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Flat cap means change of future course for Leafs

July 7, 2020, 4:47 PM ET [424 Comments]
Mike Augello
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With the announcement of an extension to the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players Association on Monday, certain aspects that have been subject of speculation became a reality, and that reality will be a difficult one for the Toronto Maple Leafs and GM Kyle Dubas.

Dubas locked up his core group of John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander for multiple years, but at an annual cost of $40.489 Million (more than one-half of the $81.5 Million salary cap). The Leafs were relying on the cap going up to keep a strong supporting cast, so with the cap staying flat the next two seasons and no remedy such as a compliance buyout or salary exemption as part of the new CBA, the club will not have many options to retain or add players in the near future.

One potential option could be to acquire players currently on long-term injured reserve to give Toronto more maneuvering room on the cap. Dubas and capologist/Asst. GM Brandon Pridham did this all last season with the salaries of injured wingers Nathan Horton and David Clarkson on LTIR, but both contracts expire at the end of this season. The Leafs could choose to do that difficult dance again next season by acquiring a player such as Marian Gaborik from Ottawa (who has one more year at $4.875 Million) or newly inducted Hall-of-Famer Marian Hossa (under contract for 2020-21 at $5.275 Million).



Another part of the solution may be to promote youngsters within the organization to the NHL roster on their entry-level contracts to counter some of the big salaries. The replacements on defense for free agents Cody Ceci ($4.5 Million) and Tyson Barrie ($2.75 Million) will likely be prospects Timothy Liljegren ($863,333), Rasmus Sandin ($894,167), Calle Rosen ($750,000) and former KHLer Mikko Lehtonen ($925,000), while a combination of league-minimum deals like Jason Spezza ($700,000), free agents like Alexander Barabanov ($925,000), young vets recently extended like Adam Brooks ($725,000), Pierre Engvall ($1.25 Million) and prospects Nick Robertson ($850,000) and Yegor Korshkov ($925,000) could step in for the departing Kyle Cliifford or vacancies created by other cost-cutting moves.

The Leafs may be forced to seriously consider trading a Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Alex Kerfoot or Andreas Johnsson to make room for the new deals of Zach Hyman, Morgan Rielly and Frederik Andersen over the next two seasons. In their current situation, it will be a challenge for Dubas to get equal value since Toronto is in fairly desperate straits, but the offensive ability of the players they potentially would be trading could attract multiple suitors.


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