The Maple Leafs also signed the defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson with a four-year contract worth $14 million ($3.5 million average annual value) and as a goalkeeper. Jose Woll on a three-year, $10.98 million ($3.66 million AAV) contract that will begin in the 2025-26 season.
Ekman-Larsson, 32, had 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 80 regular-season games for the Florida Panthers and six points (two goals, four assists) in 24 Stanley Cup playoff games to help them win the Cup. Selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, he has 471 points (144 goals, 327 assists) in 471 regular-season games for the Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Coyotes and 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 49 playoff games.
“When I look at the defense right now, it’s got a good mix,” Treliving said. “You’ve got some puck-moving players, some size players, some penalty-killers. The addition of Oliver gives you another option on the power play. We have lefties and righties. Defensemen are very hard to come by, so it opens up different options for us as we move forward here in the summer.”
Woll, 25, was 12-11-1 with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in 25 games (23 starts) for the Maple Leafs last season and 2-2 with a 0.86 GAA and a .964 save percentage in three playoff games. Selected by Toronto in the third round (No. 62) of the 2016 NHL Draft, he is 21-13-1 with a 2.76 GAA, a .912 save percentage and one shutout in 36 NHL games, all with the Maple Leafs, and 3-2 with a 1.78 GAA and a .933 save percentage in seven playoff games.
“We’ve looked at the comparisons and we’ve given Joe a year’s advantage. We have a lot of faith in him,” Treliving said. “We think Joe will have a very good career ahead of him and a very important season. It was a priority for us to see if we could get ahead of that and Joe was excited to be involved.”
The moves came a day after Toronto signed forward Maximo Domi to a four-year, $15 million ($3.75 million AAV) contract and defense Timothy Liljegren a two-year contract worth $6 million ($3 million average annual value).
Domi, who could have become an unrestricted free agent on Monday, had 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 80 regular-season games for Toronto this season and four points (one goal, three assists) in seven playoff games.
“Getting Max back was a priority… We’re excited to have Max back, he’s a versatile player,” Treliving said. “I think he’s a player that always wanted to be in Toronto, but it just needed to be a deal that worked for both sides. He’s a competitive kid. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He can move all over the lineup.”
Selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round (No. 12) of the 2013 NHL Draft, the 29-year-old has 417 points (130 goals, 287 assists) in 661 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens and Coyotes and 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in 50 playoff games.
“That’s the reason I signed here,” Domi said Monday. “It’s my hometown and I wanted to be here. I’ve had a dream of winning a Stanley Cup since I can remember, when I was two years old, when I first started playing hockey. Long before I knew anything about getting paid and that dream hasn’t changed. Every time I had that dream, I was wearing a Leafs jersey. It’s very fitting that I get the opportunity to play here for the next few years and I chose to be here, I want to be here and I believe in this group. To bring in a guy like Chief (Craig Berube) and the staff he’s hired is very exciting for a player. This group is hungry.”