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The core four.
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And Calle Jarnkrok, Matthew Knies and Sam Lafferty.
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Provided all of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares are back with the Maple Leafs next season — and signs point quite firmly to general manager Brad Treliving standing pat with Kyle Dubas’ old pals — the main group represents more than half of the Leafs’ forwards under contract heading into the summer. Jarnkrok, Knies and Lafferty also are secure, and that’s it.
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Nick Robertson might have something to say about claiming a spot as he returns from shoulder surgery, and ditto for Pontus Holmberg, who is a restricted free agent and will be looking to build on his looks with the Leafs last season.Â
No matter, there are open forward spots on the Toronto roster and it would behoove Treliving to do a better job of rounding out the top 12 than his predecessor did. Dubas’ moves, for example, looked good in the days before the National Hockey League trade deadline in March, but when push came to shove in the second round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers, few members of the Leafs could stick his chest out and be proud of the way he performed.Â
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Seven Leafs forwards, including the little-used Wayne Simmonds, are headed for the open market on Canada Day. Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting will be popular options (though we’ve been told that on Bunting, at least, the door has not been closed to a return), while Noel Acciari, David Kampf, Alexander Kerfoot and Zach Aston-Reese also will get interest to varying degrees.Â
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The more time passes, the less likely any of the above-mentioned players will re-sign with the Leafs before July 1.Â
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So, there will be holes to fill up front. A glance at some players about to hit the open market and who might be attractive to Toronto:
Connor Brown
The ex-Leaf is working his way back from a knee injury, and subsequent surgery, that he suffered in his fourth game with the Washington Capitals last October. A healthy Brown would provide the kind of energy, with a bit of touch, that Toronto needs in its bottom six.
Garnet HathawayÂ
The industrious depth forward has a history with Treliving, who signed the undrafted Hathaway in Calgary in 2015. In the ensuing years, Hathaway developed into a dependable role player with the Capitals and most recently the Boston Bruins.
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Lars Eller Â
If no free agents return, for example Kampf on the fourth line, the Leafs are going to need a couple of centres. Eller is a reliable faceoff man and has played in 103 Stanley Cup playoff games. That experience would be a bonus.
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Tyler Bertuzzi
Wouldn’t the shift-disturbing Bertuzzi look good in Toronto, especially if Bunting does depart? Sure he would. Whether the Leafs could afford the 28-year-old Sudbury native could be another matter. He’s coming off a two-year contract that had carried a salary cap hit of $4.75 million.
Corey Perry
Could the Leafs entice another Ontario native to come home and finish his career here? Perry would be worth a shot. Yes, he turned 38 in May, but age has not diminished his snarl around the opposing net.
Nick Bjugstad
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Bjugstad would provide savvy and size in the middle. He rebounded offensively last season, scoring a total of 17 goals with Edmonton and Arizona.
Miles Wood
In 400 games with New Jersey, Wood, who turns 28 in September, provided physicality and scoring depth. Again, it’s the kind of approach the Leafs will require in their bottom six.Â
tkoshan@postmedia.com
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