It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Laich will be returning because, after all, he’s under contract for one more season. A buyout would have cost the Toronto Maple Leafs $1,833,333 in 2016-2017 and $1,333,333 in 2017-2018 against the salary cap.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the room to keep Laich for the final year of his contract and not run into salary cap trouble, so it doesn’t make sense to lower the hit but keep him on the books for an additional season. A clean break is always a better option if it’s feasible.
Aside from that being the obvious, Laich is a veteran presence which is a valuable tool during another youth transition season in 2016-2017.