The Toronto Maple Leafs cleaned out their lockers today and held their final media availability of the season after losing their first round series against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. The team has now been ousted in the first round for three straight years and some tough questions are going to raised about how they can improve in the future while still paying top dollar for players like John Tavares and Auston Matthews. Another one of their expensive forwards will soon be Mitch Marner, who is heading into a contract negotiation this summer as a restricted free agent for the first time. GM Kyle Dubas today called the Marner contract “priority one” when speaking with reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, noting that he is going to do everything possible to try and get it done before July 1st.
That is when Marner’s current deal would officially end, and potentially when he could sign an offer sheet with another team to drive his price up. It also is when the Maple Leafs could start their unrestricted free agent shopping if there is any to do, something that would be extremely difficult without knowing how much Marner will cost next season. Toronto is set to be one of the teams closest to the salary cap ceiling next year given their expensive core, and could very well need to move out some contracts to make room for Marner and the other restricted free agents—a group that includes Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson.
The team went through a disastrous negotiation with William Nylander last year that resulted in him missing a good chunk of season, something that Dubas and his front office will avoid at all costs this time around. Nylander never really did get his game back after sitting out for so long, and finished with just seven goals and 27 points in 54 games.
Already committed to around $75MM for next season, the Maple Leafs will also likely not be able to afford to bring back Jake Gardiner. The veteran defenseman has played his entire professional career for the Maple Leafs organization after a trade brought his rights over from the Anaheim Ducks in 2011. As an unrestricted free agent Gardiner will likely draw plenty of interest from around the league despite his notoriety for turning the puck over at times (including one stark example in Tuesday’s elimination game), given his status as a top point producer. Gardiner has registered at least 30 points in a season on six different occasions, including a career-high of 52 in 2017-18.
The biggest focus will be on Marner though, who just finished a 94-point season to put himself into the top echelon of forwards in the NHL. The fourth-overall pick from 2015 has 224 points in 241 regular season games and found immediate chemistry with John Tavares this year. He was also used in a penalty killing role for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, only adding to his versatility and value in the upcoming negotiations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
9.5 x 5?
It will be at least least 10m, after Tavares and Mathews got 11 and 11.6, Marner should get that much. Give him 11 x 6
They’re gonna end up paying 6 guys an entire team salary ffs
Trade Kadry. His stupid antics are part of the reason they lost the first round last year and this year.
^ Agree. Kadri has to go. Also need some more help on D and to stop turning the puck over in the D end
Kadri is untradeable,,,,who will give up anything remotely significant for a guy who will get a 15-20 game suspension next time he loses it,,,,,,which is enevitable
William Nylander for PK Subban
Ya that’s what the leafs can afford, trade a 7 mil contract for a 9 mil one!!!
supersinker good call. nylander for subban and then trade kadri and brown. yhe entire 3rd line needs to go. can easily be replaced by moore and some young guys. I like Kadris grit but grit can be signed in FA, incompetence needs to be avoided.
they have to address d and right side anyway. the 2 million difference is min they would have to pay for a decent dman yo even be a 5-6
It’s going to be an interesting summer in Hogtown. How will they be able to sign Marner, which should be a no brainer, without getting themselves into the “cap hell” the Oil are in? The Mathews and pending Marner contracts are the price of drafting quality but couple those with the Marleau, Tavares and Nylander contracts and things are going to be problematic. Too many players of the same type taking up too much cap space. Meanwhile goaltending needs an upgrade, right D needs an upgrade, Kadri needs a brain transplant and grit in bottom six is required. Successful teams have a mix of players that Leafs just don’t have. Have to wonder what different decisions Hunter would have made?
This is the problem with the maple leafs. They are shelling out big long term deals to the “core”…yet they haven’t even gotten past the opening round of the playoffs. Three straight seasons of watching these “core” players continue to find ways to lose important games in April.
If you want to compare them to other recent clubs who have had success with their young core players , the Blackhawks and Kings put themselves into cap he’ll AFTER their young kids had already won a Stanley cup title. Some had even won the cup twice! We’re talking about getting past the first round with the maple leafs so forget about winning the damn cup for now!
Marner is worth 8-9 million for sure. But the catch is that after he scored twice in game 1, had the game saving blocks at the end of game 3…he was invincible!
Matthews got His five year deal north of 10 million after a seven game playoff last season with 0 goals 1 assist and a minus 4! I like his 5 years because let’s say this pitiful playoff performances continue as a team (Matthews played like he was capable to this time around with 5 goals) then who says any of these guys aren’t tradeable!?
Nylander in this series was as I hoped for. Not great but not terrible either. Putting the puck into his own net in game 2 is just as unforgiving as Kadri stupid play. They both need to be involved in a deal that will land the leafs something they desperately need: CAPABLE, RELIABLE EXPERIENCED DEFENSEMEN!
The Jake muzzin deal I had hoped would help at least get them through the first round but muzzin was just God awful. There’s a reason the kings shipped him out. And he proved why as bad as he played all series.
One more year for muzzin. Big one for him. If he continues to suck in October then even more reason to seriously upgrade the defense. Gardiner and hainsey are as good as gone. I’m ok with bringing hainsey back on a 1 year deal. He can still play. Rielly took big strides this season. Zaitsev flat out sucks. Dermott I still have high hopes for but was awful in game 7 with way too many stupid ill advised and unnecessary turnovers. It was his bad plays, gardiners big mistake and a horrible opening goal that brought the season to a close. Those have been the main reasons for the way this team loses games and has been the killing “modus operandi” for several seasons now. Even before Babcock.
Goaltending is half or just over half fulfilled. Andersen was strong all season. Missed a few games with a groin injury around the holidays. But was great after. The soft goal in game 7 I believe is a result of bad defense and too much playing time given by Babcock, same as last season. Andersen was completely worn out last season but was definitely better this time. But he still needs more rest. Babcock finally lost all faith in sparks in the final weekend of the season. Poor timing and ultimately makes him and the organization look bad. The leafs need a better experienced backup no question going into next season. Someone like Cam Ward? Or maybe through a trade?
Guys who need to go:
Gardiner UFA.. bye bye
Sparks …trade bait
Nylander …trade bait
Kadri … trade bait (package can’t straight up!)
Guys to keep:
Marleau … one year left, good leader
Hainsey … one year resign? Next to rielly the defense is shaky, inexperienced and scary.
Ennis… good veteran presence bottom 6. Better than kadri. Worth a 2-year deal I think to keep playing with the younger bottom 6 players.
More to come:
Moore…not his best in game 7 but it’ll be between him, Jeremy Bracco, Pierre engvall and other Marlies players
Gauthier…continue to grow as maybe 3rd line center? But a great young 4th line center. He seemed to get better and more experienced and comfortable as he played more and more. Gained valuable experience.