Maple Leafs Odds to Land Top UFA Target Increase After Vancouver Backs Off

Per the New York Times, the chances of the Vancouver Canucks landing Jack Roslovic late this summer appear to be shrinking. This is good news for the Maple Leafs, who are believed to still be in the running for his services.

The Canucks seem focused on addressing their depth issues internally, hoping that players like Aatu Räty and Filip Chytil can take the a step and play a more meaningful role.

Without Vancouver in the mix, Toronto may use this new information to avoid having to overpay on Roslovic to lure him away from the opposition. Instead, they can play the long game, if they even want to pursue him at all.

Roslovic is coming off of a solid year with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he scored 22 goals and tallied 39 points. While the Leafs appear to have enough middle-six centers on paper, you can never have too much depth at that position.

Injuries strike quickly in the NHL, and Roslovic's versatility is what makes him valuable. Even if Toronto deploys him as a winger to start, the ability to slot him back into center when needed could be a major asset.

Of course, as always, this comes down to cost. Roslovic may be seeking more money and term than the Leafs are comfortable with. However, if Toronto can clear space by moving another bottom-six forward, such as David Kämpf or Calle Järnkrok, using that cap room on Roslovic could be a worthwhile upgrade. He could strengthen the Leafs' third line while offering flexibility to swap seamlessly with Nicolas Roy at 3C if needed.

The bigger question in all of this is, why Carolina let him walk? With over $10 million in cap space, Roslovic doesn't seem like a financial burden. Was it a stylistic issue? Did his production fall short of expectations? Is he uncoachable?

Whatever the case, his availability could represent an opportunity for the Maple Leafs - but the price has to be right.