Toronto Maple Leafs: Five Offseason Storylines
The Toronto Maple Leafs are settling down as a functional organization with a clear vision, but there are still some loose ends that need tying up.
As an organization, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been dysfunctional for a long time – but that isn’t the case anymore, and hasn’t been since Brendan Shanahan took over.
That doesn’t mean there still isn’t work to do, though, as the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the 2016 NHL offseason.
In a normal – or what became normal – offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs there were always dozens of question marks, thousands of rumors and an angry mob of fans ready to light the digital world on fire as the Leafs waded through the offseason like a rookie fisherman in a canoe, at night, in the middle of the Atlantic, with a tree branch for a fishing rod.
The questions are now fewer and more clear; direct and more reasonable.
There is light at the end of the tunnel – a tunnel that became exceptionally longer than it was supposed to be.
Let’s take a look at five storylines surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL offseason leading up to the NHL Draft.
Next: The Steven Stamkos Saga
The Steven Stamkos Saga
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs sign Steven Stamkos?
This question should be over relatively quickly once the clock strikes July 1st.
Stamkos to Toronto rumors have been rampant for a year now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t commented (because they can’t, that’s tampering), the Tampa Bay Lightning have stood strong on their stance that they want Stamkos back, and Stamkos has stayed mum on the issue, saying all the right things to keep the heat on simmer.
Any team would love to have a Steven Stamkos on their roster, but the cost to bring him to Toronto might be too much. He’s going to get double digit offers from several teams if he hits the market on July 1st – which is highly likely.
Do the Toronto Maple Leafs really want to commit that massive amount of money to a player with the top young talent they’ll need to pay soon? Eventually, if they sign him, Stamkos will cost the Toronto Maple Leafs at least one of their young prospects in the system right now. That’s just the reality of the salary cap era – just look at Chicago with Teravainen.
You can’t pay everyone if your prospects pan out. Tampa itself is a great example of that.
As it stands now, without moving Nylander to the wing, having Matthews, Nylander and Kadri down the middle is a very solid top nine group of centers. The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have to sign Steven Stamkos to be competitive in a few years – and they might be will be better off financially if they don’t, even if he is a tempting hire.
Regardless, this storyline isn’t going away until there has been pen put to paper between Steven Stamkos and some team in the National Hockey League.
Next: The Leafs Captaincy
The Leafs Captaincy
This one might not get solved for another season, but it’s still going to linger around the organization as they go farther along without a designated leader.
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
In all honesty I can’t see a scenario where a captain is named for the 2016-2017 season because it would be premature given the players that will be regulars that have yet to play a full season in the league.
Current (and future) candidates include Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Connor Brown.
It makes no sense to give it to a veteran like Brooks Laich for a season only to have it shift again. Laich is very capable of being a leader without a letter.
With Rielly, Matthews, Nylander and Brown all expected to be on the opening day roster it gives the Toronto Maple Leafs a season to evaluate their leadership before making a decision on who is going to wear the ‘C’, and bear the highest responsibility, for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Being captain in Toronto is probably the hardest captaincy job in the entire NHL.
Next: Tyler Bozak's Future
Tyler Bozak’s Future
Tyler Bozak does not have a future with the Toronto Maple Leafs with respect to when they become competitive.
If he isn’t traded this year I’d be shocked if he made it through the final year of his contract as a Toronto Maple Leafs player.
The Leafs best option is to deal him now, in the 2016 offseason, and let the future play during the 2016-2017 season. Bozak’s value isn’t going to increase over the course of the year, it’s only going to decrease if it does anything.
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
He’s a 2/3 center on a decent cap hit that can be of use to other teams around the league while the Matthews’, Nylander’s and Kadri’s roam center ice for the Leafs.
He’s been in the rumor mill for a while now and he’s likely going to stay there until he’s no longer a Toronto Maple Leafs member.
My bet is that by the end of the 2016-2017 season, at the latest, and possibly the current offseason, Tyler Bozak will be wearing a different jersey.
Next: The Goaltending Question
The Goaltending Question
The Toronto Maple Leafs have major question marks in goal.
Jonathan Bernier is the biggest one. Will Bernier make it through his final year of his current contract? What if he plays well, is his reputation salvageable?
Someone inside Bernier there is a legitimate starting NHL goaltender. The problem is he’s been a hard man to find over the last 365 days. If he shows up, does he get another chance? A one year deal even?
What about the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects, Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau? Sparks doesn’t have a contract right now and Bibeau is under for another year. Both floundered late in the season, in the NHL and the AHL.
There are good backup options available in free agency this year, with Jhonas Enroth heading the bunch, so Toronto should be able to let Sparks and Bibeau regain their confidence in the AHL this year and go from there.
There are no starting goaltenders worth bringing to Toronto in free agency, not even James Reimer, that will be the long-term answer for the Leafs.
The goaltending situation is going to be a watch and shoot scenario, whether that means wait for a trade to show its face or search through the Euro ranks for the next big thing.
With another year of expected pain, this is a question that doesn’t have to be answered right away.
Next: Will Mitch Marner Make The Team?
Will Mitch Marner Make The Team?
This has been a huge debate as the NHL season came to a close. Will Marner make the Toronto Maple Leafs next year?
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
There are only two options for the OHL’s most dominant player:
- Return to London and demolish the OHL again and;
- Suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs
This is the downfall to the bush league agreement between the NHL and CHL regarding age limits.
Mitch Marner is above the OHL by a large margin and sending him back to London will accomplish nothing in his development.
Next: Are Toronto and Anaheim Good Trade Partners?
Playing with one of Matthews, Nylander or Kadri under Mike Babcock against NHL players will be much more beneficial to his growth as a player than returning to London and making 16-20 year old’s look like they should be playing Sudoku and not hockey.
The Leafs may want him in the AHL, but they’re going to have to suck it up and deal with him on the NHL roster and make it work. He’s too good for junior.