A crushing 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series has the Toronto Maple Leafs facing elimination on Friday.
Some pundits aren't wasting time speculating about what another early post-season exit will mean for the Leafs.
Following Game 5, The Athletic's Chris Johnston suggested the “Core Four” era of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares could be ending. Marner and Tavares are UFA-eligible on July 1 and might not be re-signed if the Panthers eliminate the Leafs.
Johnston thinks Marner could prefer a fresh start after years of criticism for the Leafs' playoff shortcomings. He also cited the 28-year-old right winger's unwillingness to negotiate an extension during the season and the club's request that he waive his no-movement clause at the trade deadline.
Tavares must accept a significant pay cut from his current $11-million cap hit to remain a Leaf. However, management could prefer investing that money in younger talent rather than a 34-year-old center whose best years are behind him.
Meanwhile, Johnston's colleague Jesse Granger wondered if the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup window was closing following their second-round elimination by the Edmonton Oilers.
Granger noted that most of the Golden Knights' core players are 28 or older, including Jack Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl and captain Mark Stone.
With $10.5 million in projected cap space next season, the Golden Knights have the room to re-sign pending UFAs like Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad and Victor Olofsson. Granger speculated they could use those cap dollars to add a scoring winger like Marner, Winnipeg's Nikolaj Ehlers or Vancouver's Brock Boeser if those forwards test the UFA market on July 1.
Golden Knights' management also has a well-earned reputation for being ruthless while making big moves, even cutting ties with established stars.
Theodore has a five-team no-trade list on his current contract and a full no-trade on his upcoming extension. Hertl has a full no-move clause for this season, but it reverts to a modified no-trade clause on July 1. One of them could become a cost-cutting trade candidate if management decides a shakeup is in order.
If This Was Mitch Marner’s Final Home Game With The Maple Leafs, What A Way To Go OutIf this ends up being Mitch Marner’s last home game as a Toronto Maple Leaf, what a way to go out.
Meanwhile, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now was recently asked about potential moves by the Avalanche this summer.
He believes they could pursue Florida's Sam Bennett if Brock Nelson heads to market on July 1. They could ship out a forward like Ross Colton or Miles Wood or a defenseman like Josh Manson or Samuel Girard to free up cap space for other moves.
Deen also thinks Martin Necas' future with the Avs could get interesting if his contract extension talks don't go well. He's signed for next season with an average annual value of $6.5 million and lacks no-trade protection.
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