Maple Leafs’ Top 3 Agent Signings of All Time – Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

*This archive was written in early June 2023

Every offseason, NHL contenders will try to add that key piece through free agency to help their team immediately, and sometimes it works.

Rival clubs often take advantage of players on the open market, and often, it looks like a steal. This has happened many times with the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially during the Auston Matthews era, when former GM Kyle Dubas signed low-risk, high-reward players like David Kampf.

This article is the second of two looking at the best and worst signings for the Maple Leafs. These are the best three in franchise history.

Curtis Joseph

The Maple Leafs’ “Cujo,” or Cujo Joseph, who was and still is adored by Leafs Nation, was one of the most respected players on the team. In 1998, the team signed him to a four-year contract worth $24 million, which was the highest price for a goaltender. He joined Glen Healy and Felix Potvin, but in his first season with the team, he took the starting job and played 67 games. He had a 35-24-7 record with a 2.56 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%). He finished second in Vezina Trophy voting and fourth in Hart Trophy (MVP) voting in his first season.

During his four-year career with the Maple Leafs, Joseph appeared in 249 games with a record of 133-88-27. He has been in the race for medals each year of his contract. In 1999-2000, he won the King Clancy Trophy (given to the player who best exemplifies leadership) and finished third in the Vezina Trophy voting. In 2000-01 and 2001-02, he finished eighth and tenth in Vezina voting, respectively.

He was traded to the Calgary Flames at the end of his contract in June 2002 for a 2003 third round pick, which was eventually traded to the Minnesota Wild. Joseph returned to the Maple Leafs as a free agent again in 2008, at the age of 41. During this time, he became a substitute, appearing in 21 games, but started only 11; his record was 5-9-1.

Borje Salming

The late Borje Salming is the best defenseman to ever lace up the skates of the Maple Leafs. It seems hard to believe that he was not a first round pick but was signed as a free agent on May 12, 1973. Finding his contract details was difficult, but some reports say his deal was for one year with an AAV of $70,000, but this is just an estimate. Regardless of his financial worth, his value as a player was priceless. Salming played 16 seasons with the club, quickly cementing his legacy as a Maple Leafs legend.

In those 16 seasons, he scored 148 goals and 620 assists, still the most points by a defenseman in team history. He was always looking for an award, whether it was the Calder Trophy (Best Rookie) in his first season, the Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman) or the Lady Byng (Sports). Although he didn’t win any of them, he always talked. However, he appeared in three All-Star games in three consecutive years: 1976, 1977 and 1978. Salming was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, and in 2017 was named one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history. The Maple Leafs also gave him a spot on Legends Row outside the Maple Leafs’ Scotiabank Arena.

John Tavares

For a while, it seemed like free agents didn’t want to come home to Toronto. The provincial tax rate is very high, and the party’s performance over the past decade, has not been good. However, that changed when John Tavares agreed to a massive deal to bring him home, worth $77 million over seven years, with an AAV of $11 million per season. This is the largest free agent contract in franchise history. Unfortunately, bringing the trophy home hasn’t happened yet, and he just finished the last year of his contract. Although many did not like the cap hit, he is still the most productive player in the team.

Over the past seven-plus seasons, the former Maple Leafs captain has 235 goals and 288 assists, including a career high in goals in 2018-19, with 47. This is the type of player Dubas knew he would get. Unfortunately, Tavares has become the target of much criticism for his cap hit. However, given his level of production and the impact he has had on the team, this signing will always be one of the franchise’s best.

Others could be listed here, but I think these are the three best players in Maple Leafs history. Alexander Mogilny signing a four-year contract worth $22 million and Ed Belfour coming to the Maple Leafs for a two-year contract worth $13.5 million are honorable mentions that could easily make this list. However, Joseph, Salming and Tavares are the types of contracts that NHL GMs like to associate with.