Early Signs of Trouble Emerge for Maple Leafs Ahead of Crucial Offseason

As it grows almost certain that Mitch Marner is gone for the Toronto Maple Leafs unless a miraculous breakthrough comes between the two sides, which likely won't come until after free agency opens on July 1st.

That leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs at risk of being beat to available free agents as they wait to see if their relationship with Marner can be salvaged.

Marner, the top free agent in this year's class, is going to be a major hole in the Leafs lineup regardless over questions regarding his offseason production and compete level, a 100 point top-line player like Marner seldom comes available in free agency at his age.

The Leafs will have to replace Mitch Marner in the lineup with a player who can at the very least provide half of his skill level while being someone who can produce in the playoffs.

While it sounds easy for the Leafs to throw money at a key free agent and move on from Marner's departure, new reporting suggests that may not be so easy for Toronto.

Concerns have emerged over the Toronto Maple Leafs ability to acquire a top feee agent as reports suggest some players may be uninterested in Toronto as a landing spot, even for some locals.

A recent report from reporter Andy Strickland suggested that Sam Bennett, who just win the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers and grew up outside Toronto, is not interested in signing with the Leafs as a free agent.

Along with Bennett, Jonathan Toews, who is returning to the NHL after taking a leave for medical reasons, reportedly does not have the Leafs as a destination to sign.

It's a real question as to why it seems the Toronto Maple Leafs are not being viewed as an attractive free agent destination for the top players in this class, a large city with a team that took the Stanley Cup champions to seven games without their starting netminder should have allure.

The relationship between the team and the Toronto media, which at times extends to the national media sphere, is quite known as having some animosity from the player side for it's focus on players struggles.

Some don't want to play for Toronto knowing they could become the new punching bag for certain writers and publications who look to provide a negative glance into the team, and have perceived grievances towards certain players.

The Toronto Maple Leafs should still be able to net a top free agent target, although they'd have to prove to said player that Toronto can be a place they can win in, that they're not the team of years past.

One just has to look at the dismissal of Brendan Shanahan, the outing of Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe, and likely to come the departure of Mitch Marner.

Ironically, it's Marner who seems to want to be a Leaf most from this FA class, but running it back seemingly less and less likely by the day.

Toronto will still hope to be competitive in bidding for a player in free agency, or will look to the trade block to fill any potential major holes such as Marner leaving, but will need to be able to sell there's a winning culture that can compete for a cup.