Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Shouldn’t Sign Alex Pietrangelo

Ever since the hockey world heard that Pietrangelo would likely go to free agency, Leafs fans immediately jumped on the idea of potentially signing the exceptional two-way dynamo, Alex Pietrangelo. Well although that would fill a big need on the right side, I don’t think it’s the best choice for the team to go in. Let’s discuss three reasons why they shouldn't sign Alex Pietrangelo this year.

It’ll Only Make the Leafs More Cap Strapped

If Pietragelo is indeed seeking north of $9 million, it’ll be very hard for the Leafs to afford him. You’d have to trade Johnsson and probably Nylander. Nylander was a beast this year for the Leafs where he put up 31 goals and 59 points in only 68 games. Although Johnsson was injured for a large portion of the 19-20 season, he still put up 43 points in 73 games in 2018-19. Losing these two pieces up front will be a major blow to the Leafs depth on offence that they’ll definitely need in the playoffs. Although Pietrangelo’s great in all areas of the ice, it’ll be even more difficult for Dubas to surround these guys with good depth options with limited cap space. 

There’s Other Cheaper Defenseman in Free Agency This Year

This year’s free agency class will be loaded due to the flat cap throughout the NHL. With guys like Gudas, Brodie and DeMelo set to become unrestricted free agents this Friday, it’ll allow the leafs to get more grit and better defensive play in their own end. Let’s say the Leafs are able to sign Gudas and DeMelo. Gudas brings much needed grit on the backend and will be able to lay big hits when needed. DeMelo was a really good two-way defenceman last season as he split time with both the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets. If you paired DeMelo with Rielly and Gudas with someone like Muzzin, the Leafs top 4 could look a lot better heading into next season.

Signing Pietrangelo Will Only Hurt Morgan Rielly

Now before I go any further, I gotta give the Steve Dangle Podcast credit for this idea. If you sign Pietrangelo, Morgan Rielly’s development as an effective defender can only go so far. We saw this with Tyson Barrie last year. If you have 2 main powerplay guys on one team, it’ll end up biting you very bad. If you want Morgan Rielly to return back to the 70+ point level he was at in 18-19, you’ve gotta put him with the big boys on the powerplay. If you put him on the second power play, there’s a really good chance that he won’t produce as much. 

By: Luka Tkalcevic (IG: futurehockeystars, luka_tkalcevic)

Photo Credit:

https://bleedinblue.com/2019/10/15/st-louis-blues-not-overpay-alex-pietrangelo/