Now that the Florida Panthers have eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs from the 2023 NHL Playoffs, their attention will turn to the offseason, one that may be the biggest since the Auston Matthews’ era began in 2016-17.
After finally breaking their 19-year first-round curse, the Maple Leafs struggled in their second-round series against the Panthers, leaving them in a 3-0 hole. It wasn’t until Game 4 that they woke up and battled like the team we saw during the regular season. Unfortunately, one game is all they could manage, and they dropped the series 4-1. Now that the offseason has officially started, here’s a look at some pending free agents they should re-sign.
Luke Schenn
When Luke Schenn was made available by the Vancouver Canucks, almost all of Leafs Nation wanted him. For Schenn, it must have been like a movie to go back to where it all started and try to win the Cup. Unfortunately, they didn’t, but the window is still open, and he should be re-signed. He finally gave the Maple Leafs’ best defenseman, Morgan Rielly, a reliable partner, which he hasn’t had since Ron Hainsey in 2018-19. The chemistry between Reilly and Schenn was on full display during the playoffs and allowed head coach Sheldon Keefe to use them in all situations.