How do the Toronto Maple Leafs approach the 2025 offseason?
Their core four (arguably core five now with Matthew Knies’ ascension) of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares have been unable to exorcise their playoff demons and capture the Stanley Cup that has evaded the Leafs since 1967.
This season was encouraging for Toronto, pushing the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions and defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers, to seven games. The Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 lead this time around, and despite faltering, should feel good about their future.
A revamped defensive core, Anthony Stolarz’s emergence in net, and head coach Craig Berube’s leadership all have Toronto trending upward. Marner is likely headed elsewhere, but his ensuing massive payday and lack of playoff success could mean a divorce is the best case for each party.
Another, more realistic free agent retention is former captain John Tavares.
Here is what Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic had to say on the matter:
“The Leafs and John Tavares’ camp continue to talk and touched base again this week. There remains mutual interest in getting something done, but finding that sweet spot on a fair deal isn’t quite there yet. The idea that Tavares might sign for a bargain $5 million AAV seems like a stretch to me. It’s going to have to be above that to get it done given the year he just had, although term is part of the equation as well,” LeBrun wrote.
Tavares has continued his Hall of Fame-like path as a Maple Leaf and just produced one of his better seasons. The 34-year-old had 38 goals and 36 assists over 75 games and is still a reliable two-way center.
His next deal will not approach his previous annual average of $11 million, and perhaps Toronto can get him at a significant hometown discount. Tavares still has gas in the tank, and while he is far from a perfect player, potentially losing both him and Marner would set this Maple Leafs team back.
In an ideal world, Toronto can re-sign Tavares at a relatively cheap cost and use the Marner fund to bolster its depth scoring and possibly add another blue-liner.
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