The Toronto Maple Leafs made several attempts to sign top-tier free agents at the beginning of July, but they have repeatedly said in public that they were turned down by the Canadian team.
Defenseman Brandon Montour, who signed a free agent contract with the humble Seattle Kraken after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024, is the most recent addition to that group.
On July 18, Montour made an appearance on TSN’s OverDrive, where he revealed that the Leafs expressed interest in signing him and that he and his agent had discussions with the team but had finally decided against it.
“Discussions were held [with the Maple Leafs],” Montour stated. “I found it intriguing and thought I could absolutely help when I looked at the roster and myself. However, a lot of consideration goes into both business decisions and my family’s needs when it comes to [free agency].
On July 1, the first day of free agency, Montour decided to sign a seven-year, $49.98 million contract with the Kraken.
Being a native of Brantford, Ontario, Montour has connections to the province. Nevertheless, he chose to sign with Seattle due to the team’s attraction to him. Like he did when he brought the first championship to Florida, the blueliner said that his greatest desire would be to win the first Cup in Kraken’s history.
“In retrospect, the most amazing thing about their victory in Florida was that it was their first championship and they experienced it together,” Montour remarked. “I’m excited about Seattle and the possibility of doing that there.”
The Trip of Montour From Florida to Seattle
Toronto was able to acquire Montour’s large $50 million deal with Seattle, but only because of his remarkable performance in leading the Panthers to the Cup during his breakthrough season.
In 66 regular-season games, the defenseman finished 2023–24 with 8 goals and 25 assists for a total of 33 points. After that, Montour scored three more goals and provided eight more assists to finish with 11 points in the postseason.
