March 4, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Jan Mursak (39) skates with the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t quite as bad as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ meltdown last week against the Boston Bruins in Game 7, but the Toronto Marlies exited the post-season in heartbreaking fashion themselves tonight. The Marlies will not be making a return to the Calder Cup Finals this year after losing their series to the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-2.

Toronto held a 3-1 lead on Tuesday night with under 10 minutes to play before Grand Rapids scored three unanswered goals to pull out a 4-3 victory in regulation. Where have we seen this before? Jan Mursak led the way with a goal and an assist for the Griffins in the third period to complete the comeback.

Despite the loss, the Marlies deserve plenty of credit this year for still having a strong campaign, even though many of the players they relied on in 2011-12 were in the Maple Leafs lineup in 2013. Dallas Eakins has done a great job with that group and developing young talent in general, so it won’t be long before he lands an NHL coaching gig somewhere.

May 8, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Leo Komarov (47) with the puck against the Boston Bruins during game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the Air Canada Centre. The Bruins beat the Leafs 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

After being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in seven games, the Toronto Maple Leafs will now turn their attention to off-season plans. Each summer the major work that needs to be done is signing pending free agents. One such player who falls into that category at the moment as an RFA is Leo Komarov.

Komarov probably wouldn’t be a large expense to re-sign, but the gritty winger may already have another fallback option. Komarov spoke to a Russian news agency and admitted to having discussions with Moscow Dynamo. He spent three seasons with the club before making his way to North America late last year to play with the Toronto Marlies. When it appeared the lockout was going to drag on, he returned to the KHL after just 14 games with the Marlies.

Once the labour dispute was settled, Komarov joined the Leafs and had a fairly impressive inaugural NHL season. He contributed four goals and nine points, but his biggest asset was his rugged play, as Komarov finished fifth in the league in hits. If the Leafs can bring him back at a similar salary, it would probably be a wise move since Komarov proved to have an impact on the third line in a checking role.

The good news is that he left Moscow Dynamo last year to come to the Leafs organization, so that’s probably where he wants to be if the financial terms can be agreed upon.