4 players the Leafs have to make contract decisions on this summer
The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again heading into summer with the possibility of major changes looming.
But before Toronto makes any drastic decisions about who to part ways with, they’ve got a bit of internal housekeeping to take care of.
Four players are heading to restricted free agency this summer, meaning Toronto will have to sign them to new contracts to keep them in the organization. Most of the time, it’s a relatively simple process, though we’ve seen through negotiations (such as Mitch Marner and William Nylander) that signing an NHL contract isn’t always easy.
This summer, Toronto will have Connor Dewar, Nicholas Robertson, Noah Gregor, and Timothy Liljegren hit restricted free agency.
Four other players in the Leafs’ system are also RFAs (Max Ellis, Alex Steeves, Maxime Lajoie, and Keith Petruzzelli), though none spent significant time in the NHL this year.
Here’s a look at each player and what to expect from their free agency this summer:
Connor Dewar
Most recent cap hit: $800,000
A midseason trade from the Minnesota Wild only gave Toronto a short look at Connor Dewar, who suited up for 17 games this season, where he registered a goal and four assists.
Players of Dewar’s profile generally don’t command much in the open market, so he should be a relatively cheap signing if Toronto chooses to re-up his contract.
Nicholas Robertson
Most recent cap hit: $796,667
Once one of the highest-touted prospects in Toronto’s system, Robertson has played just 87 games in the NHL since being drafted in 2019.
But this past year was the best season yet for the now 22-year-old, who put up career highs of 14 goals and 13 assists in 56 games this year for Toronto.
Noah Gregor
Most recent cap hit: $775,000
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t remember much from Gregor’s first season in Toronto, even though he suited up for 63 games.
Averaging 11:24 in ice time after making the team out of training camp on a PTO, Gregor hardly stood out this year, scoring six goals and adding six assists while mostly playing on a low-event fourth line.
Timothy Liljegren
Most recent cap hit: $1.4 million
The Leafs’ lone first-round selection in the 2017 draft, Liljegren has long been expected to take the next “jump” for the team. Unfortunately, his 2023-24 season was hampered by a leg injury that kept him off the ice for two months and limited him to just 55 games this season.
Now aged 25, the Leafs have some major decisions to make this summer about whether they approach Liljegren with a long-term contract or risk losing him in two years once he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency.