Toronto Maple Leafs insider KP Papetti expects the team to add a forward or two on July 1st, and Bobby Brink is a name worth watching.
Minnesota was reportedly planning to qualify Brink a half hour before the deadline, then did not. As of Sunday, he's set to become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday.
-
That's a notable swing. The Wild are hoping to re-sign him for less than his going rate as a restricted free agent, which insiders pegged north of $3,500,000.
Brink posted 15 goals and 30 points in 68 games for Minnesota this season at a $1,500,000 cap hit. He's a right-shot winger, exactly the kind of player Toronto has been missing.
New Leafs assistant GM Judd Brackett knows him well. That connection matters in a market where familiarity often decides where a player lands first.
Toronto allowed 299 goals this season, finished 32-36-14, and closed the year on a seven-game losing streak. Adding secondary scoring on the right side is not a luxury anymore.
Brink's fit beside Matthews or Knies makes too much sense to ignore
William Nylander posted 79 points in 65 games. Auston Matthews managed just 53 points in 60 due to missed time. Matthew Knies added 66 points but plays the same shot side as most of Toronto's middle six.
Brink's right shot creates real options on Toronto's second or third line. He's only 24, which fits a roster trying to get younger around its expensive core.
The risk for Minnesota is letting Brink test the market and losing him outright for nothing. The risk for Toronto is overpaying a depth scorer trying to be the team's splash move.
If Brackett's relationship with Brink translates into a quick July 1st deal, it would signal Toronto is serious about adding affordable scoring instead of chasing names that don't fit the cap sheet.
Whether that's enough to fix what went wrong in 2025-26 is the bigger question nobody in Toronto wants to answer yet.
Should the Leafs prioritize signing Bobby Brink over bigger free agent names this summer?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Nobody saw this Connor Hellebuyck trade update coming
