It鈥檚 become an annual rite of autumn for Leaf Nation.
Keeping an eye on expiring contracts.
In recent years, Maple Leaf observers have usually started the countdown in September for the expiring contracts of key 海角社区官网players. In the weird COVID compromised 2020-21 season, all eyes were on impending free agent Zach Hyman, although perhaps not as many as there should have been. Then again, we were all pretty distracted.
In the summer of 2023, the Auston Matthews Watch began. It ended quickly before training camp when he signed a new four-year contract. Once the ‘23-24 season began, it was all about whether William Nylander would re-sign before hitting unrestricted free agency the following summer. He did, although not until the winter, which created lots of chatter and many rumours until the deal was done.
Then came last season. From the first day of training camp, it was all about the futures of Mitch Marner and former captain John Tavares, both of whom were slated to become UFAs in the summer of ‘25. As the season wore on and both enjoyed splendid campaigns, it felt more and more likely that Marner would leave for a massive deal elsewhere and Tavares would stay for a significant salary haircut. And that鈥檚 exactly what happened.
This fall, players like Anthony Stolarz, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann and Calle J盲rnkrok are headed for unrestricted free agency. Only the status of Stolarz is likely to create much speculative conversation at all.
That, however, won鈥檛 bring an end to the rites of autumn in these parts.
The difference is that the focus for Leaf fans won鈥檛 be on a player currently owned by the Leafs. See, there鈥檚 a young man born and bred in the GTA who currently serves as captain of the Edmonton Oilers, the two-time defending Western Conference champions. You may have heard of him.
The future of the brilliant Connor McDavid, ladies and gentlemen, is already dominating hockey speculation in both Edmonton and Toronto. There has long been this belief in Toronto, don鈥檛 forget, that McDavid was deeply disappointed that night a decade ago when the Oilers won the NHL draft lottery at CBC headquarters and the right to pick the Erie Otters wunderkind.
Those who imagine that ever since that night McDavid has been itching for a chance to become a Leaf believe he will be driven by the same motivation that drove Tavares to leave the New York Islanders after the 2017-18 season to realize his boyhood dreams and play for his hometown Leafs. Now, it鈥檚 almost as if Leaf fans can reach out and touch July 1, 2026, and free agency day, and those inclined to see McDavid as the player who will end the Stanley Cup drought in 海角社区官网will believe until the second he signs a new contract with the Oilers. Or some other team.
To Leaf fans, McDavid is what Giannis Antetokounmpo has frequently been to Raptors fans, or what Shohei Ohtani represented to Blue Jays fans for that one crazy off-season. 海角社区官网sports fans want to believe that superstar athletes want to play in 海角社区官网despite the fact that an awful lot of factors聽鈥 weather, borders, traffic, taxation laws etc.聽鈥 mitigate against players setting up shop in the GTA. There are a slew of fascinating NHL players currently headed for UFA status in 2026聽鈥 Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Adrian Kempe聽鈥 and one assumes the vast majority will choose U.S. homes.
The difference with McDavid, of course, is that he is one of our own. He鈥檚 a 海角社区官网kid who became a household name while playing minor hockey in these parts and therefore the hockey gods should at some point make sure he plays for the Leafs. People saw Wayne Gretzky in the same way during his playing days. At one point, No. 99 came oh-so-close to being a Leaf as a free agent, but Cliff Fletcher鈥檚 plans were nixed by Steve Stavro. If Fletcher had prevailed, Gretzky would likely have retired as a Leaf.
Leaf fans love to dream of saviours. Their greatest nightmare, of course, would be if McDavid chose not to sign a new contract with Edmonton, but then shunned 海角社区官网and joined another NHL outfit. Then he鈥檇 be hated by two jilted fan bases.
The likeliest result to all of this is that McDavid stays put in Alberta alongside Leon Draisaitl. That said, he hasn鈥檛 signed yet. He insists he鈥檚 just taking his time with a major decision and won鈥檛 be rushed.
鈥淚 get it. I understand that there’s a lot of anxiousness, or anxiety,鈥 said Edmonton GM Stan Bowman on the first day of training camp.
Leaf fans get to watch this one intently, but from afar.
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