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The Toronto Maple Leafs held their final press availability at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday and while many of the players reflected on the season just completed and what they will be doing over the summer, GM Lou Lamoriello focused on how to build on team’s surprising success and upgrade the Leafs this summer.
“You’ll do whatever you can to get better, but you do not do things for the sake of doing them. If you can’t—for example—bring in the right type of player like Brian Boyle, then you do nothing. We don’t know what is going to be available (over the summer), this is a unique year with expansion, we don’t know what can and can’t be done.” Lamoriello said. “We took a step forward this year (at) the experience end of it, players believing that they can do certain things, but it’s only a step.”
The Leafs GM did not offer any specifics on where he will concentrate his efforts this summer, but it is expected that Toronto will focus on looking for a top-four defenseman and some depth on the blueline.
“I don’t know if anybody can gauge the market (for defensemen) because from my experiences with expansion, a lot of things are going to take place.” Lamoriello said. “Whatever you might think a team has excess of, might not be.”
Head coach Mike Babcock echoed Lamoriello’s sentiments, saying that it will be more difficult for the Leafs to sneak up on the competition next season and that the club will have to improve internally and externally to take another step towards being a Stanley Cup contender.
“We’re not good enough. If you look at Tampa and the quality organization they are, and they still almost got into the playoffs with the injuries they had. That wouldn’t have been possible for us, we’re not at that level yet.” Babcock said. “It was an unbelievably positive year for us, we made the playoffs, but we finished eighth and we’re out. So we’ve got a lot to work to do and we understand that as an organization.”
Unrestricted free agents Matt Hunwick, Roman Polak and Boyle indicated a desire to re-sign with Toronto, as did veterans Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk (entering the final year of their contracts), but their futures may be in limbo depending on what opportunities open up in the trade market and free agency.
Calder Trophy nominee Auston Matthews chose to not play for Team USA at the upcoming World Championships in Paris. The 19-year-old played in Russia last May, the World Cup of Hockey, the entire 82-game regular season, the All-Star game and playoffs.
Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and goalie Frederik Andersen will also not be going to the Worlds. Zaitsev returned to the Leafs lineup after Polak’s leg injury in Game 2, but
the Leafs medical staff would not clear the blueliner to participate after suffering a concussion at the end of the regular season.
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