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The term “own rental” is a reference used for a pending unrestricted free agent retained by a team in spite of the fact that they will likely not be able to or choose not to re-sign.
That scenario is something that the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely facing with winger James van Riemsdyk, who currently leads the club with 14 goals and stands to make significantly more money than his current $4.25 Million salary.
The benefit of the “own rental” is you retain the services of a key player through the rest of the season and the playoffs and gain his vacated cap space next summer.
Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock have to be pleased with the club’s success through 32 games, but they will have to determine over the next two months how realistic are the club’s chances to win a Stanley Cup this season with van Riemsdyk.
If the determination is that Toronto will likely not get past Tampa Bay in the second round (a team that they have yet to face in the regular season) and have some confidence that Josh Leivo or a prospect like Kasperi Kapanen can make the jump and be an adequate replacement, then Lamoriello should explore trade options.
A consistent scorer like van Riemsdyk would draw a similar or higher price to a top rental such as Evander Kane (which is rumored to be an NHL player, prospect and a 1st round pick). While the Leafs organization is stacked with youngsters, acquiring two or three assets in a deal are currency that could be flipped before the deadline or at the Draft for a player who could replace van Riemsdyk.
Based on the news out of the Board of Governor’s meeting last week that the salary cap for 2018-19 could go up to as much as $80 Million, re-signing van Riemsdyk may not be as far-fetched a proposition as previously thought.
It is expected that the big winger will not take a hometown discount or a short term deal and will be looking to eclipse the contracts of Kyle Okposo and Milan Lucic (7 years, $42 Million) in 2016 or Alex Radulov’s deal in Dallas (five years, $31,25 Million) last summer.
Another factor in potentially re-signing van Riemsdyk could be the Leafs getting William Nylander and/or Mitch Marner extended to bridge deals or for less than many expected with sluggish sophomore performances so far.
Van Riemsdyk is one of the few big forwards that Toronto has with a presence in front of the net, he is an integral part of their power play and has a history of playing well in the post-season, so trading him before the trade deadline would decrease the club’s odds of making a deep playoff run.
If Lamoriello knows that he cannot fit the winger’s contract demands into his budget with Auston Matthews, Marner and Nylander’s contracts coming up, then the Leafs should sell him to the highest bidder prior to February 26th.
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The Leafs take on the Minnesota Wild in the first of back-to-back road games on Thursday. Toronto is coming off a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia and once again will be without Auston Matthews.
Toronto will not make any lineup changes, but Babcock has juggled his lines once again after an incomplete effort against the Flyers. Mitch Marner skated with Zach Hyman and Patrick Marleau at the morning skate at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday and Connor Brown replaced Marner on the line with van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak.
The Wild will be without goalie Devan Dubnyk, who suffered a lower-body injury in a 2-1 win over Calgary on Tuesday and will start former Leaf/Marlie Alex Stalock. Frederik Andersen will get the start for Toronto, which means that Curtis McElhinney will go against Detroit on Friday.
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