A rumor is circulating that the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in signing Jordan Oesterle as a depth defenseman to bolster their NHL and AHL rosters. Oesterle, 31, divided his time last season between the Calgary Flames in the NHL and their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. In 22 NHL games, he contributed two assists while averaging 13:31 in ice time.
Given his experience – nearly 400 NHL games under his belt, Oesterle could provide much-needed depth for the Maple Leafs, who are poised to lose T.J. Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Mark Giordano, and Ilya Lyubushkin to free agency. Oesterle signed a one-year, $925k deal with the Flames last summer and would likely be looking for a similar contract this offseason, making him an affordable depth option for Toronto.
However, there might be more potential to this potential signing. Oesterle’s close friendship with Tyler Bertuzzi could be a persuasive twist in the equation. Bertuzzi, although having a roller-coaster first season in Toronto, finished strong with at least 20 goals and 40 points.
The rumor is that, on the open market, Bertuzzi could command a significant contract, but given his uneven performance last season, he might sign for around $5 million per season, which would be a slight discount. By signing Oesterle, Maple Leafs’ general manager Brad Treliving could be trying to leverage Oesterle’s relationship with Bertuzzi to encourage Bertuzzi to re-sign.
If the Maple Leafs signed Oesterle, there might be two possible benefits. First, he would help the team mediate its salary cap space more effectively without squeezing the budget. Second, it could help preserve the team’s offensive production.
There are also at least two other potential positives. First, having a roster of friends who will stick up for each other can improve team chemistry. Second, finding another diamond in the rough in Oesterle, like the team did last season with Simon Benoit, could pay off.
The bottom line is that teams do well by leveraging personal relationships and focusing on team chemistry. The Maple Leafs have been successful in that strategy in the past, like when they signed Ondřej Kaše mainly because he wanted to play with his friend David Kämpf.
If Treliving can pull this off, it could be a masterstroke in ensuring depth and continuity for the Maple Leafs as they aim for a deep playoff run.
