Toronto Maple Leafs: Understanding the Cap Situation

Patrick Marleau is a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Say it with me now, Marleau plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs, not for the San Jose Sharks.

That’s never going to not sound strange.

Let that sink in for a moment.

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At first, my mind was racing with negative thoughts regarding this acquisition because well, he signed for a lot of money and term, nearing the age of 38.

That’s pretty old for an NHL player, especially one that’s going to be playing for this Leafs team.

When the free agent floodgates opened on July 1, 2017, I don’t think anyone could have guessed that the Leafs would acquire three players all above 36 years old.

A quick recap of the three, Ron Hainsey (36), Dominic Moore (36) and Marleau (37).

The Leafs average age is now the 12th oldest overall in the NHL at 28.386 years old.

This leads me to the essence of what I’m writing about, yes, you’ve guessed it, the cap situation.

How can the Leafs afford all of this, you ask?

A full rundown is below.