As Maple Leafs wander in from near and far, retaking their stalls at the MasterCard Centre, the informal workouts have the feel of a band getting back together.

The big question, though, is how long can general manager Lou Lamoriello can keep the band together.

The very cheap contract signed by Connor Brown — a cap-friendly $2.1 million annually for a 20-goal scorer — perhaps gives the young forward security that he will be around when much bigger deals inevitably come for the Big Three: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

It’s the more expensive older players — those facing free agency, those seeking big raises as well — whose time as a Maple Leaf is likely limited.

On top of that list is James van Riemsdyk.

At 28, he’s in his prime. He notched a career-high 62 points last season, ranking him ninth among left-wingers. His 118 goals since 2012-13 — the season he became a Leaf — is eighth among left-wingers in that time.

He earns a cap-friendly $4.25 million this season and is said to be asking around $6 million on an extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

If the Leafs truly want to acquire a defenceman — believed to be their biggest hole — then van Riemsdyk is their biggest chip. His name came up over the summer in trade talk and will surely continue into the season.

“That’s stuff you can’t worry about as a player,” van Riemsdyk said. “It’s out of your control. I just want to go out there, play, and be a productive member of the team, and hopefully the rest of it figures itself out.”

Van Riemsdyk, who has survived some of the darkest times this franchise has seen, is more than excited about the good times ahead for those wearing a Maple Leafs jersey. That now includes Patrick Marleau, who skated with his new teammates for the first time Wednesday.

Van Riemsdyk was happy to have Marleau as a teammate even if the arrival of a speedier left-winger could make van Riemsdyk redundant.

“It’s a huge thing for us when you can add a player like him,” van Riemsdyk said. “We’re excited he wanted to join us. He saw what we’re building here and he wants to be a part of it. He’s a great player. What he’ll add as a guy that played a ton of games and has a ton of experience is really valuable for us.

“With the steps we took last year, we certainly showed what we’re capable of,” added van Riemsdyk. “The bar is raised a little bit and it’s up to us to respond to that challenge.”

There will be no salary cap pressure on Lamoriello to make changes this year. He can keep everyone together if he wants thanks to continued use of long-term injured reserve.

Training camp, which opens next week, will provide a clearer picture of where everyone fits and what holes might need to be filled.

“Think about the assets this organization has and the Maple Leafs’ ability to acquire whoever they want is second-to-none,” defenceman Connor Carrick said. “The organization did a great job building that way, putting themselves in a position of power to deal within the league.

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“That’s good. That means you’re in a position — if you’re in that elite circle of teams hunting for the Stanley Cup — to make a move without overextending and that’s smart for the club long-term.”

And the band, as assembled, looks like it will be an offensive powerhouse. The team scored 250 goals last season, an impressive average of 3.05 a game. That was fifth highest in the league and fuelled by their crop of talented rookies who have the potential to post even more impressive numbers. Now they add Marleau, whose 46 points last year — fifth in on the Sharks’ scoring list — would have placed him seventh in Leafs scoring behind Tyler Bozak’s 55.

“We’re still early in our process,” van Riemsdyk said. “We did a lot of good things last year, but just because we had a good year last year, (it) doesn’t count for anything this year. Everyone starts with a clean slate and we have to build upon the step in the right direction we took last year.”

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