The Toronto Maple Leafs may look to re-sign a few familiar names in free agency this off-season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had multiple players leave the team then return a few years later. Even some of the greatest players in Leafs history have left and returned. Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Curtis Joseph and Steve Thomas are all recent examples of players who have came back years later.
When you’re a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, you’re part of hockey royalty. There’s no franchise in the NHL that treats their players better than the Leafs. They have everything you need and it’s one of the best places to live in North America.
There’s a reason why players are happy to return when they leave. With free agency looming, the Leafs are most likely going to be busy this off-season. The team will need to sign a few inexpensive contracts in order to fill out their bottom-six forwards.
If they’re smart, they’ll use a higher percentage of their cap-space to get more defensive help than offensive support, so the forwards they bring in will have to be cheap. What better way to re-sign a player to a lesser contract than one who’s already been a Leaf?
After seeing how other NHL franchises operate, they may miss the amenities and world-class treatment that MLSE provides, so they could also be open to a discount deal. Especially with a team that is only a few pieces away from being a Stanley Cup contender.
Here are five former Leafs that could re-sign with the team this off-season.