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Offseason Keys: Toronto Maple Leafs

June 6, 2019 at 6:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

With the postseason down to just two teams, most squads are now well into their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league in what is shaping up to be a likely busy NHL offseason?  Next up in our Offseason Keys series is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last summer was certainly a big one for Toronto as they landed the biggest prize on the UFA market in center John Tavares.  That gave them plenty of optimism heading into 2018-19.  However, things didn’t go as well on the ice.  They finished third in the Atlantic Division (tied for fifth in the conference) which had them on the road against Boston in the first round where history repeated itself for the Maple Leafs with an early elimination.  Now, GM Kyle Dubas has some tricky waters to navigate this summer to keep as much of the team intact as possible with some salary cap challenges ahead and still remain in contention.  Here are the keys to their summer that could allow that to happen.

Deal With Trade Requests

It’s rare that a pair of trade requests get made public but that’s the case in Toronto, albeit for completely different reasons.  Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev cited personal reasons for his request but he also has voiced some frustration over the criticism he received over the past couple of seasons.   Meanwhile, veteran winger Patrick Marleau is also looking to get back to the Western Conference to get closer to his family.

Zaitsev still has five years remaining on his contract with a $4.5MM AAV.  While that price tag is reasonable for a top-four defender, the term left will likely scare some potential suitors off while his penchant for tough mistakes may also hurt his value.  However, with the relatively weak state of the UFA market among right-shot defenders beyond Erik Karlsson and Tyler Myers, Dubas should still be able to get reasonable value for the 27-year-old.  He doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract until July 1st (he can block a move to 10 teams after that point).  However, teams may want Toronto to pay the $3MM signing bonus he’s owed on that day which could complicate things.

The same can’t be said for Marleau, however.  While he could still help some teams, his $6.25MM AAV is on the expensive side for someone who shouldn’t be in a top-six role anymore.  What helps the cause a little bit is that part of his $3MM signing bonus is paid on July 1st, lowering his $4.25MM salary for the season.  The other instalment is due in December.  For teams that aren’t near the Upper Limit and are more budget-conscious, that could make acquiring him more palatable.  That said, it’s still likely to take a significant inducement on Toronto’s end to get a team to relieve them of the final year of Marleau’s deal and Marleau, who has a full no-move clause, still has to sign off on the swap.

Re-Sign Marner

Dubas has already called re-signing winger Mitch Marner his top priority this summer.  That’s certainly understandable considering how important he has been to the Maple Leafs already through the first three seasons of his career.  He led the team in scoring the past two seasons and had a career year in 2018-19 while finishing fourth in the league in assists (68) and 11th in points (94).  Even though he doesn’t have salary arbitration eligibility, he’s in line for a massive pay increase.

It’s that reason that Dubas would like to get something done so fast.  Not only would that eliminate any possible threat of an offer sheet (unlikely as it may be), it would also allow them to have a much clearer picture of their cap situation.  Tavares ($11MM) and Auston Matthews ($11.634MM) are at the high end in terms of AAV and while those two play the more premium position as centers, Marner’s agent Darren Ferris will undoubtedly be trying to use the fact that Marner out-produced both as justification for a comparable price tag.

It appears that Marner’s camp is intent on making it to the RFA interview period on June 26th.  While some will suggest that doing so could make him a target for an offer sheet, doing so may simply be his due diligence to get a better feel for what other teams believe his market value is.  Between that and the belief that the top restricted free agents this summer may not want to be the first to sign and set the benchmark for the others, Dubas will have his work cut out for him if he still hopes to get Marner signed as soon as possible.

Add Help On Defense

Jake Muzzin was a nice addition to Toronto’s back end in advance of the trade deadline and remains under contract for one more year.  However, there are some other holes that need to be filled this offseason to get the state of their blueline back to what it was last season, let alone improving it.

Jake Gardiner is one of the top UFA defensemen on the market this summer and will undoubtedly get larger offers elsewhere than what Toronto can afford.  Veteran Ron Hainsey may not be back either.  Travis Dermott will miss the start of the season due to shoulder surgery while Igor Ozhiganov, who was a regular through the first half of 2018-19, has returned to the KHL.  In other words, the only two returnees that were on the roster this past season are Morgan Rielly and Justin Holl, who was a healthy scratch for the majority of the year.

Some of those spots will be filled internally.  Calle Rosen had a strong year in the AHL and should be ready for a full-time spot now.  Andreas Borgman should be in the mix as well, especially if they want their better defense prospects to get more development time in the AHL.  Newcomer Teemu Kivihalme will also get a look.

Even with that, there still will need to be some additions made.  At the very least, expect Toronto to be in on a veteran depth player or two that are willing to sign for affordable one-year deals.  Beyond that, Dubas will need to be shopping for NHL-ready talent as he navigates his way through the trade market in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Offseason Keys 2019| Toronto Maple Leafs

PHR Live Chat Transcript: 06/06/19
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West Notes: Pavelski, Canucks, Blues
View Comments (8)

Comments

  1. bigdaddyt

    6 years ago

    Think Lilly or Sandin have a better shot making the team over borgman, unless he’s just there as the #7. After trading nik and patty and signing marner leafs top priority is getting a legit backup like they had before stupidly losing him on waivers last year

    Reply
  2. MacJablonski--NotVegasLegend

    6 years ago

    Yep, famous last words: “Don’t worry, McElhinney’s NEVER gonna be claimed!”

    Reply
  3. Hockeysense93

    6 years ago

    Players asking to be traded. Only 2 regular defencemen pretty much in the lineup so far. Needing a competent backup. Needing to sign their best performer with no room in the salary. The team being coached by the most over-paid, over-hyped coach in the league. This team being run by a millennial is a beautiful sight to see. I love reading the troubles day by day!!

    Reply
  4. Getrdone

    6 years ago

    With all the hype around your team this past spring and what great shape you were in, how did that turn out for you. Toronto has work to do for sure, but this young GM has made some very good decisions and now we will see how he fares with his feet to the fire.

    Reply
  5. riverrat55

    6 years ago

    Calgary has issues of their own , just as many issues with the Leafs, do you keep Smith in Goal as a number 2 , do you resign him as high price backup or starter , who will be No. #2 in goal , do you give Rittch the starting job, or trade for one, Mikael Frolik does he stay or go? Sam Bennett, do we keep an aging player in Neal who’s number dwindles with age , yes injuries have hurt. T.J. Brodie, trade of Free Agent , who will be paired with Giordano, Kylington , Andersson, Valamaki, Hamonic, Fantenberg ????? who stays who goes, Forgot about Lazar! I think all 31 teams have same issues , who stays ,who goes, who will we draft, whom will we pick up in Free Agency?

    Reply
  6. SuperSinker

    6 years ago

    Haha those aren’t issues, those are just unanswered questions. The Flames are in a good place.

    Reply
  7. Hockeysense93

    6 years ago

    I know I know…all teams have issues that need to be looked at for sure. I just think Treviling is a little more savvy with players coming out of entry level contracts, but again we will see what happens with Tkachuk. It just looks like Tavares really changed the makeup of that team full of good young players. Even though Tavares put in his time, the next generation wants to get paid now instead of putting in their time. That’s a miscalculation that quite a few GM’s are finding out very fast. 23-28 seems to be the new prime years…not 27-32 anymore.
    Also, Is this becoming the new way of thinking?? 3 10+ million players and then a bunch of fillers? I don’t understand how the NHLPA could advocate that. I don’t know how long the majority of players can really appreciate this way of doing business. When you pay 22 year olds just in the league a couple of years more then a good vet that’s been around for 10 years… It is interesting indeed, and maybe Toronto has the answer. This is a copycat league for sure…

    Reply
  8. riverrat55

    6 years ago

    Come on Blues let’s get this over Sunday night , am ready for the off season fun to begin with draft, signings, trades, free agency, Let’s get the rumors on site a running, ready for the fun to start

    Reply

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