Insider confirms changes coming in Toronto that some might not like

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun says changes are coming for the Maple Leafs, but cautions that many may not like the deals because of possible trade complications.

The Maple Leafs choked in the 1st round once again this year and find themselves with a long summer ahead. For the players, they'll look to forget this loss on move on with their lives. For the team, however, it's a different story.

Changes need to be made, specifically to the Maple Leafs' core. You simply cannot bow out of the 1st round in 7 of the last 8 years and bring back the same core.

Auston Matthews and William Nylander have already signed extensions, which leaves Mitch Marner and John Tavares as the two most-likely candidates to move. The problem, according to LeBrun, is that the Leafs have some no-movement clauses to try to maneuver around. This becomes a real challenge, because the players with the clauses hold all of the cards.


We saw John Tavares refuse to waive his NMC on Long Island in 2018 ahead of the trade deadline, so it seems likely that he'd opt to take the same path in Toronto, his hometown. Marner, however, has been the subject of a lot of media and fan criticism that has seemed to rub him the wrong way over the years. He might just welcome a fresh start with another team, especially since he would control where he lands. Yes, Marner is a Toronto native as well, but I think everyone can sense his frustration with playing in Canada's hockey hotbet.

Obviously, there is a lot to be determined between now and next season, but with the recent comments from new MLSE President Keith Pelley, it has become very clear that the status quo is not okay under this new regime. MLSE wants to build a winner and you simply can't do that with 4 or 5 players eating up more than half of the salary cap.