The focus of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization with a month remaining in the regular season is evaluating youngsters getting their first taste of the NHL and laying the groundwork for what is expected to be an eventful offseason.
GM Lou Lamoriello is expected to facilitate the club’s transition by promoting players within the organization, the addition of a top prospect in the 2016 NHL Draft and acquisitions via trade and free agency.
Elliotte Friedman talks to Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello about losing, Marner and Matthews https://t.co/6K2UgtD6pX
— Mark Easson (@myNHLTradeRumor) March 10, 2016
“If we had to put a percentage, I’d probably say 50%… Lamoriello said to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman regarding the extent of roster changeover before next season. “I think we know what are template is, I think we know what are needs are. Getting them filled is another thing.…
Lamoriello stated that 2015 top pick Mitch Marner(currently 3rd in OHL scoring with 109 points) is not ready for the NHL right now and will have to become stronger and do well in training camp to make the Leafs as a 19-year-old next October.
With the Leafs are currently dead last in the NHL standings with just 22 wins, Lamoriello and Team President Brendan Shanahan may be recognizing a certain amount of apathy in the fan base reflected in declining TV ratings and have recently begun to emphasize the establishment of a winning culture.
“We’re a team that does not know how to win, we have not won enough in recent years.… Shanahan said to Sportsnet’s Daren Millard. “I really think that winning is a learned skill and we’ve got a lot of work to go.…
The Leafs GM did not offer any specifics in regards to how the organization will go about improving the club this summer, but it’s not hard to imagine that Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos will be a target if he reaches unrestricted free agency.
Based on Lamoriello’s track record of having top goaltenders as a fixture in New Jersey, the Leafs may look to improve between the pipes during the off-season.
The departure of Dion Phaneuf and Roman Polak is likely going to have Toronto looking to upgrade their blueline. Teams such as Anaheim, Colorado and St. Louis have contractual dilemmas on defense and could be shopping RFA’s Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Tyson Barrie and pending UFA Kevin Shattenkirk.
Trades such as these will not involve moving prospects or draft picks, which the Leafs spent most of this year accumulating, it will involve players who have value but who they’ve determined are not part of the future, such as Tyler Bozak or pending RFA Nazem Kadri, who is expected to be looking for a long-term deal in excess of $5 Million per season.
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According to this week’s ‘30 Thoughts’ column, the Leafs dodged a bullet with defenseman Jared Cowen not filing a grievance with the NHLPA for sending him home in advance of the defenseman being bought out this summer.
The 25-year-old blueliner was given permission to talk with other NHL teams about a new contract after being placed on waivers just before the trade deadline.
Toronto is expected to buyout the final year of Cowen's $3.1 Million contract, which will give the club a $650,000 credit against the salary cap next season.
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The long rumored outdoor game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings was announced by the NHL on Tuesday. The match between the Original Six clubs will take place on January 1, 2017 at BMO Field in Toronto.
The Centennial Classic is a rematch of the 2014 Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, MI, in which the Maple Leafs won 3-2 in a shootout.
The 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will feature the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday, Jan. 2 and The 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will match the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Philadelphia Flyers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 18.
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