After two months of little motion following the primary day of NHL free company, Toronto Maple Leafs normal supervisor (GM) Brad Treliving set to work fleshing out the membership’s roster in a 24-hour span. After agreeing to phrases on a one-year cope with restricted free agent Nicholas Robertson, he introduced in Max Pacioretty on knowledgeable tryout (PTO) that seems like one in identify solely and at last ended all of the Jani Hakanpaa confusion by signing the Finnish defenseman to a one-year, $1.47 million contract.
These strikes all served to handle a number of the lingering questions that surrounded the Maple Leafs with coaching camp looming. Robertson and Pacioretty supply some solutions to the depth issues associated to the left wing place, whereas Hakanpaa’s arrival ends a weird two-month saga the place nobody appeared significantly certain of the 32-year-old’s standing inside the group.
As for how one can afford to get everybody into the fold, that’s an issue for later. It appeared as if Pacioretty had precise assured contract presents accessible to him, so his willingness to take a PTO would recommend that it’s much less of a real tryout (in contrast to Steven Lorentz) and extra a method to purchase time earlier than having to make roster selections to stay wage cap compliant. After the Maple Leafs’ late flurry of exercise, the main focus now shifts to what subsequent strikes will likely be made to get underneath the $88 million cap.
Present Cap Scenario
Because it stands proper now, Toronto is carrying a complete cap determine of roughly $89.07 million, or $1.07 million over the brink. That’s hardly a staggering determine and is a far cry from a number of the monetary gymnastics that Maple Leafs cap guru Brandon Pridham has needed to do prior to now. Nonetheless, that determine doesn’t account for cap cash allotted for Pacioretty. The 35-year-old’s new contract will doubtless be effectively shy of the $2 million deal he signed with the Washington Capitals final season, however will nonetheless require some offsetting strikes.
With Robertson and Hakanpaa in tow, the Maple Leafs have 13 forwards and eight defencemen on the payroll counting in the direction of the cap. Should you add in two goaltenders, that takes the membership proper as much as the 23-man roster restrict that they should adjust to in time for opening evening. Pacioretty is notably absent in these totals, as is Lorentz and any potential further coaching camp surprises, akin to Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten and/or Alex Steeves.
Doable Cap Reduction Choices – Blue Line
In brief, one thing has to offer right here earlier than Toronto opens the common season, whether or not which means a forthcoming commerce or a participant or two positioned on waivers. Whereas Treliving might be various choices for how one can grow to be cap-compliant with minimal influence on the membership from an on-ice standpoint, there are some clear candidates in jeopardy of dropping their spot.
The signing of Hakanpaa added one other depth piece to the blue line and, in all chance, left Toronto with one defenceman too many. The obvious supply of cap reduction is Conor Timmins, who lacks a transparent function on the roster past harm reduction and has already confronted loads of hypothesis surrounding his exit from the membership. Shedding his $1.1 million cap hit, both by commerce or via waivers, would characterize a near-perfect match to their present cap overage, though our personal Previous Prof lately famous why the Maple Leafs might not wish to surrender on the 25-year-old simply but.
Even unloading Timmins’ contract wouldn’t be sufficient to soak up Pacioretty’s forthcoming cap hit, so additional creativity is required, whether or not that’s along with parting methods with Timmins or in its place. A riskier transfer can be to unload Timothy Liljegren, whose $3 million cap hit in every of the following two seasons would supply considerably extra reduction however would additionally imply giving up on a younger rearguard who nonetheless carries loads of promise. Even with 5 seasons and practically 200 NHL video games underneath his belt, the 25-year-old Swede stays youthful than Timmins and Simon Benoit. That mentioned, his departure would doubtless unencumber sufficient room to signal Pacioretty and would in all probability web a commerce asset in return.
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Doable Cap Reduction Choices – Forwards
By re-signing Robertson and including Pacioretty, the Maple Leafs are actually left with a glut of forwards to spherical out their roster. So who goes? Relying on what occurs in camp and what the entrance workplace’s greater imaginative and prescient is for the wage cap, the membership might divest itself of a barely bigger cap hit or create just a little little bit of wiggle room by ridding themselves of a smaller hit.
On the bigger hit aspect, you might have fourth-line heart David Kampf ($2.4 million) and Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million). Whereas Jarnkrok presents useful versatility and defence that may be troublesome to switch, Kampf’s function might doubtlessly be assumed by Lorentz at a less expensive charge. That mentioned, each gamers nonetheless have time period past this season, so they’re in all probability each a part of Toronto’s plans transferring ahead. Ditto for Ryan Reaves, who continues to be on the books for the following two seasons at a mean annual worth (AAV) of $1.35 million.
The Maple Leafs appear to worth Bobby McMann ($1.35 million) sufficient that he isn’t doubtless on his means out, whereas Pontus Holmberg ($800,000) in all probability doesn’t carry a large enough cap hit to maneuver the needle a lot.
Essentially the most fascinating commerce candidate may be the lately signed Robertson. The group has mentioned all the proper issues when it comes to being excited to supply the 23-year-old a recent begin and see what he can do underneath new head coach Craig Berube. Nonetheless, the addition of Pacioretty would appear to as soon as once more restrict his potential function inside the ahead corps. It’s completely attainable that Robertson’s one-year, $875,000 contract was agreed upon with a subsequent commerce in thoughts.
The opposite variable in play right here is what sort of case Cowan, Minten and different Leafs prospects make in camp. If they’ll stand out like they did in rookie camp (earlier than Minten was sidelined for precautionary causes, anyway), then Treliving might have extra choices at his disposal.
On the floor, the addition of Pacioretty (and, to a lesser extent, Hakanpaa) felt like a no brainer. Who wouldn’t wish to land a six-time 30-goal-scorer on a discount contract for no acquisition price? Not often, nevertheless, is the enterprise aspect of hockey that easy. For a membership pushing up in opposition to the wage cap, there was at all times going to be one other shoe (or two) that wanted to drop as soon as Robertson, Hakanpaa and, ultimately, Pacioretty joined the fold. The query now could be who goes and can the incoming expertise be well worth the value of the cap casualties? At a time when the low season heavy lifting is often executed, Treliving stays very busy.
