It feels like a foregone conclusion at this point.
Such a mixed legacy. Fastest player in franchise history to hit 500 NHL career assists. Five eighty point seasons, putting him second in franchise history. Selke finalist. Fifth in all time points for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And he just turned, what, 28? Just eclipsing 100 pts and playing arguably the best hockey of his career.
But then there's the history with the negotiations. The perimeter play in the postseason. The tendency to get inside his own head when the puck isn't going his way. Overcomplicating a play when the team is desperate for a goal, rather than putting the puck on net. The bright lights, the big moments, and the annual disappointment.
It's fine to feel conflicted here, right? Like I am tired of seeing the same thing every year, but it's also fair to say it's difficult to imagine a scenario where we actually get better with him gone? The only asset we are getting back is cap space, in an uninspiring free agent class. General Managers aren't always known for investing free money logically on July 1st. Here's a team that can't score a goal to save their lives in the playoffs, and we're moving off a PPG winger.