The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season ended in very familiar fashion – another Game 7 setback.
The Florida Panthers manhandled the Maple Leafs on Sunday night, as six different players scored goals. Meanwhile, Toronto couldn’t get anything going offensively aside from Max Domi’s early goal in the third period to cut Florida’s lead to two.
Now that their campaign is over, there will be questions over which of the players who could barely bring themselves to salute the few remaining fans in Scotiabank Arena will be back in the fold in the fall.
5 Maple Leafs Stars Who Could Leave Toronto#1. John Tavares
It was one of the biggest signings in recent Leafs history when they pried John Tavares away from the New York Islanders; he was thrilled to sign with the club he cheered for as a child.
Tavares, who ceded the captaincy to Auston Matthews before this season began, won only a pair of postseason series with the Maple Leafs, and he’s not getting any younger at 35 years of age.
He had a simple answer on Sunday night when asked if he wanted to return – “Yes”.
But if he does ultimately re-sign with the Maple Leafs, he’ll likely have to accept a hometown discount.
#2. Mitch Marner
The major question is about Mitch Marner’s future with the only NHL club that he’s ever played for.
While Marner has shown that he’s a terrific player and has no difficulty racking up the points during regular season play, his performance in the postseason has come under extreme scrutiny and criticism.
All things considered, Marner has likely played his final game with the Maple Leafs.
#3. Max Pacioretty
The former captain of the Montreal Canadiens scored a few big goals for the Maple Leafs in postseason play, but whether or not he fits into the long-term plans of Toronto management remains to be seen.
Pacioretty, who has been hampered by injuries over the last several seasons, scored five goals in 37 regular-season games. He may or may not be back – if he does return, it will likely not be anything longer than a one-year extension.
#4. Matthew Knies
One of the few pending restricted free agents on the Maple Leafs roster, Knies enjoyed a breakout campaign with 29 goals during the regular season and followed it up with another five goals in 13 postseason games.
There could be a few NHL clubs considering extending an offer sheet to Knies, given his status as a pending restricted free agent. There is no way, however, that the Maple Leafs don’t view Knies as a foundational building block. Look for him to get extended by the Leafs.
#5. Steven Lorentz
Lorentz, who won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last season before deciding to sign a one-year contract with the Leafs, blew a golden opportunity to score in the first period of Game 7 when his breakaway attempt ended in a weak shot right into the crease of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
He had a reasonable $775K cap hit, played in a bottom-six role and scored six goals with 11 assists during the regular season; he also had two assists during the postseason.
The Maple Leafs could go either way on him.