With the NHL Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror and the playoffs just over a month away, it is a good time to take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ pending free agents. There are two types of free agents: unrestricted free agents (UFA), who can hit the open market as of July 1, and restricted free agents (RFA), whose rights the team owns.
The Maple Leafs have a few big names that are pending free agents this summer, such as Mitch Marner and John Tavares, who headline their five pending UFAs at the NHL level. They also have three RFAs on their NHL team who could receive a contract, none bigger than young forward Matthew Knies.
Maple Leafs’ Restricted Free Agents
The Maple Leafs have three pending restricted free agents on their books, as mentioned before, none bigger than Knies. He has become a vital piece of the puzzle and will be offered a contract this summer. It is important that the Maple Leafs get a deal done before the free agency market starts on July 1. With the salary cap set to rise this offseason, it is more likely that the NHL sees offer sheets for big-name RFA players like Knies. It is imperative that Toronto finds a way to lock him up before he can hit the market and be offer-sheeted—it would put too much stress on the Maple Leafs’ salary cap for next season.
Related: Marner Refusing to Waive NMC Shows Desire to Stay with Maple Leafs Long-Term
The other two RFAs are Nicholas Robertson and Pontus Holmberg. Both won’t ask for a significant bump in pay from what they are making now. While it is more than likely that Holmberg reaches an extension with the Maple Leafs, this could be the last season that Robertson plays with the organization. After he requested a trade last offseason, he looked to have found his footing with the team. However, now it looks like he is on the outside looking in. It may be smart for Toronto to trade him and get someone else in return who could play more of a bottom-six role.
Maple Leafs’ Unrestricted Free Agents
As mentioned before, Marner and Tavares headline their pending UFAs this summer. With so much attention on the star players, there are a handful of other players who will be considering their next moves. Veterans Steven Lorentz, Max Pacioretty, and Jani Hakanpää’s contracts are all up at the end of the season. It looks like both Pacioretty and Hakanpää have played their last games with the Maple Leafs and won’t be re-signed. However, Lorentz is an interesting option for them to consider. The organization has a few players in the AHL and juniors who could compete for a spot on their roster. That said, re-signing Lorentz would be a smart move for what he brings to the team, more importantly in the bottom six.
As for Marner and Tavares, the rumours surrounding these players are always changing. With the recent report circulating about the Maple Leafs approaching Marner and asking if he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, it puts a lot of pressure on both sides in the negotiations. However, he has come out and said that he wants to be a member of the organization long-term, so the hope is that the deal gets done. Ideally, it would happen after the playoffs in case both sides want to pivot based on results in the playoffs. As for Tavares, he has said publicly that he wants to be a Maple Leaf for life, and that is what he will be. Both sides will sit down and get a deal done when the time is right. The only question left to answer is at what cost? If Tavares wants to stay within the organization for the rest of his career, he may need to be willing to take less in order to get a deal done. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-7 million for three to four years should be enough to get him to sign on the dotted line.
AHL & Depth Free Agents
Outside of the NHL, there are a few players who could land a new deal. Roni Hirvonen, Nick Abruzzese, Cedric Paré, Reese Johnson, Topi Niemelä, Mikko Kokkonen, William Villeneuve, and Dennis Hildeby are all RFAs in the AHL. Not all of them will receive a contract or qualifying offer, but it is more than likely that Niemelä, Hirvonen, and Hildeby receive a new deal.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Patience With Matthew Knies Is Paying Off
As for UFAs, Alex Nylander, Alex Steeves, Nicolas Mattinen, Dakota Mermis, and Matt Murray all find themselves in an interesting situation. Nylander and Steeves would be the two names most likely to be offered a contract. However, Steeves could look for an NHL-level opportunity since he has done so well at the AHL level.
