody Hodgson (C/LW, 6'0, 185lb)
After an atrocious 2014/15 campaign with the Buffalo Sabres, Hodgson was recently bought out by the club. He recorded only 13 points in 72 games with the Sabres and was regularly seeing fourth line time. As stated earlier, they recently bought him out, and the Leafs could look to give him a second chance where he'll likely see more minutes. A former first round draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks, Hodgson had a good first season in 2013, recording 34 points in 42 games, and even performed well last season, recording 44 points in 72 games. He's still young, at only 25 years old, so this could show to be a perfect match for Hodgson and the rebuilding Leafs squad.
2. Brad Boyes (LW, 6'1, 197lb)
Boyes was also recently bought out by his old team, the Florida Panthers, and could potentially be a low-risk high-reward player for the Leafs. He was a former first round pick by the Leafs in 2000, and he put up a respectable 38 points in 78 games with the Panthers in his 2014-15 campaign. With the Leafs needing to fill in holes on the roster, Boyes should at least be a consideration. He can fill in on any line for the rebuilding Leafs, and would be worth a couple of picks at the deadline from a contender, if signed to a one year contract.
3. Cody Franson (D, 6'5, 213lb)
Franson should be a familiar name to Leafs fans. He spent four seasons with the Leafs before being dealt to his former team, the Nashville Predators, in exchange for Olli Jokinen, Brendan Leipsic, and a 1st round pick. He's a solid defenseman, no doubt, but the asking price he wanted at the time was too steep for us to afford. That being said, he didn't appear to enjoy his time in Nashville and has stated that he would like to return to Toronto if given a call. This is a player that the Leafs should look into signing, but only if it's for the right price. Bad contracts have made this rebuild harder, and sometimes they take a miracle to get rid of (Hence the David Clarkson trade). But otherwise, a deal no longer than 5 years at $3-5 million would be ideal.
What do you think, Leafs fans? Should we pursue any of these free agents? Weigh in below.
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