Future uncertain for Toronto’s unrestricted free agents

Spezza, who played at the league minimum, would like to return

It’s not easy playing for the Maple Leafs sometimes, as both Jason Spezza and Tyson Barrie can attest.

Both suffered the wrath of former coach Mike Babcock: Spezza was scratched in the home opener, Barrie saw his minutes diminish under the demanding and sometimes vindictive coach.

Barrie perhaps buckled under the weight of expectations in the early going. Spezza grinnedand-beared his way through a lack of playing time. Either way, the spotlight from hockey’s biggest market glared. Both saw their fortunes change with a coaching change.

But will either be back? No surprise Spezza wants to return. Barrie, because of the cap, is a little more complicated.

Spezza came to his hometown team to play for the NHL-mandated minimum salary and was certainly looking for a happier ending than the one he experienced a few days ago.

“What I imagined — I imagined winning in the end — so that’s disappointing,” Spezza said Wednesday in a teleconference call. “To me, it’s special to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s special to play for an Original Six team, being a Toronto boy, something I dreamed of. You wanted to be a part of something special.

“So I didn’t take for granted any days I got to put the jersey on. It was really important for me and for us to have a good culture to do well and it’s really disappointing to be done this early.”

The Leafs, who fancied themselves Stanley Cup contenders, were eliminated in five games by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the unique-to-this-season qualifying tournament.

“It’s been a tough couple of days trying to reflect on what went wrong,” the 37-year-old Spezza said. “For myself, personally, I know that I’m not the player that I once was, but I do feel like I can help quite a bit. The fire still burns and I really hope to be back here next year. I don’t know where things stand and when you lose there’s consequences, but I’d really love a chance to come back with this group and to continue to play.”

“I know that I’m not the player that I once was, but I do feel like I can help quite a bit.” JASON SPEZZA MAPLE LEAFS FORWARD

Now it’s up to GM Kyle Dubas and president Brendan Shanahan to address what’s next. The Leafs’ salary cap situation isn’t quite dire, but it’s not great.

As things stand, the Maple Leafs have about $76.8 million (U.S.) of an $81.5-million cap (according to capfriendly.com) committed to nine forwards ($54 million), five defenceman ($15 million), two goalies ($6.6 million), and the long-departed Phil Kessel ($1.2 million of retained salary).

That leaves about $4.7 million in cap space for six additional players, meaning unrestricted free agents like Spezza, Barrie, Cody Ceci and Kyle Clifford could well have played their last game with the Leafs. Restricted free agents like Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev could feel a salary squeeze.

And some veterans, like William Nylander, Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen, will hear their names in trade speculation if Dubas needs to give himself some cap room.

Spezza might have a better chance at returning than the other UFAs, being in the minimum wage realm. Barrie earned an average of $5.5 million, Ceci $4.5 million, Clifford $1.6 million.

Barrie’s timing couldn’t be worse. He had a down year in Toronto and becomes a UFA just when the pandemic has hurt the league’s revenues, meaning many teams that might have bid for his services simply won’t have the space to.

“It’s such a crazy year all around, obviously the landscape for free agents has changed a bit,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how that plays out, but I’m trying to keep everything in perspective.”

Barrie was supposed to electrify the team with his offence, but managed just 39 points in 70 games, down from 59 in 79 last year in Colorado. Babcock didn’t use Barrie on the top power play and reduced his minutes.

“After the coaching change, I was able to settle in a little bit, and play some better hockey,” Barrie said. “It was a disappointing year all around. I would have loved to help this team more. I don’t think I ever gave enough credit to guys who got traded, and how hard it can be to adjust to a new team.”