Brandon Montour, a defenseman who recently won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers and signed with the Seattle Kraken, was a potential target for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite expressing interest and having discussions with the Leafs, Montour chose Seattle.

On July 18, Montour shared on TSN’s OverDrive that while he was intrigued by the opportunity to help the Leafs and found the roster appealing, personal and business factors influenced his decision. He ultimately signed a seven-year, $49.98 million deal with the Kraken, expressing excitement about the chance to help Seattle win its first Cup, similar to his experience with Florida.

Montour, a Brantford native, had a standout season with the Panthers, finishing with 33 points in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs. Despite Toronto’s interest, including their pursuit of other players like Matt Roy and Jeff Skinner, they faced several rejections in the early days of free agency. Skinner, for example, chose the Edmonton Oilers over the Leafs, aiming to join a team with strong superstar talent like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.