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4 Players the Toronto Maple Leafs Should NOT Re-Sign

By Stephen Nixon

MONTREAL, QC - MAY 24: Joe Thornton #97 of the Toronto Maple Leafs screens goaltender Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 24, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - MAY 24: Joe Thornton #97 of the Toronto Maple Leafs screens goaltender Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 24, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – APRIL 7: Joe Thornton #97 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Joe Thornton

The Joe Thornton experiment went the exact same way as the Patrick Marleau situation did and as a result, the team should move on from him.

Thornton is one of the most beloved players in NHL history. His jovial demeanor and big beard makes him a fan-favorite and it’s impossible not to root for him. However, he’s not the player he once was. He’s going to be 42-years-old in July and played like someone his age during the regular season and most of the playoffs.

Kudos to Jumbo, as he did turn on his game during the last two weeks of the season and scored more goals than Mitch Marner in the playoffs, but he should retire. He showed flashes of his old-self, but more times than not, he wasn’t any good.

If he’s so important in the room, then they should sign him as an assistant coach to replace Manny Malhotra. Put him on the bench every night beside Sheldon Keefe and let Thornton run the powerplay. He’ll still be able to get the boys fired up in the room and will have an impact on the result.

Toronto has Nick Robertson, Adam Brooks, Joey Anderson and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev in-house who can replace Thornton at the same price as him, as well as many other players in free agency who could fill his role.

Next. 3 Big Changes Leafs Need to Make. dark

As much fun as it was to see him in a Leafs jersey, unless they convert him to coach, they need to let him walk away from the organization immediately.

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