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The Maple Leafs have signed forward Zach Hyman to a four-year, $9 Million contract. The average annual value of the deal is $2.25 Million.
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With the Toronto Maple Leafs shifting into the mode of being a competitive club, how they manage their roster becomes a more important factor to their success.
The addition of free agents Patrick Marleau, Dominic Moore and Ron Hainsey has brought some veteran savvy to the Toronto roster, but after signing a trio of European free agents (defensemen Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen from the SHL and winger Miro Aaltonen from the KHL), the Leafs are up to 47 professional contracts and will be up to 49 after signing wingers Connor Brown and Zach Hyman.
This could mean that GM Lou Lamoriello will be searching for ways to move a few players out.
A stacked roster is something on the mind of head coach Mike Babcock, who indicated on Tuesday to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that valuable veterans Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov could be on the move should the right scenario present itself.
“We can’t all be on the team as we move ahead. It doesn’t work like that.… Babcock said. “We have to figure out a way when you have opportunities to do what you can.…
One obvious option is to move multiple assets in a trade for the top-four defenseman, but another avenue might be to move out players and giving a draft pick as an enticement.
Toronto acquired veteran forward Eric Fehr at the trade deadline and it was thought that he might be an attractive option for Vegas GM George McPhee, who selected him in the first round in Washington.
With the expansion draft now in the rear view mirror, it is possible that the Golden Knights could still be interested in the 31-year-old forward, but the Leafs might have to give McPhee a draft pick to clear Fehr’s $2 Million cap hit.
Dealing the final year of Joffrey Lupul’s contract is also a possibility, since it would create cap space that would allow the Leafs to pay the bonuses of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and other rookies on this year’s cap, but to get a team like New Jersey, Arizona or Vegas to take on the injured forward’s deal would likely cost the Leafs a high draft pick.
Another possible way that the Leafs may trim the roster is through the second buyout window. Restricted free agent Zach Hyman has until 5pm Wednesday to file for salary arbitration. If he does (even if Toronto signs him before the arbitration hearing), it gives the Leafs a second chance to buyout a player.
Fehr’s buyout would open up $1.33 Million in cap space for 2017-18, but would create a cap hit of $666,667 over the next two seasons. The saving would be almost as good if the Leafs buyout the final year of Martin Marincin or Alexei Marchenko’s two-year deal, since the buyout ratio is 1/3 because both blueliners are 25 years old.
A buyout of Marincin would save $1.08 Million for the upcoming season and result in only a $216,667 cap hit in 2018-19, while Marchenko would save $1.25 Million and result in a cap hit on $250,000 in 2018-19.
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