BUDDING INTEREST

The 2025 UFA class promises to be particularly strong – and intriguing – up front. And who better to drive that interest than a pair of headline-grabbing Leafs?

BY JARED CLINTON

OVER THE PAST few seasons, there’s been a Mark Twain-esque quality to the ‘Core Four’ of the Toronto Maple Leafs in that rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. It seems each summer, the quartet of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares has faced existential threats. Yet, as the Maple Leafs hit the ice to begin the campaign, the same offensive nucleus remained intact in Toronto. For that, GM Brad Treliving is to thank. After all, it’s he who inked Matthews to a four-year, $53-million extension in August 2023, only to follow it up with an eight-year, $92-million pact for Nylander several months later. And Treliving likewise decided, despite another playoff disappointment, to stand pat in hopes the foursome can ascend to the NHL’s mountaintop. But is the…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, World Juniors Special 2025

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