- Jack Roslovic went on TSN 1050’s OverDrive to explain why he picked Toronto in free agency
- The 29-year-old signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Maple Leafs on July 1
- Read below for what Roslovic said about the Leafs’ direction and reuniting with Auston Matthews
Jack Roslovic isn’t buying the idea that he signed into a rebuild.
The new Maple Leafs forward joined TSN 1050’s OverDrive on Thursday and was asked what sold him on Toronto in free agency. He went straight at the 78-point season everyone else brings up first.
“They’ve been a team that you could say didn’t have their best year last year, but it’s a team that is new, it’s young, it’s vibrant, it’s ready to win. A couple familiar faces around, a really cool, a really good style of hockey that’s exciting and just wanted to be a part of it.”
Watch Roslovic explain the decision:
Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division a year after winning it with 108 points. New general manager John Chayka answered by turning over most of the roster.
Gavin McKenna went first overall in the draft. Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae arrived on the blue line by trade, and Sergei Bobrovsky took over the crease.
Up front the churn was just as heavy. Roslovic signed his two-year, $8 million deal on July 1, joining Nicholas Paul, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Zack MacEwen as offseason additions. As many as 10 new faces could dress on opening night.
One of the familiar faces is the captain. Roslovic and Auston Matthews spent two seasons together in the U.S. junior program from 2013 to 2015.
Hosts Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk asked him what it means to line up with Matthews again.
“Being the captain here obviously is not an easy thing to do, but the ability for him and the way he plays and the way he exerts himself on a daily basis is awesome. So once again, just excited to get pushing with him and be able to play and pick up some things that will translate for my game.”
Take a look at Roslovic on the reunion:
The 29-year-old is coming off 21 goals and 15 assists in 69 games in his lone season with Edmonton, a year that put him in the same room as Connor McDavid every day.
Roslovic is on his sixth team in 11 NHL seasons. He has 123 goals and 173 assists in 595 regular season games, and he arrives as the rare Leafs addition who already knows the captain’s game.
