3 Toronto Maple Leafs Fighting to Keep Their Job Next Year

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to look a little different next year with a few individuals currently fighting to keep their jobs.

It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs roster is going to turnover next year. Over the past few seasons, that’s pretty normal for the franchise, as the core has stayed put with the bottom-six and goaltenders changing on a frequent basis.

There are currently 10 pending UFA/RFA’s within the team’s 23-man roster, so there will be plenty of decisions to make. Even though the player(s) may have the opportunity to leave at their free will in the offseason, I’d still consider these players fighting to keep their job.

As a free agent, you want to capitalize and make as much money as possible, but usually, winning has a big influence on that decision as well. If you can make the most money and play for a winning franchise, then that’s the best case scenario.

If you compared this roster prior to the NHL Trade Deadline to after, it looks much different. A few pieces went out, but there were more in-coming as names like Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, Luke Schenn and Erik Gustafsson came in, bumping a few players down the line-up.

At this time last year, Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Clifford were two physical pieces the Leafs thought could make a difference in a series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but this year, the newly acquired players will get that task.

Toronto’s depth has now made it harder for a few fringe players to keep their jobs next year, but here are three members of the Toronto Maple Leafs fighting to keep their job for the 2023-24 season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Fighting to Keep Their Jobs: No. 1: Justin Holl

It’s crazy to think that Holl has been in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for the past eight years and to see where he’s come. After joining the Toronto Marlies in the 2015-16 season, Holl quickly turned into a rising star in the AHL and one of Kyle Dubas’ favorite pupils.

When Holl was eventually called up, head coach Mike Babcock didn’t feel the same way and benched him for the majority of the season. That type of treatment would drive any player nuts, but he stayed the course and once Sheldon Keefe was introduced as the new coach of the Leafs, Holl was in the line-up every night.

However, as we look at the Leafs roster next season, Holl is without a contract and is the team’s No. 6 or No. 7 defenseman. He’s clearly fighting for his job and his career within Toronto’s organization may be over before we know it.

Holl will be rotating in-and-out of the line-up for the last regular season games and more than likely again in the playoffs. As previously mentioned, Dubas has always had a soft-spot for Holl, so if he can play his way into the top-six and show he can be a steady defenseman for a long playoff-run, then Toronto will want him back.

However, if he falters and falls outside of the top-six, then it’s very plausible that Holl will be with another organization next year.

No 2: Matt Murray

He’s currently under contract with the Leafs for the 2023-24 season, scheduled to make $4.8M, but I wouldn’t say he’s guaranteed to be in the line-up.

The main reason why the Leafs brought Murray in was for his previous playoff experience, so if he can’t perform when the team needs him the most, he may be on his way out the door.

When the Leafs originally acquired Murray, we all knew that his injury history was a concern and that’s lingered with Toronto. He’s only started 21 games and has became the team’s No. 2 option behind Ilya Samsonov.

Samsonov is a pending RFA, so if Samsonov excels as the Leafs starting goalie for a long playoff-run, Murray could become expendable. In a perfect world, Murray plays well in the playoffs and keeps his job for next year because of cost certainty.

The team would love a goalie tandem of Murray and Joseph Woll at $5.56M ($4.8M + 766K), but if Murray can’t be that player, they’ll have to pay Samsonov or look elsewhere.

Murray will have to show the team a lot during his last few regular season starts, but it’s the playoffs where we’ll determine whether or not he’s part of the future of his franchise.