PUCKREPORTER | NHL TEAM | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Brandon Montour unveils how close he was of joining the Toronto Maple Leafs

PUBLICATION

Samer Dagher
July 18, 2024 (11:19)

SHARE THIS STORY

Former Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour

Photo credit: Dobber Hockey

The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant changes to their defense this summer and almost made another big move, according to Brandon Montour.

Despite playing in one of the toughest media markets in sports, the Maple Leafs have a major appeal: many NHL players grew up in Ontario cheering for the team. This has led players like John Tavares and Mitch Marner to join the Leafs, and it nearly worked again with Montour.

"You obviously get that, especially now - just little things of me being up north right now, even my friends and neighbors have caught wind," he said of his being linked to the Leafs. "People obviously watch that, fans of the Leafs and Canada. Just being from here, your friends and family hear it on the radio and the rumors. I guess for myself in the last three or four months was just so focused on trying to win this thing for our team."

While the idea of playing for his hometown team was appealing, Montour said he never got too deep into the idea of joining the Leafs.

Must read on PuckReporter

Maple Leafs reportedly close on moving away a key piece from their roster

Carolina Hurricanes officially place $6M player on waivers

"That was something for my agent to kind of control and work on while my whole focus was on hockey," he explained. "There were conversations - you just look at their roster and look at yourself. For me, I saw the player that could help and it was intriguing in that week. There were talks, but there's a lot that goes into it with family with what they need and what I need, business decisions and such. There were definitely talks - we were excited about it and thought about it, but there were tons of options, and we're obviously grateful for Seattle. We're excited about that experience and excited to get down there and get started, with you could say, a new organization."

Ultimately, Montour chose Seattle, who offered him a 7-year, $7 million per year deal, something most Maple Leafs fans wouldn't accept.

Instead, the Leafs signed Jani Hakanpaa, Chris Tanev, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. With goals of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, the team likely prefers this depth over one top name.

Source: Hockey Feed Brandon Montour reveals how close he was to joining Leafs

Previously on PuckReporter

Maple Leafs reportedly close on moving away a key piece from their roster

Shane Pinto reveals exactly what led to his 41-game suspension last season

Trade talks heating up between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens

POLL
18 JUILLET \| 86 ANSWERS Brandon Montour unveils how close he was of joining the Toronto Maple Leafs Did Bandon Montour make the right call by signing with the Seattle Kraken?
Yes	42	48.8 %
No	44	51.2 %
List of polls