The Toronto Maple Leafs head into the offseason in a world of disappointment. General Manager Brad Treliving appears destined to make changes to the roster, and this summer, they could be significant.

Treliving and company have some major decisions to make when it comes not only to the core of the franchise, but also to the supporting cast, as frankly, the current team showed they are nowhere near where they need to be. From top-line wingers to depth forwards, expect to see Treliving active in all avenues, including the trade and buyout markets, along with pivoting on certain pending free agents.

Here are four Maple Leafs who aren’t likely to return next season:

Right now, it feels like Marner is 50/50 to re-sign with the Maple Leafs. When he spoke to the media on Tuesday, it was a lot of ‘past tense’ in his answers, almost like a tell-tale sign he’s considered life beyond the Maple Leafs. Ahead of the March trade deadline, Marner was approached by management about a deal to the Carolina Hurricanes in what would have fetched Toronto Mikko Rantanen, but Marner declined to waive his no-movement clause. The Leafs wouldn’t budge on Matthew Knies, and eventually, Carolina dealt Rantanen to the Dallas Stars.

Marner has been through the ringer as a Maple Leaf, from being celebrated as one of the best players in franchise history, to being called out frequently for his disappearing acts when playoff series get into the do-or-die games. Marner recently admitted he didn’t like how his family became involved in the media coverage last time he went through contract talks with the Leafs, so I would expect his agent and Treliving to keep these negotiations as closed-door as possible.

It feels like Leafs Nation is split down the middle on Marner. He’s an unbelievable hockey player who, as Craig Berube put it, does it all for the Maple Leafs. However, based solely on what Marner has accomplished as a Maple Leaf in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it could finally be time to move on.

Kampf is Toronto’s most likely to be bought out candidate. Treliving spent a first-round pick to acquire Scott Laughton during the season, and with Laughton signed for the 2025-26 season, Kampf’s role has vanished with the hockey club.

Kampf has two seasons left on his deal at $2.4 million AAV, and currently holds a 10-team no-trade clause until the end of next year. He’s overpriced and under-delivering, which isn’t a great recipe for Treliving to be able to move Kampf this offseason. He’s a strong penalty killer and a very defensive-minded centre, but with Laughton still in the mix, and Pontus Holmberg a candidate to take over as fourth-line centre, the Maple Leafs have cheaper options for their bottom-six centre roles.

If the Maple Leafs decide to buy out Kampf, here’s a breakdown of how his cap hit will affect their ‘dead money’ moving forward:

The salary cap is rising over the course of the next few years, so Treliving will have to decide if there’s a role for Kampf among his secondary forwards, or if, with Laughton, Holmberg, and potentially a right-handed defensive-minded centre on their free-agent radar, the team moves in a different direction.

It was a tough season for Pacioretty, on and off the ice. He mentioned during the end-of-the-year media availability that the year was tough on him being away from his family, and he certainly is pondering retirement at this point.

Pacioretty appeared in just 37 regular-season games due to either injuries or cap constraints towards the end of the year, and recorded five goals and 13 points. The veteran winger came up huge in the playoffs for the Maple Leafs, almost matching his regular-season totals with eight points in 11 postseason games.

Pacioretty found it to be a tough year away from his family, so if he does decide to continue his playing career, it makes a ton of sense for him to do so closer to home. With the Maple Leafs having Easton Cowan, Nick Robertson, Matthew Knies, Bobby McMann, and potentially Max Domi as options for left wing next year, and with some cap space to work with, don’t be surprised if the Maple Leafs and Pacioretty part ways after just one season.

The tough-nosed, towering right-handed defenceman that we all wanted to see more of, but it just never materialized. Hakanpaa was on the ‘no-fly’ zone for a lot of teams last summer due to his medical reports, but the Maple Leafs took a gamble, and they lost.

Hakanpaa only dressed in two games for the Leafs and two games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season, and basically became a practice player when he was healthy enough to skate. What it did do was give Phillipe Myers a chance at playing time he likely wouldn’t have had, which he turned into a multi-year extension, and is now signed through the 2026-27 season. It basically gave them a younger, more reliable, and cheaper option for their bottom pairing.

Hakanpaa will have some interest on the free-agent market this summer, just based on his size and playing style, but don’t expect Treliving to be one of the GMs who offer him an NHL contract this offseason.

Changes are in the air for the Maple Leafs. It’s going to be interesting to see how much Treliving decides to tear down, especially within the core of the roster. For now, don’t expect to see Marner, Kampf, Pacioretty, and Hakanpaa return next season, with a legitimate chance they’re good be others.