Has the pressure changed for new captain Auston Matthews and John Tavares? How clear are Mitch Marner and Nick Robertson's futures? Adam Proteau has more.
You’re reading the newest file in THN.com’s series examining the top issues facing each NHL team.
In this edition of the series, we’re turning our focus to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Let's get to it:
1. How clear is Mitch Marner's future in Toronto?
Since the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, most talk in Leafs Land is the saga of Marner.
Whether you like him or not – Marner simply hasn’t produced in the post-season in a way that’s commensurate with his $10.9-million annual salary.
Marner will be a UFA next summer, but unless he waits until season's end to negotiate a new deal with a long-term extension, Marner will be under incredible heat to show he’s worth re-investing in next year.
Marner’s good friend and new Leafs captain, Auston Matthews, will start earning $13.25 million this season, but fans and management believe in what Matthews can do. That same confidence doesn’t seem to be there for Marner, whether that’s right or wrong, as there’s no rush in extension talks to keep him in the fold.
Perhaps Marner could get moved by the trade deadline if he and the team don’t see a future together, but his no-move clause gives him some leverage in deciding his fate.
For that reason, the Marner situation will linger over the Leafs’ season until his future is apparent. There’s a chance he stays with Toronto in the long term, but the 27-year-old is fast approaching a crossroads.
The Buds’ salary cap predicament could force management to move on from Marner, but he’s also spoken many times about his focus on being a Leaf for his entire NHL career.
It’s all murky at the moment for Marner, but the issue should come into clearer focus before the season is through.
2. How does the pressure change for Auston Matthews as the Leafs' new captain? How about John Tavares?
Matthews took the Leafs’ captaincy from Tavares in mid-August, an evolution that came about because Tavares and Buds brass recognized it was time to give Matthews more responsibility.
That said, wearing the ‘C’ in Toronto doesn’t necessarily mean Matthews will be dealing with more pressure.
Indeed, Matthews has always been under pressure since entering the NHL, and that’s not going to change now that he’s the Leafs' captain.
Tavares, meanwhile, will still be considered a leading-by-example veteran in Toronto’s dressing room. When his contract expires next summer, he will take a huge haircut on his $11-million annual cap hit if he wants to remain a Leaf.
The 26-year-old Matthews is entering his prime, while the 33-year-old Tavares is in the back nine of his NHL career. Both players will be under the spotlight this season, but that’s nothing new. They know the routine by now.
The new logistics of the leadership group will provide a slightly different aura for the team, but the expectations remain the same: go deep in the playoffs or deal with all kinds of calls to break up the Core Four of Matthews, Marner, Tavares and William Nylander once and for all.
3. Who wins the battle for the second left wing spot and in net?
Young left winger Nick Robertson ended a standoff of sorts Tuesday when he agreed to a one-year, $875,000 contract for the upcoming season.
Some people believe there’s still a chance the Leafs will trade Robertson sometime this season, and it's looking likely veteran UFA winger Max Pacioretty will join the team in training camp.
Both players and potentially Bobby McMann should get a shot at being Toronto’s second-line left winger, but that should work itself out by the time the regular season begins.
Regarding Toronto’s goaltending, the tandem of Joseph Woll and newcomer Anthony Stolarz should split the action to start the season.
This writer likes what Stolarz brings to the table, but so long as Woll stays healthy, he’s got the inside track on the starter’s job. This isn’t to say Stolarz can’t win the No. 1 role, but when Woll has been healthy, he’s shown more than enough spunk and resolve to come out as the best choice in net for the Leafs.
Robertson, Woll and Stolarz all have undefined roles at the moment, but new coach Craig Berube’s job is to make those difficult decisions and explain them as he pushes to get the Leafs deeper in the playoffs.
Yet again, it will be a high-stakes, fascinating series of battles in Toronto this year, and Leafs fans will be hyper-vigilant every moment of the way.
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