Kyle Clifford will not be re-signing with the Leafs

With the start of free agency a few weeks away, the Leafs know they will have one less pending free agent to worry about.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun spoke with Kyle Clifford’s agent, Todd Reynolds, who said that his client will not be re-signing with the Leafs.

This news comes days after Clifford removed the team from his bio on Instagram and Twitter, causing speculation that his time in Toronto was likely over.

As a result, the Leafs will not be surrendering a second-round pick in the 2021 draft and instead will be giving the Los Angeles Kings their third-round selection. The conditions on the trade involved either Toronto re-signing Clifford or Jack Campbell winning two games on route to the team advancing past the qualifying round.

Clifford’s brief tenure as a Leaf did not go as planned, as he posted three points in 16 regular-season games and went scoreless in the playoffs.  He was initially brought in the provide a spark on the fourth line and play a physical brand of hockey. Apart from taking part in three fights donning the Blue and White, Clifford wasn’t able to turn the tides as management and fans had hoped.

Heading into the start of free agency, the Leafs currently have roughly $7.8 million in cap space.