After their 2-0 win on Friday [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/the-hockey-news-playoff-frenzy-live-join-the-chat-as-maple-leafs-force-game-7-against-panthers], the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] will take on the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers] for the last time this season on Sunday in Game 7 of their second-round series. The Maple Leafs haven’t had success in Game 7s since Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner entered the league in 2016. They don’t have one Game 7 victory in five tries. However, it’s a new opportunity to rewrite the narrative and perception of the team. Nonetheless, the result of this Game 7 could be franchise-altering, regardless of whether Toronto wins or loses. Do changes need to be made to the Maple Leafs' Core Four? Leafs GM Brad Treliving will be busy handling expiring contracts in the off-season, including RFA Matthew Knies and UFAs Mitch Marner and John Tavares. There is plenty of uncertainty around Marner, whether he’ll decide to sign a new deal with Toronto. Chris Johnston reported for The Athletic [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6358124/2025/05/15/maple-leafs-marner-core-four-nhl-playoffs/] that there is a growing sense that Marner is ready for a fresh start after nine seasons with the Maple Leafs. A loss on Sunday could make that decision even easier for Marner, especially for a player who has received plenty of criticism from fans and media over the years. Toronto won’t likely be able to replace Marner’s mix of offensive production and defensive intelligence during free agency, or maybe ever. According to Sportsnet [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhls-top-12-ufas-of-2025-latest-rumours-reports/], the next big-name free agent available this off-season is Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets. Ehlers is a respectable playmaker, but has never recorded a point-per-game season in comparison to Marner’s seven. Toronto could lose a lot of scoring if Marner decides to walk. Auston Matthews celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 6 of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/36d7a9d4-e1be-4d49-a216-521a9be1344c.jpeg] Auston Matthews celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 6 of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) In addition to the likelihood of losing Marner after a Game 7 loss, Brendan Shanahan’s status as president of the team could be in question. He has led the team’s front office for 10 seasons, and his contract expires at the end of this campaign. Without Marner and Shanahan potentially in the organization, the Leafs will look very different. Marner has the fifth-most points in franchise history (741 points in 657 games), while Shanahan built this team and summoned them from lottery-pick caliber seasons. Although, if they beat the Panthers on Sunday, it might not have to be that way. Advancing to the Eastern Conference finals would be a massive step for the Maple Leafs, proving they are inching closer to the ultimate goal of ending Toronto's 58-year Cup drought. Toronto hasn’t seen the third round of the playoffs since 2002. In those playoffs, they were eliminated in six games by the Carolina Hurricanes, the team that currently awaits the winner of the Leafs and Panthers series. Not only could a win convince Marner to stay with his hometown team, but it could also revise the reputation of the Maple Leafs in the Matthews and Marner era. The words "legacy game" have been thrown around this Leafs team during these playoffs, but Sunday’s game will truly be a legacy-defining battle for this iteration of the Leafs. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
