Catastrophe in Toronto: The Leafs could potentially lose 6 key players in the upcoming offseason
Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be one of the top teams in the NHL for the 2023-2024 season, the organization is at a crossroads.
With the arrival of Brad Treliving as the general manager, the organization has shown its approach by offering one-year contracts to John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi in the opening of the free-agent market.
The message is clear: the Leafs are going all-in for the upcoming season. If the team disappoints again in the playoffs, the organization won't be handcuffed by these three players, who could have secured long-term contracts with other NHL teams.
However, it's not the potential short-term loss of these three players that worries Leafs fans. As reported by Keven Mawn from GoNordiques.com, the organization will have even more significant decisions to make within a year.
As we know, forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander will become unrestricted free agents next summer. While some sources indicate that negotiations have begun, there's no guarantee that these two stars will be back in Toronto for the 2024-2025 season.
The latest rumors suggest that Matthews could command an annual salary of $14 million, while Nylander's camp is reportedly seeking a deal around $10 million per year.
But let's not forget that another important piece of the Leafs puzzle, goaltender Ilya Samsonov, could also become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Samsonov recently went through arbitration and will earn $3.55 million in the 2023-2024 season. Imagine if the Maple Leafs were to lose all three of these players next summer.
Add to this the fact that Mitch Marner and John Tavares will also become unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2024-2025 season.
Well, we're not there yet, but it's hard to deny that if the Toronto organization wants to retain all its key players, it's going to cost a significant amount.
Brad Treliving will have some major decisions to make for the future of the Maple Leafs, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the window to win the Stanley Cup in Toronto could close sooner than anticipated.
| POLL | ||
Where do you see the Leafs next spring? | ||
| Stanley Cup Champions | 25 | 3.8 % |
| Stanley Cup finalists | 47 | 7.1 % |
| Far in the playoffs | 159 | 24.1 % |
| Golfing after the 1st round | 428 | 64.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
