The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to avoid a sweep against the Florida Panthers but, after Friday’s Game 5 overtime loss, it’s over. The Panthers are off to meet the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Meanwhile, the Leafs are picking up the pieces and are likely to make huge changes in the offseason.
If we look at the pillars of the franchise—GM Kyle Dubas, coach Sheldon Keefe, the forwards, defense corps and goaltenders…Which pieces do you think will change by next season? Over to you, Roundtable.
MATT LARKIN: I’ll predict GM, coach and one core forward. That means a mutual separation with Kyle Dubas, firing coach Sheldon Keefe and trading one of Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews/William Nylander. I don’t see Morgan Rielly being a casualty given the reasonable value of his cap hit at the moment, while I could envision the Leafs LTIRing Matt Murray and rolling with Joseph Woll and a re-signed Ilya Samsonov as next year’s goalie duo.
NICK ALBERGA: I’ll say GM and one core forward—likely William Nylander. And I say Nylander just because he’s eligible for an extension this summer and they don’t have the funds to pay him. He’ll chase the highest bid. Additionally, Kyle Dubas is a free agent and without question, I think he’ll be highly sought after by other teams regardless of if the Leafs want him back or not. Assuming they make a managerial change, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the new GM give Sheldon Keefe a shot to stick.
MIKE MCKENNA: I’ll say president, GM, coach, goaltender, one core forward. said it this past offseason: the one area that I felt could doom Dubas was goaltending. I didn’t think Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray were a tandem capable of going on a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And Joseph Woll’s arrival on the scene was too late. But what was the threshold here? Did the Leafs have to make it to the Eastern Conference final? Win the Stanley Cup? I understand that the team has supposedly underachieved over the past few years, and mistakes have been made. But at this point, it feels like it was Cup or bust in Toronto or else everyone would go. That’s just the nature of the city and the pressure involved. I think Brendan Shanahan is out. And sadly I think Kyle Dubas, despite doing just about everything possible to improve his team at the trade deadline, will likely be out as well. Especially considering his free-agent status this summer. Keefe? Yeah, he’s gone, too. Samsonov will leave as well, but mostly because he’s a free agent and I expect him to chase a multi-year deal elsewhere. Nylander? See ya. He wants to get paid and it’s not going to happen in Toronto without major surgery. Matthews and Marner aren’t going anywhere. Rielly is a lock on ‘D.’ The bottom line is if Toronto decides to make a change in management, whoever comes in next won’t want any baggage tied to the past regime.
STEVEN ELLIS: I’ve learned to not expect massive changes with this team, and I’m not sure that’s the way to go. I’d say coach, but who realistically on the market makes this group better? I’m going with the team upgrading goaltending. Ilya Samsonov did a good job of giving the Leafs a fighting chance all year long. But they can’t go with the Murray-Samsonov duo again. Whether it’s Samsonov and Woll, or Woll and someone else, they need stability. And I love Woll, but he’s not ready for starter duties. So you need to find some stability, and maybe that’s Samsonov. But right now, that’s the biggest area of concern in my opinion.
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