7 players who might've played their last game with the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered yet another devastating playoff loss on the weekend, and it was definitely the last time we’ll see a few of them.
With Toronto falling 2-1 to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 to be eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, the Leafs careers of at least a few players came to a sudden and crashing end.
With tough decisions to be made this offseason, here are seven players who might’ve played their last game in the blue and white:
Tyler Bertuzzi
2023-24 stats: 80 GP, 21 G, 22 A, 43 PTS
Contract: One year, $5.5 million AAV (expired)
There was a point in time when Tyler Bertuzzi seemed destined to be a long-term core piece of the Detroit Red Wings, and it was hard to imagine him spending his career elsewhere. But after a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, the former 31-goal scorer has since bounced around to Boston and now Toronto in the past two years. With a bit of a stronger resume on his belt after a good year in Toronto, Bertuzzi is likely looking for some long-term stability once again that the Leafs may not have the flexibility to offer him.
Max Domi
2023-24 stats: 80 GP, 9 G, 38 A, 47 PTS
Contract: One year, $3 million AAV (expired)
Like Bertuzzi, Max Domi was signed on a one-year “show-me” contract to see what he could do with the team. But having already played for seven NHL teams by the age of 29, his ability to stick around in one place hasn’t exactly been great, and he could command a deal elsewhere should he hit the open market.
Ilya Samsonov
2023-24 stats: 40 GP, 23-7-8, .890 SV %
Contract: One year, $3.55 million AAV (expired)
If this is the end of a two-year tenure in Toronto for Ilya Samsonov, it was quite the ride. He filled just about every goalie archetype in Toronto: the team’s No. 1, a backup who couldn’t seem to stop the puck for months at a time, the team’s most-used playoff starter for two years in a row, and pretty much everything in between. With a thin goalie free agent market, Samsonov could be back in Toronto, but don’t be surprised if he tests the waters himself.
TJ Brodie
2023-24 stats: 78 GP, 1 G, 25 A, 26 PTS
Contract: Four years, $5 million AAV (expired)
By the time the 2023-24 season came to a close, TJ Brodie ended up playing just one playoff game for the Leafs this year. After four years playing for his hometown team, it seems like the writing is on the wall that Toronto will be moving on from the veteran defender given his usage in this year’s postseason.
Mitch Marner
2023-24 stats: 69 GP, 26 G, 59 A, 85 PTS
Contract: Six years, $10.93 million AAV (expires 2024-25)
The only non-unrestricted free agent on this list, Mitch Marner has been the subject of trade rumours pretty much since the day he was drafted by the team. With one year left on his contract — but a full no-movement clause — Marner would have to approve any deal shipping him out of town.
Mark Giordano
2023-24 stats: 46 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 PTS
Contract: Two years, $800,000 AAV (expired)
For Mark Giordano, it seems pretty clear that he’s in the latter stages of his career, given that he entered last season as the oldest player in the NHL. Perhaps he signs on again with a short-term deal, but a job outside of playing hockey seems most likely for his future.
Ilya Lyubushkin
2023-24 stats: 19 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 PTS
Contract: Two years, $2.75 million AAV (expired)
The Leafs decided what’s old is new again with Ilya Lyubushkin when they traded for his rights once again before this year’s trade deadline, two years after he’d left the team in free agency. But if the Leafs are looking to upgrade their defensive unit this offseason, replacing Lyubushkin seems like as good a place as any to start.
Follow Channels and Categories