Now, the priority is bringing back the former Stanley Cup winner for another few seasons.Īlbeit it was a limited sample, O’Reilly thrived in Toronto. That was evident again by the Ryan O’Reilly trade, solidifying the bottom six. Year after year, the former General Manager made shrewd moves to build a cohesive forwards group. No one can say Kyle Dubas didn’t give the Maple Leafs the best chance to compete. Having a netminder to steal a few games or a series could be the difference between a deep playoff run and another early exit. It’s time to bring in a more reliable goaltender to stabilize the defending zone. The Anaheim Ducks have hung John Gibson out to dry long enough that the former top-tier goalie has demanded a fresh start. Similarly, Carter Hart has been rumored to be on his way out of Philadelphia and is paid less than $4 million. Still, there are several affordable options Toronto could make work.įormer Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets and carries a modest $6.16 million cap hit. Of course, the Leafs’ contract situation among their forward corps makes investing heavily on the backend hard. ![]() However, the Maple Leafs are doing their team a disservice by not bringing in an above-average netminder. Heading into next year, it might be Joseph Woll’s time to shine. ![]() Before him, Jack Campbell stood tall in the blue paint. In 2022-23, Ilya Samsonov was the primary option. The added bonus is that it breathes new life into the dressing room and sends the message that losing in the playoffs isn’t acceptable.ģ Moves the Avs Must Make to Win the Cup Bring in a Top Tier Goaltenderįor the past few seasons, Toronto has downplayed the importance of securing an elite goaltender, instead relying on discount options between the pipes. Moving on from one of their four superstars gives Toronto the flexibility to build a more competitive roster from top to bottom. Nevertheless, these four contracts hamstrung the Maple Leafs over the next couple of seasons. Likewise, John Tavares’ current salary expires after the 2024-25 season however, it’s expected that he’ll take a significant pay decrease on his next deal. That makes it increasingly difficult to sign their core of youngsters and remain compliant with the upper limit.Īuston Matthews and William Nylander are due hefty raises after this season, while Mitch Marner will need a bump in two years. However, a COVID-19-impacted campaign has resulted in a stagnant cap since 2017-18. ![]() When the Leafs started building this team iteration, the salary cap was expected to grow significantly over the coming years. It’s time for meaningful change in Toronto, and these three offseason moves will help them win the 2023-24 Stanley Cup. The Leafs can’t keep running it back, hoping things will be different. ‘What about their playoff win,’ you say? One series win doesn’t undo 56 years of incompetence, particularly when it’s followed by a sweep at the hands of the eighth-seeded wild card team in Round 2.įor a franchise that is as powerful and influential as the Maple Leafs are, they’ve become oddly complacent with accepting defeat. Sure, you could point to them finishing second in the Atlantic for the second straight year, but that only validates their inability to keep pace with the best teams in the division. Not surprisingly, this past NHL season was another disappointing year for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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