A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens Should Offer Sheet A Division Rival

By Ken MacMillan

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 19: Andreas Johnsson #18 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ron Hainsey #2 celebrate with Kasperi Kapanen #24 of the Toronto Maple Leafs after he scored a goal as John Moore #27 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the third period of Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Maple Leafs defeat the Bruins 2-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 19: Andreas Johnsson #18 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ron Hainsey #2 celebrate with Kasperi Kapanen #24 of the Toronto Maple Leafs after he scored a goal as John Moore #27 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the third period of Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Maple Leafs defeat the Bruins 2-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 17: Montreal Canadiens Andreas Johnsson #18 (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Player: Andreas Johnsson

Current team: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Offer: 3 years, $3.25 million

Compensation: 2020 2nd round pick

As mentioned above, the Toronto Maple Leafs have some stickhandling to do this summer. Their salary cap space is going to run out quickly, and they will have some difficult decisions to make.

This is what will leave them prone to being targeted by an offer sheet. They have to be careful with every contract handed out. You could argue the Leafs painted themselves in this corner by giving Patrick Marleau a three-year deal in 2017 with a cap hit of $6.25 million and handing William Nylander a contract that will carry a cap hit just under $7 million for the next five seasons.

Whatever the reason, they would have a hard time matching a decent offer to Johnsson. He is a left-winger who, just like Kapanen, has just finished his first full NHL season. Johnsson scored 20 goals as well and ended the year with 43 points in 73 games.

At 24 years of age, he is a bit older than Kapanen. However, he has played three seasons in North America and adapted extremely quickly to the game here. He scored 20 goals and 47 points in 2016-17 with the Toronto Marlies, his rookie AHL campaign.

Johnsson followed that up with 54 points in 54 AHL games in 2017-18 and three points in his first nine NHL games. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 7th round of the 2013 draft.

Johnsson wouldn’t fit as seamlessly in the Canadiens lineup as Kapanen would. He would be stuck behind Drouin and Tomas Tatar on the left side. So, he would either play on the third line, perhaps with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, or move to the right side.

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