The NHL Crazy Season is all-but-over, and the Toronto Maple Leafs off-season can best be described as “at least they didn’t do anything stupid” which is more than you can say for most of the teams in the NHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs did not make any brutal trades, they didn’t sign anyone to a bad contract, and no fair person could say they got any worse this summer.
Sure, they made some crazy-seeming moves in net, but the math there is at least very much in their favor (technically, if you can’t have one of the five best goalies in the NHL, staying flexible and having upside in net, while hoarding assets and avoiding big commitments is the best thing you can do, and they are doing it).
The thing is though, it’s now August and we’ve been waiting for a trade for a while now. When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Calle Jarnkrok and put themselves over the cap, they set the table for an immediate follow-up move.
We are still waiting.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Alex Kerfoot
Both Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl enter the season as pending UFAs. They are both useful players, but combined they make $5 million that the Leafs could better spend.
It is obvious to anyone paying attention that both players are on their way out the door.
Then again, the Leafs have their own ways of doing things, and what is often obvious to “everyone” is often something they do not end up doing.
Really, what is the rush to trade either player?
Before the season starts, there will be injuries. Teams will less comfortable with their weaknesses once training camp starts. Teams will have a better idea of the full implications of their summer spending come training camp.
And the Leafs don’t need to be cap compliant until October. Even then, they could probably demote a player or two and start the season short handed, but cap compliant.
They have no rush to make a decision, and could benefit from waiting.
Or, given the uptick in performance you get in contract years, maybe they want to take advantage of Kerfoot and Holl unless someone internally forces them to make a move by stealing a job.
Who knows?
But as the days go by without action, I get the mounting feeling that the Leafs are not as concerned with moving the spare parts of their roster as their fans are.