Tough-guy Kyle Clifford will an Unrestricted Free Agent this summer and he has no desire to win anywhere else except with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For any hockey player growing up in Ontario, almost all of them dream of winning a Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Although there’s no a player who has been able to live that dream out since 1967, that burning desire to win in their hometown is still true for many current Maple Leafs.
It’s the reason why John Tavares came home, why Mitch Marner signed a long-term extension and why Zach Hyman wants to be a Leaf for life. All three of these players are local kids and Kyle Clifford wants to join them in their quest for a Cup.
Kyle Clifford and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Kyle Clifford on desire to play for another Cup with #Leafs: "We have a young team, and they're hungry. They want it for the city of Toronto bad. I don't think there'd be any greater feeling than to take it down those streets in Toronto for a parade."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 13, 2020
As you can see in the tweet above by TSN’s Kristen Shilton, Clifford wants nothing more than winning a cup in Toronto.
Although he wants to rejoin the Leafs next year, it’s unsure whether or not he’ll fit in the salary cap. Clifford was able to fit into the Leafs system this year because the Los Angeles Kings retained 50 percent of his contract, attributing to $800,000 of his total $1.6 million deal.
Although the Leafs have a few forward spots available next season, Clifford may have to take a pay-cut in order for everything to work under the cap. In a perfect world without the pandemic we’re currently facing, the cap looked like it would be rising, but with the NHL losing millions of dollars daily, it’s most likely to stay flat or even decline slightly.
Regardless of that situation, Clifford continued to express his interest in staying with Toronto as shared by another tweet below.
Kyle Clifford (a pending UFA) on potentially re-signing with #Leafs: "Toronto is an amazing place to play. [My wife and I] want what's best for the family, but she said to me to do what's best for myself. I'm in a win-now mode, and I think the #Leafs are in that same mode too."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 13, 2020
Clifford and Leafs General Manager Kyle Dubas have a long history together, as before Dubas was ever an executive, he represented Clifford as a player-agent. That loyalty and friendship could become very beneficial when discussing contract details.
Even when Clifford got traded to Toronto in February, his mindset hasn’t changed from today, as noted in a Sportsnet article by Luke Fox.
"“It’s no secret, I got a real love for this team, and it’s a childhood dream just to be able to put that jersey on.They’ve started to build something here the last couple years, and you can tell the town’s excited about it, and I’m just happy to be a part of it and do my best."
Being an outsider and then seeing it first-hand are two completely different things, so it’s great to see that Clifford still feels this way.
Although it’s unclear whether the dollars will work in his favor, it’s always nice to see that a current player loves this city and wants to bring a cup home to Toronto.