For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs will hold their final interviews on locker cleanout day on Friday at Air Canada Centre, following their 7-4 loss in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. Unlike the previous two season closeouts in the Mike Babcock/Lou Lamoriello era, there will be a greater level of uncertainty and questions of the future direction for the franchise and it is uncertain whether any definitive answers will be forthcoming from the players, the coach or management. The first and maybe most important question is the future of Lamoriello himself. The veteran GM reportedly had a three-year contract that would have him shifting to an advisory role, but as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated in his 31 Thoughts column, Leafs Team President Brendan Shanahan hinted that he may prefer to keep things status quo for the near future, with the club needing to get the “big three… of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander signed to new contracts and the roster going through a transition with a number of unrestricted free agents. Friedman speculated regarding Lamoriello’s future with the club, saying that if the Leafs were intent were to shift him to an advisory role as the Devils did when they brought in Ray Shero as their GM and made Lamoriello Team President, that other opportunities may intrigue the 75-year-old Hall-of-Famer, such as the New York Islanders (who employ Lamoriello’s son Chris and have an unpopular GM in Garth Snow My feeling is there is unfinished business in Toronto and it is likely that Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter would stick around in their current positions for another year to be in waiting for the plum job of Leafs GM when Lamoriello’s tenure is over. The most pressing question will be how the Leafs will address their chronic need to improve their defense. The status quo or patchwork fixes have not worked, as evidence of the blueline’s pathetic performance against the Bruins and Toronto has failed on two separate occasions (Travis Hamonic at the NHL Draft and Ryan Mcdonagh at the trade deadline) to acquire help via trade.
It is clear that the Leafs will need to dramatically improve their defensive corps to take the next step in their development and will have to make some difficult choices on which free agents to go after or which young forwards to trade to get the blueliners they need. Another decision that has to be made is the future of Jake Gardiner. There are indications that the Leafs could be looking to move the 27-year-old defenseman coming off a career-high 52-point season, who has a year left on his current deal and is eligible to sign a new contract on July 1.
This may have nothing to do with his performance in Game 7 and more to do with the fact that the Leafs have a replacement in Travis Dermott and will not repeat the mistake of this season and not dealing pending free agents James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak for future assets instead of them likely walking away for nothing this summer. The contract status of Matthews, Marner and Nylander will also be brought up. Marner and Matthews have a year left on their entry-level contracts, but it is likely that Leafs management would prefer to get them signed this summer before putting up another big year and improving their leverage for a big pay raise. Nylander might be in line for a bridge deal but he also could be the price the Leafs have to pay to get a young top blueliner.
With young wingers like Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Carl Grundstrom and perhaps Jeremy Bracco not too far away, Toronto may be willing to pay a price they were previously not willing to pay if they can get a Noah Hanifin, Jacob Trouba or Oliver Ekman-Larsson. *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******