What the Toronto Maple Leafs got up to during the offseason

Next week, the Toronto Maple Leafs will step onto the ice for their most anticipated season in decades. With the acquisition of Mississauga native John Tavares, a superstar centre, the team stands an excellent chance of ending its 51-year Stanley Cup drought. Before the guys officially get down to business for their home opener on October 3, here’s a look at how they spent their summer.

John Tavares won over Leafs fans with this photo of himself draped in Leafs bed sheets. The Star Wars: Episode I Naboo Starfighter in the background was a bold choice:

Just in case anyone’s still convinced it was all a dream, here’s Tavares making his contract official with general manager Kyle Dubas:

Here’s Auston Matthews looking rather dapper with teammate Morgan Rielly at Mitch Marner’s fundraiser hockey tournament in July:

It’s practically required that Leafs players spend at least one weekend every summer vacationing in the Muskokas. Here, Mitch Marner hangs ten:

Even with his contract status in limbo, William Nylander clearly did some relaxing:

Leafs goaltender Frederick Andersen made a cameo at the Rogers Cup with tournament winner Rafael Nadal:

At 39 years old, Patrick Marleau is a father figure of sorts for the team. Give the man credit, though: he can still keep up with the young guns.

It’s fitting that Nazem Kadri, the man who ripped a hunk out of someone’s beard, made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the gladiators:

Another offseason ritual? Fishing. Morgan Rielly tested his sea legs during a trip to Langara Fishing Lodge, out in BC:

When he isn’t playing on one of the Leafs’ top two lines, Zach Hyman is writing children’s books. He took some time out of his summer to read some of his handiwork to the kids at MLSE LaunchPad, on Jarvis Street:

There’s no time to tie the knot during the season, which is one reason guys like Connor Carrick wait until summer to get married:

They’re fierce competitors during the regular season and playoffs, but in the summer months they’re all just rich guys with abs. Josh Leivo and Mitch Marner got some sun down in Cancun with Matt Martin of the New York Islanders:

Here’s Nikita Zaitsev spending some quality time with his family, presumably in his native Russia:

It’s still uncertain who will win the Leafs’ backup goaltender job, but Curtis McElhinney is in the running. This summer, he was out there living his best life with his family in Colorado:

Leafs defenseman Andreas Borgman took some time off in Sweden, his home country, where he had no choice but to wrestle this incredibly domineering pooch:

Obligatory shot of a Leafs player (in this case, Kasperi Kapanen) donning a robe and a snapback: