John Mitchell and Phil Oreskovic Not Extended Offers by Toronto Maple Leafs

A recent article by Toronto Sun writer Lance Hornsby reported that the Maple Leafs opted to not offer restricted free agent John Mitchell a qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent July 1st.

“After lengthy talks with Joel Resnick (Mitchell’s agent), we decided not to qualify him,” Burke said after Monday night’s deadline passed. “But he wants to stay and we’d like him to as well. It’s just we feel qualifying him is more (money) than we believe his value is at present. We know we’re running a risk here that he could go.”

Mitchell was not an integral part to the Leafs' effort last year. He played all over the place, some nights on the first line and some nights barely getting ice time on the fourth line. Mitchell also made a handsome $500,000, so it isn't by any stretch of the imagination possible he could get paid two to three times as much next season.

Mitchell finished last year with 23 points in 60 games. However, he was out for a portion of the season with a knee injury, so it could've been possible for him to hit the 40 point plateau had he been healthy. I think that would be quite a stretch, though.

Toronto also failed to extend defenseman Phil Oreskovic a qualifying offer, thus he becomes an unrestricted free agent as well. The bidding war for Oreskovic's services will be minimal at best, and it's possible the Leafs could re-sign him, but who knows right now what Burke has up his sleeves.

Oreskovic finished last year with two goals and seven assists for nine points in 74 games, but was also in the box for 142 minutes.

Lastly, the Leafs decided to bid farewell to disappointing defenseman Jonas Frogren. He decided to sign a four-year deal with his home team, Farjestads in Sweden, the same club Rickard Wallin bolted to earlier in the summer. 

Having come to Toronto with expectations of being a Mattias Norstrom-like defenseman, Frogren ended up being lost in the North American game and never really adjusted to the pace and skill of the NHL.

Among the Leafs that were extended qualifying offers are forwards Nikolai Kulemin and Christian Hanson. These two were no-brainers for Burke to qualify. Kulemin was arguably Toronto's best two-way forward last year and Hanson, at 6-foot-4, 235-pounds, is a beast up front.

If he can ever figure it all out, the Leafs will have a pretty good player on their hands. I can't help but think of Travis Zajac when I see Hanson play.

Anyways, thoughts on the article and the players that were, and were not, qualified?