“The belief is strong in the group. “We’re gonna continue to do everything we can to finally get to where we want to get to. ”Shanahan was once the missing piece as a player for a Detroit Red Wings outfit that finally reached its ultimate goal in the 1990s — the club sent Paul Coffey and Keith Primeau the other way to the Hartford Whalers in a blockbuster trade — but said the route to glory doesn’t necessarily require addition by subtraction.
m. ETTV: TNTChannel finder: Verizon Fios, DirectTV Stream, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling. Live stream: SlingMore hockey news, courtesy of the Associated Press:Brendan Shanahan got his housekeeping out of the way quickly. In the wake of another playoff failure, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs told reporters at the team’s annual post-elimination media availability — once again far earlier on the calendar than anyone associated with the organization hoped — that general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe would keep their jobs. “Extremely disappointed, ” Shanahan stated in his opening remarks Tuesday.
That leaves Dubas and Co. just under $7. 85 million to divvy up between four or five other roster spots with the cap set to only bump up $1 million to $82. 5 million as the league continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact. Despite the financial gymnastics the Leafs have managed in recent seasons, there’s just no way to bring back the same group with the likes of goaltender Jack Campbell, defensemen Mark Giordano and Ilya Lyubushkin, and winger Ilya Mikheyev among the team’s pending unrestricted free agents.
Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin are set to become restricted free agents on the blue line, while forwards Ondrej Kase and Pierre Engvall are in the same situation. Matthews said the belief — a word repeated over and over Tuesday — remains strong that this is the right mix that will eventually get Toronto over the playoff hump.
“There’s lots of different ways to win a Cup, ” he said. “And we have to figure out our way. ”Matthews and Nylander have two more seasons on their contracts, while Marner and Tavares are signed through 2024-25. The situation with Matthews is one to keep a close eye on. Toronto’s first chance to sign the NHL’s first 60-goal man in more than a decade to a contract extension will be July 1, 2023. There’s nothing to indicate Matthews is unhappy or looking elsewhere, but the clock continues to tick. “We’d love to make him a Leaf forever, ” Shanahan said. “He’s just been fantastic for us. ”According to capfriendly. com, Toronto currently has just over $74. 65 million committed to 17 players next season.
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“But it’s continuing to maintain that belief at this time that’s vitally important. ”The Leafs’ core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly have been part of the team’s opening-round series losses each of the past six seasons, while captain John Tavares has seen four premature exits since joining his hometown club via free agency in 2018. “It really stinks … we’re disappointed, ” Tavares said.
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