Rumour Roundup: What does future hold for Maple Leafs’ Marner, Tavares, Knies? ...Middle East

Four key Toronto Maple Leafs are set to hit free agency after the conclusion of a season that ended in yet another early-round playoff loss.

Star forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares can be unrestricted free agents come July 1, power winger Matthew Knies is eligible for restricted free agency and team president Brendan Shanahan’s contract is also up.

But in the immediate aftermath of another Game 7 loss — a 6-1 drubbing by the Florida Panthers on Sunday that marked the Maple Leafs core’s eighth straight winner-take-all defeat — many eyes trained onto Marner, the hometown winger whose contract status has been a topic of conversation throughout the season.

In Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said there will be “lots of interest” in Marner on the open market.

He added that the fit to return to the Maple Leafs may not be so simple.

“As we sit here right now on Sunday night with the Leafs losing Game 7, there’s a lot of pain, there’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of heartbreak, there’s a lot of emotion and I could see how it’s gonna be very hard for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner to see eye to eye on a deal unless one side really changes their bargaining position,” Friedman said.

After the trade deadline in March, Friedman reported that Toronto asked Marner if he would consider waiving his no-trade clause after being approached by the Carolina Hurricanes about a potential deal for forward Mikko Rantanen, but Marner said no.

Now, Friedman said he is “curious” what the Maple Leafs say publicly about the player they drafted fourth overall in 2015.

Marner is coming off his first-career 100-point regular season, but he struggled down the stretch of the playoffs as he recorded just one assist, three shots and a minus-four over the Maple Leafs’ final four games against the Panthers.

“I’ve heard some people say, ‘Oh Marner’s hurt his value, Marner’s value won’t be the same.’ I’ll say this: I think there’s a lot of teams out there who really believe he’ll be a better player outside of Toronto. That he’ll go away, it’ll be quieter and he will thrive,” Friedman said.

“That doesn’t mean that all those teams are gonna offer him what he might want at the top, but I think there’s gonna be a lot of interest in him.”

Meanwhile, with Shanahan in limbo, Friedman pointed to Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley as one of the people who could determine the future of the team.

“Keith Pelley has some decisions to make. I think (head coach Craig) Berube is going to have a big voice about the players,” Friedman said.

One of those players whose future with the teams hangs in the balance is former captain John Tavares.

Tavares, who grew up as a Maple Leafs fan, famously returned home on a seven-year contract in 2018. Now, that deal is set to expire.

“Tavares wants to stay, but the Maple Leafs and him have to agree. I think there are some teams out there who are maybe younger or lower in the standings who look at Tavares and say we think he’d be a good example for our young players. I don’t think he wants to leave but I think the Maple Leafs will have a place they won’t go past. So we’ll see where that goes,” Friedman said.

Tavares, who will turn 35 in September, is coming off one of his most productive seasons in the blue and white with 38 goals and 74 points. But he was held off the scoresheet in six of the seven games against the Panthers.

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Knies, 22, notched five goals and two assists in 13 playoff games after racking up 58 points (29 goals, 29 assists) in the regular season.

It’s now up to Pelley, Berube and general manager Brad Treliving to determine what he is worth as a restricted free agent.

“They could have traded Matthew Knies for Rantanen this year. They didn’t, so they obviously think he’s going to be a big part of their future and we’ll see how those contract talks go. If you think someone is a core piece, you sign them for as long as you can because the price will never go down. And I think they will do that with Knies,” Friedman said.

Still, the biggest domino to drop for the Maple Leafs now that their off-season is underway will likely be Marner.

And after another gutting post-season elimination, running it back again may not be so easy.

“I don’t believe deep down that (Marner) ever thought it would come down to this. I don’t believe it. I don’t believe he thought that if it ends, it would end like this,” Friedman said.

Blackhawks coaching search

As coaching vacancies around the league slowly become filled, one job that remains available is in Chicago.

The Blackhawks boast a young core featuring former No. 1 pick Connor Bedard, which could make them an interesting opportunity.

Jeff Blashill, the former coach of the Detroit Red Wings, emerged as the favourite when ESPN’s John Buccigross indicated he’d be getting the job in a post on X.

Yet the deal is still not done.

“Blashill is a very serious contender in Chicago and it’s possible one of the reasons there’s been a bit of a delay is somebody who’s central to the process with the Blackhawks was not available at the end of last week, so it had to be pushed into this week, whatever they still need to do,” Friedman said.

Blashill spent seven seasons with the Red Wings, compiling a 204-261-72 record while failing to make the playoffs after taking over from Mike Babcock.

He spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Friedman said Blashill has also interviewed with the San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins.

“All I’ll say at this point in time is I think he’s a very serious contender (in Chicago),” Friedman said. “I just can’t tell you 100 per cent it’s his job.”

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