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Stay or Walk?: Predicting the Future of 5 Maple Leafs’ UFAs
Who stays and who walks as the Toronto Maple Leafs face important offseason decisions on key unrestricted free agents.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and GM Brad Treliving have some heavy lifting to do this offseason. Five players are set to become unrestricted free agents after the draft, and GM Brad Treliving will have $27 million to work with in the re-sign phase and free agency. If the Leafs want to get better in the long run, deciding which players to keep and which to let walk will be a challenge.
John Tavares: Stay
Former Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has been producing at a strong pace this season, recording 56 points (27 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games. His 0.93 points-per-game average marks a significant improvement from last season’s 0.81. The Leafs were reportedly engaging in extension talks with Tavares earlier this year. Given that Tavares wants to remain in Toronto for the unforeseen future, it just makes sense that Tavares remains a Maple Leaf.
What Tavares winds up signing for is unclear, and with the rising salary cap, the Leafs will have to find a happy middle ground that keeps Tavares where he wants to be but also doesn’t severely undercut what he could get on the open market.
Mitch Marner: Stay
Despite the potentially sticky situation Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs are in, it is still unlikely that the superstar will leave Toronto. With the organization heading in the right direction — with players like Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton on board — Marner may be intrigued to stay.
This is especially true if the Leafs can manage to go on a little run this postseason. With reports that Marner rejected a trade to Carolina, he may still be interested in potentially working with Toronto.
Max Pacioretty: Walk
The 36-year-old Max Pacioretty is underproducing and out of the lineup. — he was placed on LTIR after a 2-1 loss against the Vancouver Canucks on February 8th. In the 37 games he has played this season, he has only 13 points (5g, 8a).
With Laughton entering the lineup and signed beyond this season, there is no doubt Pacioretty will be pushed out of the lineup sooner than later.
Steven Lorentz: Stay
Steven Lorentz’s contract situation is tricky. He is a reliable bottom-six piece for the Maple Leafs but is easily replaceable. If Toronto plans on developing its forward prospects (which is very likely), then Lorentz may remain.
The former Stanley Cup winner has 14 points in 65 games played (5a, 9a). At a height of 6’4”, Lorentz provides size and skill to the bottom line.
Jani Hakanpää: Walk
Just like Pacioretty, Jani Hakanpää is in a tough spot due to his injury. The former Dallas Star had a wonderful career prior to joining the Leafs. He had a +/- of +34 and had 45 points in 290 games as a defensive defenseman.
Considering he only played two games this season—both at the beginning of the season—it is unlikely that the Leafs will give him another chance. The experiment to see if he had anything left in the tank appears to have failed.
Next: 3 UFA Replacements If the Maple Leafs Lose Mitch Marner
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