Chris Johnston was doing most of the talking, and some of his responses were very surprising, as he seems certain on a few player decisions that may be incoming.
The NHL Insider mentioned some obvious players that are staying like Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, however he also mentions a few other names as the most likely to remain with the Leafs in 2024-25.
UFA, Max Domi was on the staying list and CJ seemed almost certain on this take. The Domi family have a legacy in Toronto, so it does not surprise me that Max and the Leafs have a mutual interest in continuing their partnership.
Domi was a mainstay on the top line with Matthews in the second half of the season, and there was clearly some chemistry there as well. The only issue that may arise is how much money is Domi going to ask for?
On the going list, CJ mentions players like Mitch Marner, Tyler Bertuzzi, TJ Brodie and Ilya Samsonov. None of the players mentioned are completely out of left field, as they have all been mentioned in possible trade scenarios or rumoured to not be re-signed. However, there was one name on the going list that was surprising, and that is Leafs defender Timothy Liljegren.
The Swedish d-man is about to become a restricted free agent and was in and out of the lineup this year, as former leafs coach Sheldon Keefe clearly showed lack of trust in Liljegren for many on-ice scenarios. However, with the incoming coaching change with Craig Berube being hired, it would be nice for Liljegren to have a chance to show the new coach his skill set before reaching the possibility of moving on from him.
