Toronto Maple Leafs: Under-the-Radar Unrestricted Free Agents

The Toronto Maple Leafs are undergoing a transformation. The club is clearly moving away from the Brian Burke and Dave Nonis era. An era that saw little success by attempting to build a roster that wouldn't shy away from physical play and where puck possession was not a priority.

Under Brendan Shanahan, the team has embraced advanced analytics, and with the hiring of former Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babock, expect a new type of prototypical player in Toronto who is smart, mobile and able to make good decisions under pressure.

The club will be looking to upgrade at all positions. Let's take a look at some relatively inexpensive unrestricted free agents who could fill some of the depth positions with the Leafs in 2015-16.

Kyle Brodziak, C, Minnesota Wild

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Kyle Brodziak has built a solid NHL career without some of the high-end tools such as great speed and soft hands that other players have. Brodziak has developed into a good bottom-six centre who can be counted on in tough situations.

The native of St. Paul, Alberta, does not do any one thing exceptionally well. However, he's one of those veteran centres who can be put out in defensive-zone situations and more than hold his own. He's a bright player who can flourish in a more complex system that requires two-way play.

He's had 44 points in his best season, but his offensive role has been much more limited over the past two seasons with the Minnesota Wild in earning 24 points in 2013-14 and 20 points in 2014-15. 

Brodziak's CF% of 44.8 was not great in 2015-16. Yet it's important to note that just 24 percent of his faceoffs were taken in the offensive zone. At 31 years of age, Brodziak should not be commanding a long-term deal or high salary given his age and limited, yet important role.

The Leafs are going to be hard pressed to be competitive in 2015-16, yet proven veterans like Brodziak, who can fill in gaps while young players develop in the CHL, ECHL and AHL in the next season or two, could be valuable additions.

Sean Bergenheim, F, Minnesota Wild

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Sean Bergenheim is a versatile player who can play tough minutes in all game situations. Bergenheim would likely be a middle-six winger for the Leafs who works hard and makes few mistakes.

His CF% of 53.6 in 2014-15 was once again very good. He's been over 50 percent in CF every season since 2010-11.

Bergenheim has 180 points in 506 NHL games, but the Leafs don't need to add scoring. They require good role models for their young players who can demonstrate that disciplined play wins hockey games.

Bergenheim is a heady player who would fit in well with Babcock's puck-possession style of play. He plays the game with passion and can be relied upon to make good decisions with the puck.

Mike Santorelli, C, Nashville Predators

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Leafs fans will know that signing Mike Santorelli would mean a return to Hogtown for the centre. Santorelli had a good stint with the Leafs last season, and he'd be a good addition for the 2015-16 season.

Santorelli had 29 points in 57 games with the Leafs and was effective in all three zones. He's a good skater who thinks the game well. Santorelli's CF% has always been relatively strong and given that he's often getting a low percentage of offensive zone starts.

His 47.6 CF% in 2014-15 was quite good given that he had a heavy dose of defensive zone starts and most of these games were played with the Leafs who were destroyed in the puck-possession battle.

Santorelli would be another veteran player at 29 years of age who would be a good model for younger players, at a reasonable salary. He left on good terms and was certainly a bright spot for the Leafs in 2014-15. 

Adam McQuaid, D, Boston Bruins

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Adam McQuaid is no one's idea of a top-pairing defender. With the Leafs, he could be a strong third-pairing defender who wouldn't have to play against the other team's top offensive players. He could play in the No. 4 role from time to time, as well.

Mike Babcock doesn't demand that his defencemen play an overly physical brand of hockey. McQuaid is more than capable of this, but with a number of injuries in the past few seasons, he needs to play a more controlled game.

At 6'5" and over 200 pounds, McQuaid has some great physical tools. He has just 34 points in 283 games, so he'd be counted on for his defensive play and not much else.

He's likely to be signed for less than $2 million per season, which could make him a good fit as a depth defender in Toronto.

The Leafs have to get better at preventing shots and by extension, preventing goals. McQuaid could help in this regard in a significant way.

All stats can be found on NHL.com and advanced stats are from Puckalytics.com.