Two down, one to go.
The Maple Leafs on Friday officially announced the signings of a pair of crucial restricted free agents, keeping forwards Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen with the club for the next four years and three years, respectively.
The average annual value of Johnsson’s contract is $3.4 million US, while Kapanen comes in with an AAV of $3.2 million.
The original plan on the part of Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas had been to sign restricted free agent Mitch Marner first and then get other business done. Once the Leafs traded Patrick Marleau’s contract at the draft last weekend — saving them $6.25 million — Dubas could move on signing Johnsson and Kapanen.
It not signed by July 1, Marner will be eligible to consider offer sheets from interested clubs.
Dubas said before the draft last week that the club would not automatically match an offer sheet for Marner.
The speculation is that Marner has been talking to teams since the window to interview restricted free agents opened on Wednesday.
twitter.com/koshtorontosun
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
