As expected, it was a quiet start to free agency for Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The same could be said for most NHL teams —to be fair.

Outside of a few names, this year’s free agent crop was nothing to write home about.

With that being said, we tackled a variety of different topics on our free agency special edition of Leafs Morning Take on Tuesday afternoon. Firstly, we outlined Toronto’s addition of Michael Pezzetta. Honestly, there’s no need to read too much into the transaction. It was a depth move, and ultimately, the 27-year-old forward could be earmarked for the AHL’s Marlies.

Thanks to our new sponsor over at Simply Spiked, we touched on the latest happenings on July 1. Once again, a lot of the movement was depth related. From a divisional standpoint, Montreal’s the only team who’s made significant noise – outside of Florida – thus far in the offseason. They made a stealth one-for-one with St. Louis on Tuesday trading Logan Mailloux to St. Louis for Zack Bolduc. Elsewhere, Vancouver re-signed Brock Boeser, Edmonton lost Connor Brown (New Jersey), Corey Perry (Los Angeles), and Viktor Arvidsson (traded to Boston). They still haven’t added a new goalie. And yes, we did talk Connor McDavid on the show a little later on, too.

As mentioned, we didn’t expect much from the Maple Leafs. In this scenario, patience is a virtue. Before the market opened, they did officially announce the Marner-for-Roy trade and the 7 x $7.75 extension for Matthew Knies. Both Roy and Knies spoke to media via Zoom in the afternoon. Of note, Roy said he was a big Leafs fan growing up and his favourite player was Mats Sundin. Additionally, Knies was profound in conveying his passion and love for Toronto. Furthermore, an offer sheet was never on his mind. He never wanted or even thought about playing elsewhere.

To wrap, we just speculated on what the Leafs could do over the coming days and weeks. Any way you slice it, given the market, this is the right approach. For years, they’ve never had cap space. Now that they do, they need to use it wisely.

At any rate, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta will be in for Jay Rosehill on the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Join us at 11 AM ET as we sift through Brad Treliving’s presser and what could be next for the Maple Leafs.

You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!