The Toronto Maple Leafs are among a number of clubs who are serious contenders for the Stanley Cup but do not have a lot of room under the league’s salary cap to add a player or two prior to the NHL trade deadline.
GM Kyle Dubas and AGM/capologist Brandon Pridham will be working extra hard over the next two months to a) move players on their roster to open up cap space, b) find players on other teams making a low salary, c) find teams that would be willing to retain salary in a trade on a short-term rental, d) finds teams willing to act as a third team in a deal, or e) find ways to think outside the box to create cap space to make a deal possible.
The question that the Leafs hierarchy can determine well before March 21 is who on their existing roster is expendable to facilitate the moves they need to make. Toronto is deep and experienced up front, with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, David Kampf, and Jason Spezza up the middle, and Alex Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall capable of moving to the middle if needed.
Where the Leafs are “light” is in heavy forwards that can provide pushback against potential first-round matchups in Boston and Florida. Toronto has players like Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Clifford who give the lineup some sandpaper, but Dubas may be looking for someone with their skill set capable of playing higher in the lineup.
Here are a few potential targets:
Lawson Crouse (Arizona) – Crouse is a big, crash and bang winger with enough offensive ability to perhaps replace Kerfoot and allow him to play more of a checking role, but could also fit on the checking line. The 24-year-old makes $1.53 million this season and is an arbitration-eligible RFA this summer, which means he could be a replacement for Ilya Mikheyev if he leaves as a UFA.
Andrew Copp (Winnipeg) – The big forward is having a career year offensively in advance of being a UFA (10 goals, 14 assists), but his availability is contingent on the Jets falling out of the playoff race or if they believe it will be impossible to re-sign him. Copp’s $3.64 million salary would necessitate Winnipeg retaining a large chunk to make the deal work.
Mason Appleton (Seattle) – Appleton was effective on the third line in Winnipeg with Copp and Adam Lowry and is known for his speed, size, and puck retrieval abilities. The 26-year-old winger has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 24 games, makes $900,000, and is retainable as an arb-eligible RFA next season.
Miles Wood (New Jersey) – The Leafs have long been rumored to be interested in Wood, who scored 17 goals last season. The 26-year-old is in the final year of a four-year deal and is one year away from unrestricted free agency, but is a question mark after undergoing hip surgery in November. Wood started skating in early January, but there has been no timetable for his return to full duty.
Cal Clutterbuck (NY Islanders) – The 34-year-old winger has vast playoff experience and is on an expiring contract, but his $3.5 million AAV does not equal the production he provides.
Mark Jankowski (Buffalo) – The former Calgary first rounder was rumored to be part of the deal that got blocked by Nazem Kadri. The last three seasons have seen a dramatic decline from the 27-year-old, but Jankowski earned an NHL deal after signing an AHL deal with Buffalo.
Vladislav Namestnikov (Detroit) – Not a player that will help Toronto in the size department, Namestnikov is someone that Dubas was reportedly interested in before Ottawa dealt him to Colorado in 2020 because of his skill and ability to play all three forward positions. His $2 million salary could also be in Toronto’s price range.
Nick Paul/Zach Sanford (Ottawa) – You can expect Sens GM Pierre Dorion to start shopping before March 21. Paul is a rental and might be one of the more attractive gets on the market because of his physicality and low salary ($1.35 million), while Sanford has a Cup ring with St. Louis and has six goals in 31 games for Ottawa.
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