Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis has a challenging summer in front of him with a league-low 12 players from their NHL roster under contract and 22 restricted and unrestricted free agents, which could put Toronto in the position of making a move to free up cap space.
Room may come from trading a high salaried player like Dion Phaneuf or Joffrey Lupul, but one option open to Nonis is to use a regulation buyout.
The Leafs used both compliance buyouts on Mike Komisarek and Mikhail Grabovski last summer, clearing them of cap hits on both players and appear to be ready to promote young or inexpensive AHL players like Jerry D’Amigo, Peter Holland, Sam Carrick, Petter Granberg and Drew MacIntyre to the big club.
According to the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle, Toronto could have as much as $13 Million in available cap space if to address their needs at center, defense, depth forward and backup goaltender, and would have even more flexibility to make moves if they buyout the last two years of veteran defenseman Tim Gleason’s contract.
Gleason played well after the trade from Carolina for John-Michael Liles on New Year’s Day, providing shot blocking ability and toughness on the blueline, but is not equal to the value of his $4 Million salary.
Tim Gleason buyout from CapGeek.com 2014-15: $833,333 2015-16: $1,833,333 2016-17: $1,333,333 2017-18: $1,333,333
The buyout option for Gleason is available to Nonis up until June 30th, the Monday following the NHL Draft in Philadelphia. It is expected that the draft floor will be where the Leafs may have the greatest opportunity to make a deal for Phaneuf, whose new seven-year deal kicks in on July 1.
If Toronto trades their team captain, it is unlikely that they will buyout their most experienced blueliner in Gleason days later, but if Phaneuf remains with the club the draft weekend, they may use this option.
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Trade Tidbits
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports that the Leafs have interest in Blues center Patrik Berglund in a deal that could possibly involve Leafs center Nazem Kadri.
The 26-year-old Berglund scored 14 goals and 18 assists in 78 games for St. Louis in his sixth NHL season and is a restricted free agent. The 6'3" 217lb native of Vasteras, Sweden is a solid two-way center who made $3.2 Million in 2013-14 but may be expendable if the Blues bring in a big offensive center like Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza or Ryan Kesler, which would allow them to move David Backes into a second line role.
Kypreos reported on FAN 590’s Prime Time Sports Tuesday that the Leafs are shopping the 23-year-old Kadri as part of their desire to change the chemistry in their locker room.
Kadri scored 20 goals and 30 assists last season and has one year remaining on his current deal at $2.9 Million.
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The Denver Post’s Adrian Dater believes that the recent club-elected arbitration of center Ryan O’Reilly is the beginning of the end of his tenure in Colorado and that the Avs may be ready to trade the restricted free agent very soon.
As an RFA, O’Reilly is free to talk to other clubs on June 25 in preparation for signing an offer sheet on July 1. The whole reason that Colorado went down the arbitration route for O’Reilly was to avoid the qualifying offer of $6.5 Million, which would pay him more than top center Matt Duchene, but if another team goes the way of Calgary’s offer sheet last February, the Avs would have to match the offer or take draft picks as compensation.
With veteran Paul Stastny more likely to sign a hometown discount deal to stay in Colorado, the move of O’Reilly could happen as soon as next weekend and according to Dater, the Avs are looking for a “stud defenseman… in return.
The Leafs have long been interested in the 23-year-old Lady Byng Trophy nominee and would likely move anyone of their blueliners except Morgan Rielly in a deal to get O’Reilly.
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If the rumors of interest in Bruins forward Shawn Thornton are true, that likely will be the end of Colton Orr’s times in Toronto. Orr has one year left at $925,000, a salary that would not count against the salary cap if he were waived and demoted to the AHL following training camp next season.
There is a possibility that there may be interest in the 32-year-old from teams like Edmonton, Calgary or Winnipeg looking for size and toughness in the bigger Western Conference. Orr played for Oilers coach Dallas Eakins during the Marlies run to the Calder Cup Final in 2012, Flames Team President Brian Burke has long had a history of trading for players who he has had previous associations with and the enforcer hails from Winnipeg.
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