NHL insider picks Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, $17,700,000 Panthers' star to replace Mitch Marner & John Tavares in Maple Leafs 

The Toronto Maple Leafs face a big offseason after losing 6-1 at home in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. The team parted ways with President Brendan Shanahan. Two key players, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, will become free agents on July 1.

Marner might return after a difficult season where he blocked a trade. Tavares might also come back on a deal that helps the team. But if both leave, the Leafs will free up $21.9 million against the salary cap. The cap will increase from $88 million to $95.5 million, giving them room to spend on new players.

Matt Larkin from Daily Faceoff shared some players the Leafs could target. He said:

“If the Leafs wind up with a canyon of cap space, Bennett, 28, is the slam-dunk target.”

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is signed to a four-year, $17,700,000 contract, which ends after next season. Larkin described Bennett as “vicious,” “reliable defensively,” and added:

“He was a No. 4 overall pick, so his hands are underrated.”

Brad Marchand is another option for the Maple Leafs. Larkin said:

“If the Leafs would rather not commit the major investment on Bennett, Marchand would bring similar attributes but, at 37, wouldn’t require more than a two- or three-year commitment.”

According to Larkin, Marchand “brings a higher offensive ceiling than Bennett,” but his play “appeared to be slipping earlier this season.” Given his age, Marchand would be a shorter-term option. Still, he would add toughness and scoring to the Maple Leafs’ middle six.

Aaron Ekblad is a defenseman the Leafs could also consider. Larkin called him “more of a luxury” pick.

“Ekblad would be a risky investment; at 29, he’s still young enough to command a long-term contract, yet his body has quite a bit of mileage for his age,” Larkin said.

The Maple Leafs already have seven defensemen signed, so adding Ekblad could mean trading someone like Morgan Rielly.

Vegas Golden Knights could target Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner, says TSN insider

Mitch Marner has not confirmed if he will stay with the Maple Leafs. He said he loves Toronto but gave no clear answer. On Thursday, TSN insider Darren Dreger mentioned the Vegas Golden Knights as a team to watch. He said Vegas wants to win the Stanley Cup every year.

"I'm thinking the Marner wants to also win in the process," Dreger said. "And the team I keep coming back to is the Vegas Golden Knights, and they are going to, if they're going to be a big game hunter in the Marner sweepstakes, they've gotta move money, that's pretty obvious."

Dreger believes that in order to get Marner, the team must clear salary cap space.