With the NHL Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror and the playoffs just over a month away, it is a good time to take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ pending free agents. There are two types of free agents: unrestricted free agents (UFA), who can hit the open market as of July 1, and restricted free agents (RFA), whose rights the team owns.
The Maple Leafs have a few big names that are pending free agents this summer, such as Mitch Marner and John Tavares, who headline their five pending UFAs at the NHL level. They also have three RFAs on their NHL team who could receive a contract, none bigger than young forward Matthew Knies.
Maple Leafs’ Restricted Free Agents
The Maple Leafs have three pending restricted free agents on their books, as mentioned before, none bigger than Knies. He has become a vital piece of the puzzle and will be offered a contract this summer. It is important that the Maple Leafs get a deal done before the free agency market starts on July 1. With the salary cap set to rise this offseason, it is more likely that the NHL sees offer sheets for big-name RFA players like Knies. It is imperative that Toronto finds a way to lock him up before he can hit the market and be offer-sheeted—it would put too much stress on the Maple Leafs’ salary cap for next season.
Related: Marner Refusing to Waive NMC Shows Desire to Stay with Maple Leafs Long-Term
The other two RFAs are Nicholas Robertson and Pontus Holmberg. Both won’t ask for a significant bump in pay from what they are making now. While it is more than likely that Holmberg reaches an extension with the Maple Leafs, this could be the last season that Robertson plays with the organization. After he requested a trade last offseason, he looked to have found his footing with the team. However, now it looks like he is on the outside looking in. It may be smart for Toronto to trade him and get someone else in return who could play more of a bottom-six role.
Maple Leafs’ Unrestricted Free Agents
As mentioned before, Marner and Tavares headline their pending UFAs this summer. With so much attention on the star players, there are a handful of other players who will be considering their next moves. Veterans Steven Lorentz, Max Pacioretty, and Jani Hakanpää’s contracts are all up at the end of the season. It looks like both Pacioretty and Hakanpää have played their last games with the Maple Leafs and won’t be re-signed. However, Lorentz is an…
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