The annual spring tradition of the Toronto Maple Leafs getting ousted from the Stanley Cup playoffs means plenty of Toronto Maple Leafs rumours. Toronto was eliminated on Saturday night by the rival Boston Bruins and the franchise is at a crossroads. There will likely be a number of changes coming this off-season. However, what changes will be made? Today’s Toronto Maple Leafs rumours focus on players like Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. However, there’s also an item on embattled head coach Sheldon Keefe.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
Toronto Maple Leafs Rumours
Bringing Back Domi and Bertuzzi
Rumour: The latest episode of 32 Thoughts was a postmortem on the Leafs season. One positive that Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek mentioned was hoping to bring back Domi and Bertuzzi for next season. The pair are both unrestricted free agents on July 1.
32 Thoughts Monday morning news, information and playoff recap podcast.
Links to your preferred platform, here:https://t.co/io7Mr1QEpm
Enjoy!
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 6, 2024
Analysis: Both Domi and Bertuzzi signed one-year deals in the off-season. However, the pair showed plenty of guts in the post-season. Bertuzzi and Domi may not have had the best regular-season numbers. However, both were gamers in the series against the rival Bruins.
Friedman mentioned that general manager Brad Treliving was more than pleased with the duo’s play. However, cap space could be a concern for the team. Bertuzzi made $5.5 million while Domi got $3 million. Both players are 29 years old and are looking to get some value.
The two players didn’t put in a lot of goals, but did the little things well and showed some grit. Many think that Toronto doesn’t have the stomach for post-season hockey. However, the two along with Matthew Knies showed some guts while some of the bigger stars struggled in the series.
There’s going to be some sort of roster turnover and a star player like Mitch Marner could be headed out the door. Toronto is going to need some heft and physicality in order to fill out the middle six. Keeping Domi and Bertuzzi might be the ticket to give the team a physical edge.
Sheldon Keefe’s Status
Rumour: Friedman and Marek also speculated on if Keefe will be replaced behind the bench. He’s the longest-serving Canadian coach in the NHL.
Analysis: Both Friedman and Marek mentioned that there was some doubt in extending Keefe last off-season. However, management decided to give the head coach a new deal.
Toronto did play some good defensive hockey in forcing a Game Seven. However, the team struggled mightily on the power play. Toronto has a very potent lineup with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Marner. However, the offence dried up at the worst possible time.
Friedman mentioned that Keefe did well despite the injuries and constantly having to shuffle the lineup. Despite this, there’s probably going to be a change behind the bench. There’s an old adage about insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Keefe has only won one post-season series in his tenure behind the bench. His success with the AHL Toronto Marlies has not translated over to the NHL level.
Names like Craig Berube were mentioned as a possible replacement behind the bench. Dean Evason is another name that has come up in conversations. The job is a pressure cooker, but is still one of the most coveted positions in the league.
Friedman also stated that Keefe would likely go to another team and probably have success. The Sportsnet insider said that Keefe has done a good job and probably deserves more credit than he gets. No matter what happens, there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny on whoever helms the Maple Leafs next season.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
