The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant efforts to enhance their defensive lineup this offseason by signing Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to long-term deals. Despite this, they also pursued another prominent defender, Brandon Montour, who declined their offer. Montour had an impressive season with the Florida Panthers, contributing to their Stanley Cup victory. With his contract expiring, the Panthers hoped to retain him, but he opted to sign a long-term contract with the Seattle Kraken instead. Montour recently acknowledged that he considered an offer from the Maple Leafs but ultimately decided against it. While the Maple Leafs can be pleased with their offseason moves, it’s disappointing that they couldn’t secure one more key defensive addition.
Montour joins a strong Kraken team aiming for a postseason push in the 2024-25 campaign. They made notable offseason moves and have a team that could secure a playoff spot if everything aligns, with Montour potentially being the veteran presence they need for a serious run. The Maple Leafs should be pleased with their offseason acquisitions, but adding Montour could have elevated them from contenders to favorites. Re-signing Max Domi, signing Anthony Stolarz, and enhancing their defensive depth should give fans confidence in the Maple Leafs’ potential for a deep playoff run, even without Montour.
Where Would Montour Have Fit With the Maple Leafs?
Montour not signing with the Maple Leafs after considering them will have some fans wondering what could have been if he decided to join the team. One big thing to look at is where he would have fit in the lineup, and it’s clear he could have slotted into the second-pairing on the right side alongside his former Panther teammate Ekman-Larsson. Instead, it seems like Timothy Liljegren will get the opportunity in the top-four group, which isn’t awful, but the team would have been better off if they were successful in their pursuit of the 30-year-old Stanley Cup champion.
While the Maple Leafs would have benefited from Montour’s defensive play, he had some strong offensive production last season that the team would have loved to add to their back end. He scored eight goals and added 25 assists for 33 points through 66 games with the Panthers last season, and added 11 points in 24 playoff games. As a veteran coming off of a championship victory, he is exactly the kind of player that Maple Leafs’ fans would have wanted to help their team both on and off the ice, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
Nobody except Montour will ever know for sure why he didn’t choose to sign with the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs have a lot going for them as far as being close to contending. They play in a great arena, and have some of, if not the most loyal fans in the entire NHL. Either way, they have a strong enough team that they’ve built and fans should be confident that they can make a push for a Stanley Cup this season, even if they missed out on Montour. With a couple of months left until the regular season, there is still time for the Maple Leafs to make another move to bolster their defensive depth if they see an issue with how it looks now, so there is no reason to panic.
