Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Players Who Will Surprisingly Return Next Year

TORONTO, CANADA - FEBRUARY 18: Ryan O'Reilly #90 skates in his 1st game as a Toronto Maple Leaf against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 18, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 5-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

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Toronto Maple Leafs: Thoughts on O'Reilly's Usage + Sabres Game Preview

TORONTO, CANADA – FEBRUARY 18: Ryan O’Reilly . (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Players Who Will Surprisingly Return Next Year

No. 1: Ryan O’Reilly

The Toronto Maple Leafs gave up a lot to acquire O’Reilly and I think they’d prefer that he’d not be just be a rental this year. Instead, it feels like they want him to be part of the program for a few more years.

Coming off a $7.5M AAV salary, there’s no way that Toronto could afford to pay him that, but I’m not sure if anyone in the NHL would pay him that anymore.

That’s a large price to pay for the 32 year old, but if O’Reilly wants to play in front of friends and family every night, he may be willing to take a hometown discount.

With the salary-cap potentially rising another $4M next year, the Leafs have a little more wiggle-room to re-sign O’Reilly.

As a result, I believe that they’ll be able to come to an agreement and have him stick around with the club for a few more years.

I’m not going to predict exact costs, but O’Reilly is clearly someone who can help this team win and if he performs well in the playoffs, the team will want him back.

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