The Toronto Maple Leafs did look completely different at instances all through their 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs run. Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome was the identical because the Maple Leafs received booed off the Scotiabank Enviornment ice following a 6-1 drubbing by the hands of the Florida Panthers in Sport 7.

For the reason that upstart Maple Leafs gave the Washington Capitals a great struggle within the 2017 NHL playoffs, the workforce has certified for the postseason 9 straight instances. In that span, Toronto has misplaced six Sport 7s, reached the second spherical twice and gained a complete of 31 video games.

For context, the reigning champion Florida Panthers have gained 37 video games within the final three years alone.

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Chris Bengel

As a result of lack of playoff success and their contract scenario, the Maple Leafs will nearly definitely look very completely different when the puck drops on opening night time in 2025-26. Mitch Marner and John Tavares, two members of the workforce’s “Core 4,” are pending free brokers.

Moreover, Matthew Knies is about to develop into a restricted free agent, and the 22-year-old earned a large elevate with 29 targets and 29 assists this previous season.

Time to shake it up? 

The case for letting Tavares and Marner stroll is straightforward to see. Toronto nonetheless has two extra stars of their prime with Auston Matthews and William Nylander on the prime of the lineup, and Knies is coming into that dialog, assuming Toronto re-signs him this summer time.

In concept, the Maple Leafs may use that more money to enhance the supporting forged round Matthews, Nylander and Knies. The “Core 4” plus Knies did a overwhelming majority of the injury for Toronto within the postseason, and the workforce received subsequent to nothing out of the remainder of the roster.

After operating it again so many instances and getting the very same outcome, the Maple Leafs could understandably be tempted to explode that core and make sweeping adjustments to the roster. Given the annual crowd pictures of Maple Leaf Sq. and the jerseys on the ice in Toronto, the followers would probably be on board with that plan.

However what concerning the case for staying the course and letting this group get not less than one other couple bites on the apple? That choice could also be extra interesting than it appears at first blush.

The case for operating it again

For starters, the “Core 4” plus Knies are all actually good gamers. Marner is a 100-point participant who could make massive impacts in all three zones when he is at his finest, and the 34-year-old Tavares is coming off a 38-goal and 74-point marketing campaign.

Gamers like which might be exhausting to come back by, and the Maple Leafs would have a tough time changing these two, particularly in free company. The 2025 free agent class leaves so much to be desired outdoors of Marner and Tavares.

Matt Duchene, Sam Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser are among the greater names slated to hit the market this summer time. They’re all good-to-great gamers with various postseason resumes, however they can not be counted on to exchange the holes left behind by Tavares and Marner, notably on the price ticket that can probably accompany them.

Meaning Toronto basic supervisor Brad Treliving must get artistic on the commerce market or in restricted free company. Sadly for him, there are issues there too.

The Maple Leafs haven’t got a first-round choose in any of the subsequent three drafts, they usually have simply two second-round picks in that span. Toronto would wrestle to swing a blockbuster commerce that does not contain a present roster participant, and it most likely will not have the compensation to make an enormous splash with a suggestion sheet to a restricted free agent.

Contemplating these restraints, it is not exhausting to examine the workforce taking a step again in 2025-26 if Marner and Tavares have performed their remaining sport in a Maple Leafs sweater.

The need for change in Toronto is simply pure — and possibly even rational. The NHL is a results-oriented enterprise, and this core group hasn’t gotten these outcomes, particularly not within the playoffs. However how inexperienced is the grass with out Nos. 16 and 91 within the lineup? Most likely not as inexperienced and plush as everybody assumes.

It might take Tavares coming again at a reduced worth, and it might additionally require Marner to signal for much less cash than he may make on the open market, however the Maple Leafs finest short-term choice could be giving this group a pair extra pictures to recover from the hump.