What's Next for the Toronto Maple Leafs After Another Early Exit?

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After another successful regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs season is over with another first-round exit.

So what comes next? Will we see a coaching change or a member of the core four get traded? Some fans are calling for both of those things to happen. Then again, some Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been calling for that for years.

The salary cap is only going up by $1 million to $82.5 million next season, so a trade or two might be inevitable. According to capfriendly.com, Toronto currently has $7.8 million in available cap space. With four restricted free agents (RFA), and six unrestricted free agents (UFA), the Maple Leafs will have a busy off-season.

Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas has to decide who stays, and who goes. Free Agency begins on July 13th this year, so Dubas has time to meet with his management staff to discuss the team’s future. Let the speculation in Leafs Nation begin.

No matter what is done in the off-season, some fans will be happy and some left shaking their head. Here is a look at some of the decisions that the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to make this off-season.

(Photo by Claus andersen/Getty Images) /

Toronto Maple Leafs Own Unrestricted Free Agents

Jack Campbell

Goaltender Jack Campbell has to be the biggest UFA that Toronto has this off-season. Since joining the Maple Leafs, Campbell has a record of 51-14-9 with a .916 SV% and a 2.50 GAA. Dubas has to decide if Campbell is the right goaltender for this team.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost two years in a row in Game 7 with Campbell in the net. In both series, Toronto had a 3-2 series lead after Game 5 and failed to close it out. Just like the rest of the team, Campbell is great during the regular season but has been unable to help the team win a playoff round.

So should Toronto re-sign him or try to find a proven winner through free agency or trade? That will be a big question that needs to be answered.

Jason Spezza

Will Jason Spezza sign his fourth one-year deal with Toronto, chase his dream elsewhere, or retire? He will be 39 next season and is five points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark. Like most Toronto fans, I like Jason Spezza. Dubas will have to decide whether or not a younger player can fill Spezza’s on-ice role more productively than Spezza can.

It can not be said how much Spezza’s leadership has helped this team on and off the ice, but the team has yet to win with him in the lineup. Having Spezza on the team for the league minimum of $750,000 is helpful from a cap standpoint. Unless he is ready to retire, it won’t be an easy decision for Dubas to make regarding Spezza’s future.

Ilya Lyubushkin

Since joining the Maple Leafs in the trade that sent Nick Ritchie to the Arizona Coyotes, Ilya Lyubushkin has become a fan favourite. He plays the physical style that Toronto’s defense has been lacking. He tallied 93 hits in 31 games with Toronto and a total of 187 hits on the season.

Lyubushkin made $1.35 million this season. If the Toronto Maple Leafs can re-sign him for less than $3 million, he should be brought back.

Colin Blackwell

Colin Blackwell is a feisty little guy who averages 20 points a season. For a player who is a fourth-liner, that’s not too bad. Toronto should be able to re-sign him for under $1 million, so it won’t be surprising if he returns.

Mark Giordano

Mark Giordano brought leadership and stability to Toronto’s defense when he was acquired at the trade deadline. The only way Toronto would be able to re-sign him is if he signs a similar league minimum deal like Spezza. Seeing as how Toronto did not make it far in the playoffs, it is a good thing Kyle Dubas didn’t give up a first-round pick for Giordano.

Ilya Mikheyev

With the combination of Ilya Mikheyev wanting to be traded last year and his productive season this year, he might have priced himself out of Toronto. If he wants more than $2 million a season, then he has played his last game as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mikheyev became a 20-goal scorer this season and might have an asking price that is too high for Toronto to accommodate.

Toronto Maple Leafs Own Restricted Free Agents

Pierre Engvall

Pierre Engvall had a productive season for Toronto and will likely re-sign and build off of his 2022-23 season. He has turned himself into a valuable bottom-six forward for the Maple Leafs. Engvall made $1.25 million this season, so it will interesting to see how much of an increase he earns in his next deal.

Rasmus Sandin

Rasmus Sandin had a decent season, and it is a shame that injuries held him back. 2021-22 was his first season in the NHL full-time. He made slightly less than $900,000 this year, so he should receive a new deal worth between $1 million – $2 million. The main question will be whether he signs a short-term or long-term deal.

Ondrej Kase

Ondrej Kase had a decent season but was plagued by injuries. Toronto is probably hoping to re-sign him for not much more than the $1.25 million he made this season. His next deal will likely be a short-term deal of one or two years. His recent injury history will make it less likely for the team to sign him long-term.

Timothy Liljegren

Timothy Liljegren has a bright future with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Like Sandin, this was Liljegren’s first full season in the NHL. He will likely be re-signed to a similar deal to whatever Toronto gives Sandin. Liljegren recorded 23 points in 61 games this season, and he will look to improve on that next season.

Next. Bunting and the Calder Trophy. dark

General manager Kyle Dubas will have a busy summer with all these UFA and RFA players. Time will tell who will stay and who will go. Will he try to sign Campbell for less than $5 million or look elsewhere for a new goaltender? July 13th will be here before we know it.

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