Maple Leafs Core Four Era Likely Over After Playoff Exit

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a massive shakeup after yet another heartbreaking playoff exit. Their 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 – their seventh straight Game 7 defeat – left fans booing as players made their final salute of the season at Scotiabank Arena.

It’s the end of an era in Toronto.

New general manager Brad Treliving has his work cut out for him, especially with the team’s famous "Core Four" likely breaking up this summer. The group that was supposed to bring Stanley Cup glory back to Toronto is instead facing a crossroads.

The numbers tell a tough story. The Leafs have just under $27 million in cap space, but only seven forwards are under contract. And here’s the kicker – only Auston Matthews and William Nylander from their top six are locked in.

The list of players needing new contracts is daunting:

• Mitch Marner (Unrestricted Free Agent)
• John Tavares (UFA)
• Matthew Knies (Restricted Free Agent)
• Max Pacioretty (UFA)
• Steven Lorentz (UFA)
• Nick Robertson (RFA)
• Pontus Holmberg (RFA)

Marner’s situation is particularly interesting. After putting up 102 points (fifth in the NHL), he’s likely looking at something close to $12 million per year – similar to Mikko Rantanen’s new deal with Dallas.

Young star Matthew Knies, coming off a 29-goal season, could command around $8 million annually.

Tavares is the wild card. Despite scoring 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games, he’ll be 35 when next season starts. But there’s good news for Leafs fans – he’s made it clear he wants to stay in Toronto.

"This is where I want to be," Tavares told reporters. "This is home."

But Marner? All signs point to him wearing different colors next season. Between his contract demands and some ugly fan interactions, it seems his time in Toronto is over.

It’s a bitter pill for Leafs fans. Since drafting Matthews, they haven’t missed the playoffs once. But they’ve only made it past the first round twice in nine years, never reaching the conference finals.

This year looked different. They had their strongest roster in years, adding defensive specialist Craig Berube as coach, solid defenders Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo, two-way center Scott Laughton, and backup goalie Anthony Stolarz.

Still wasn’t enough.

Now, as Toronto enters a new chapter, one question remains: Can they finally end their 58-year Stanley Cup drought?