The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking a little different next year.

So far, the Leafs have seen five players exit the franchise in free agency, opting for new destinations to play for next season.

The current list of departures is:

Forward Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights, eight years, US$96 million
Forward Alex Steeves, Boston Bruins, one-year deal, US$850,000
Forward Pontus Holmberg, Tampa Bay Lightning, two-year deal, US$3.1 million
Forward Nick Abruzzese, Tampa Bay Lightning, one-year, two-way deal (terms undisclosed)
Goaltender Matt Murray, Seattle Kraken, one-year deal, $1 million

Of the five, only Marner and Holmberg were regulars on the Leafs’ roster last year. Marner’s departure is obviously one of the biggest in franchise history, ending a months-long saga about where his next team will be. In a rare sign-and-trade deal, Marner departed on a maximum-length eight-year deal that brought Toronto forward Nicolas Roy back in return.

The Leafs made four minor signings in free agency, as they signed forwards Travis Boyd, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Michael Pezzetta, and re-signed defenceman Dakota Mermis. 

Who’s left for the Leafs?

Four players for the Leafs remain free agents, though only two of them played any sort of serious role for the team last year.

One player who appears to be on the outs is Mikko Kokkonen, a 2019 third-round defensive prospect who went unqualified as a restricted free agent.

Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa are the Leafs’ two lone unrestricted free agents left. Pacioretty, at age 36, found his legs in the postseason this past spring, putting up three goals and five assists in 11 playoff games for Toronto. Hakanpaa dealt with ongoing knee issues and played just two games for the Leafs this past season.

Also still unsigned is restricted free agent Nick Robertson, who has seen his name in trade rumours for much of the past two seasons. The 23-year-old put up 15 goals and seven assists in 69 games for Toronto this past season.

Lead photo by

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images