The 2013-14 Toronto Maple Leafs – Where Are They Now?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a way better spot than they were five years ago.

Yeah, I know. Thanks Captain Obvious. The reason I’m bringing this up is because five years ago marked the season where the turn of events leading to the turn of the tide began for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 2013-14 season initially held promise. The Leafs had just finished an exciting 2013 season where they finally made the playoffs after an eight year drought. Although it ended in heartbreak, it had fans feeling a sense of hope.

The hope seemed real at first, but after a horrible skid in the final months of the season, the Maple Leafs would miss the playoffs and be back at square one. At the end of the 2013-14 season, the Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan as their President of Hockey Ops. Shanahan then eventually hired current GM Kyle Dubas, current head coach Mike Babcock, drafted almost the entire core the Maple Leafs have now, and in the process conducted a total revamp of the roster at the time.

The whole “revamp” idea inspired me to take a trip back to 2013-14 and go over the roster they had then and compare it to the one they have now. Do you feel like cringing as well as counting your blessings in praise of the differences? If so, then hop on board and join me on a journey to check up on the old Leafs and see where they are nowadays.

Jonathan Bernier

Ah, anybody remember the old goalie debate? You know, the same one that divided a fanbase more than politics divide your extended family at the Christmas dinner table. Anyways, fans were thrown off after Bernier was acquired from the L.A. Kings at the end of the 2013 season, after James Reimer guided the team to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

The goalies would go back and forth, and while Bernier was statistically better than Reimer in the three seasons they were on the team together, this was well overshadowed by the monstrous season Bernier had in 2015-16. He was traded to Anaheim after that season and after a stint with the Colorado Avalanche, Bernier currently plays for the Detroit Red Wings.

James Reimer

Everybody loved James Reimer. Everyone loved his nice smile, the calm way he handled himself to the media, the way he pointed at the sky after every win. There was nothing to dislike about him.

So you can imagine the outcry from a good half of the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase when he had his full-time starting job stripped of him. He had his highs, such as his debut against the Ottawa Senators where the Leafs put together a 5-1 win, and his lows, where him and his wife faced death threats close to the end of the 2013-14 season when he was between the pipes for eight losses that would put the Leafs out of a playoff spot.

Regardless of how everybody felt about Reimer, he simply had to get out of Toronto. He was dealt at the 2016 Trade Deadline to the San Jose Sharks, and has since signed with Florida Panthers as their backup goalie.

(Just because I know some fans will torch me for saying Bernier was statistically better when they shared the net, here are their stats between 2013-2016.

BERNIER: 59-68-17, 2.82 GAA, .914 SV%
REIMER: 32-44-9, 2.97 GAA, .912 SV%

(Anyways, let’s move on)

Cody Franson

Franson put up some decent offensive totals during his time in Toronto, and in fact he put good numbers everywhere he went but could never seem to catch a break.

He would end up being traded to Nashville at the 2015 trade deadline along with Mike Santorelli for a first round pick, Olli Jokinen, and Brendan Leipsic. The first rounder would turn into a pair of mid round picks that they would use to select prospects Travis Dermott and Jeremy Bracco, so the deal worked out nicely. Franson played with Buffalo and Chicago after that season, and currently plays for Omsk Avangard of the KHL.

Mark Fraser

A fierce bottom pairing defenseman who wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves, Fraser would end up getting traded to the Edmonton Oilers in January of 2014 in exchange for enforcer Cam Abney and the rights to prospect Teemu Hartikainen. Fraser would bounce around between the Oilers and Devils organization, and now plays for Zvolen HKm of the Slovakian league.

Jake Gardiner

Jake Gardiner has remained with the team and is currently one of the longest serving members of the Leafs.  His reputation makes no sense, but he continues to get it done for the Leafs regardless of what some fans think.

Tim Gleason

The Maple Leafs acquired Tim Gleason on New Years day in 2014 in exchange for John-Michael Liles, and he only lasted the rest of the season in Toronto before heading back to Carolina. He played one final season split between the Canes and the Washington Capitals, and has retired since then.

Petter Granberg

Granberg was once thought to be a decent defensive prospect in the minors, but he would eventually get placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs and then claimed by the Predators. He spent up until last season in the Preds’ organization and now plays for Skelleftea AIK of the SHL.

Carl Gunnarsson

Formerly Dion Phaneuf’s defensive partner, Gunnarsson played a simple game in Toronto but didn’t generate a lot of offense. He was traded to St. Louis after the 2013-14 season to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Roman Polak, who was loved by old school fans and hated by modern age fans. Gunnarsson is currently still playing for the Blues.

John-Michael Liles

As stated previously, Liles was dealt to the Hurricanes for Tim Gleason and spent two more seasons there before being dealt to the Boston Bruins, where he played for one year and then retired.

Dion Phaneuf

Ah, who can forget Dion Phaneuf?

The previous Norris candidate who was traded to Toronto and immediately gifted all the pressure in the world, donning the “C” in the league’s most active market and signing a seven year contract at seven million per.

Phaneuf spent most of his time in Toronto as the resident scapegoat, because every Leafs’ team needs to have one (He’s since passed that torch to Jake Gardiner). Phaneuf was finally dealt to the Ottawa Senators where he spent two full seasons before being traded to L.A. He’s currently still playing for the Kings today.

Paul Ranger

The 2013-14 season would be the only full campaign Ranger would play in a Leafs uniform. He spent the following season in Switzerland and has retired since then.

Morgan Rielly

Ah, our elite defenseman who’s been around to see the good, the bad, and the ugly. Rielly is currently still playing for the Maple Leafs and he’s truly broken out this year, putting up 32 points in 30 games and emerging as a Norris Candidate.

Dave Bolland

Bolland had just finished the shortened 2013 as a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks as their second line centre. The Toronto Maple Leafs would acquire his rights after that season for a couple of draft picks, and after an electric start with the team where he would put up 10 points in 15 games, he suffered a bad injury that kept him out for most of the season.

Bolland would eventually demand a contract worth $5.5 million a year, and after the Panthers signed him for that money for some reason, he would play two seasons there before getting injured once again. He isn’t playing anymore, but the Arizona Coyotes are currently paying the duration of his contract after he was traded there along with Lawson Crouse for another pair of draft picks.

Tyler Bozak

Ah, who could forget Bozie? He spent such a long time in a Leafs uniform that he was here when his linemates were a newly-acquired Phil Kessel as well as Nikolai Kulemin, and was also here when his right-winger became current Leafs’ star Mitch Marner. Bozak paid his dues in a Leafs’ uniform, mainly in a role he was forced into, and just this offseason signed a contract with the St. Louis Blues.

Peter Holland

After not living up to expectations with the Anaheim Ducks, Holland was acquired by the Maple Leafs and spent three full seasons there before getting dealt to the Arizona Coyotes shortly after the 2016-17 season began. He’s currently playing in the New York Rangers farm system.

Nazem Kadri

As it turned out, all Nazem Kadri needed to get going was good coaching. After being tossed in the doghouse time after time when he didn’t perform well under Ron Wilson and Randy Carlyle, Kadri has finally broken out and put up back-to-back 32 goal seasons under new coaching. He’s currently still a member of the Maple Leafs, putting together 16 points in 30 games this year.

Jay McClement

Say what you will about Jay McClement, but he was actually a solid fourth line centre and penalty killer during his short time here. He would sign a contract with the Carolina Hurricanes before the 2014-15 NHL season and then play one final season last year in Switzerland before retiring.

Trevor Smith

To put it bluntly, Smith had an exciting stretch of maybe five games during 2013-14 where he put up some points, but after two seasons in the organization he would spend time overseas in Switzerland before joining the Nashville Predators organization for a while. He’s currently in the St. Louis Blues organization.

Jerred Smithson

Haha, remember when Dave Nonis pulled the trigger on a deal for Jerred Smithson for some reason? 2013-14 was the year where the Leafs went through a gross amount of centres. Smithson would play 18 games for the Leafs that year, not putting up a single point. He played his last pro season for the Herning Blue Fox in Denmark before retiring.

Carter Ashton

A former first round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Leafs dealt defenseman Keith Aulie for Ashton in 2012 and he had played 32 games for the Leafs in 2013-14, putting up three assists. He then went back to the Lightning organization midway through the 2014-15 season and has since bounced between three KHL teams, currently playing for Cherepovets Severstal.

Troy Bodie

After bouncing between multiple NHL organizations, Bodie finished his career as a member of the Maple Leafs where he spent two seasons including the 2013-14 one, and oddly enough he’s actually a California-based scout for the Leafs now. Definitely didn’t seem like a player I thought would be with the organization nowadays but here we are.

David Clarkson

Hahahahahaha. Remember when Clarkson was signed to a seven year contract with an AAV of $5 million after one 30 goal season? I definitely don’t miss old management. Clarkson spent two disappointing seasons with the Maple Leafs before they dealt him to Columbus in exchange for the contract of Nathan Horton. Clarkson would eventually play a whopping 26 games for the Jackets. He’s currently under contract with the Vegas Golden Knights but hasn’t played a game since 2015-16.

Jerry D’Amigo

D’Amigo spent 22 games with the Leafs’ in 2013-14 where he put up three points in 22 games. After being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, he joined the Buffalo Sabres the following season and has since bounced around various European teams, currently playing for Ingolstadt ERC of the DEL.

Phil Kessel

A symbol of what the Leafs tried to do under old management and failed miserably at, Kessel spent six full seasons in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform and consistently put up near 80 point seasons before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a package that included Kasperi Kapanen and a first round pick that would turn into Frederik Andersen. All in all, great trade for both teams where the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to add key pieces to their new core and the Penguins were able to shape Kessel into a Stanley Cup Champion. Kessel is still playing in Pittsburgh today.

Colton Orr

Orr somehow spent six seasons playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs where he was nothing more than a fourth line enforcer and put up an average of 3-4 points a season. He spent his final season with the Stockton Heat of the AHL in 2015-16 and has been retired since then.

Well, this article was both gruelling and entertaining to write, and I hope it was the same for you to read. Out of the 30 players I covered on this roster, only three of them are still Toronto Maple Leafs today. Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, and Morgan Rielly. It just goes to show how much times have changed in the last five years.

All statistics obtained from hockeydb.com