The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is trying to set it self up for a sustainable long-term period of contending.
What I mean, is that the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to build something that is good for a long time.
Over the course of time, this will mean swapping out players as they get older and more expensive for players who are up and coming.
One way to do this is to move on from players before they get expensive and replace them with internal options.
Now the Leafs have focused heavily on skill in their drafting, and hopefully this pays off when current helpful but non-core players are forced to leave for salary cap reasons.
The salary cap is a fact of life in the NHL, and the Leafs chose to invest heavily in star players while filling out the rest of their lineup with cheaper options.
An example of this type of renewable strategy can be seen by the Leafs letting players such as Van Riemsdyk and Bozak leave in free agency, only to give bigger roles to players such as Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen.
Here are two predictions I will make about how this strategy will play out in the future:
Toronto Maple Leafs Roster Predictions
- Next Year is Andersen’s Last in Toronto
The unpredictable volatility of goalies makes them a poor investment. The Leafs understand this, and sometimes (as in this year’s back-up goalie situation, it can burn them) and will not spend heavily on a goalie.
This means that Freddie Andersen will most likely play out his contract next season and then sign elsewhere. The Toronto Maple Leafs will then take a chance on a player who will sign to a shorter, cheaper deal while hoping to get lucky with someone internally.
2. The Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Zach Hyman
Now, normally I would advise the Leafs to just let the contract expire and use the money elsewhere. But Hyman is a complimentary player, he doesn’t make very much money and his trade value could be astronomical.
Hyman has been close to being an elite player for the last two years and with a dirt-cheap contract he may bring back a massive return. The Leafs have a ton of useful forwards to take his place, and he may be able to land them a younger, cheaper player who can help out for years.
Given the fact that Hyman’s next contract figures to be taking him into his thirties and a heavy decline with a doubled salary, I think it makes sense to trade him, as unpopular a move as that would be.