What Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Do With Wayne Simmonds?

Playing Wayne Simmonds Isn’t An Easy Solution for the Toronto Maple Leafs

An outcome that seems reasonably likely, albeit perhaps the outcome that Toronto Maple Leafs fans might least want.

If the  Leafs are truly keen to overhaul their fourth line and give ample opportunities to the likes of Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Adam Gaudette, Nick Abrusezze and Alex Steeves; they’ll be limited chances for Wayne Simmonds.

Any of the aforementioned names offer somewhat more than Simmonds does at this point of his career.

After all, they could all be relied on to offer something by way of a quicker pace that mirrors the Leafs ‘pressure kill’ tactic that worked so well on their penalty kill last year.

Simmonds can no longer bring a turn of pace to the table and this year won’t have the minor advantage of Jason Spezza alongside him also having lost any real turn of speed.

Perhaps the best way to balance such an approach will be to allow Simmonds to see limited ice-time in a very managed number of games.

In itself it’s not ideal as it will force the Toronto Maple Leafs to carry his cap hit for what are likely to be minimal points contributions.

The clear hope in this scenario is that the fourth line could offer up more than the sum of its individual parts, Wayne Simmonds included.

Question is; should the Toronto Maple Leafs continue down the path of giving Simmonds playing time in the NHL when he proved he can’t be fully trusted in the heat of the moment.

Likewise, does playing him send the wrong message about the playing style the team’s wants to be playing.

Obviously it has worked for the Tampa Bay Lightning having Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry in limited enforcer-type roles but the Leafs could simply opt to outscore rather than concern themselves with winning every nasty, physical battle (something even Simmonds no longer manages every time).

While there is value to icing Simmonds, the growing consensus among the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase is that he’s never getting close to his past scoring totals and shouldn’t be valued even as a bit-part player on the roster at this point.

Can the Toronto Maple Leafs Waive Wayne Simmonds?

Waiving Wayne Simmonds sounds like a very easy solution for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but realistically such a decision would be a real challenge.

Not least of all because it might very well upset the player and Kyle Dubas in recent times has been seen to try to do right by individuals.

Asking a veteran player to go sit on the bus with the minor-league team is a big ask after all, even if it is absolutely in the best interests of the Toronto Maple Leafs as a whole.

Not least the fact that the player himself has to agree to being waived given his contractual clause, namely a 10-team no move list (per CapFriendly) that allows him the flexibility to make his own decision.

Waivers although different to being traded to another team, I believe, do factor into a no-move clause.

That’s also not to say if he did waive his right to movement, he wouldn’t be picked up by another team. That possibility is certainly unlikely given he’s past his prime, but can’t be totally ruled out.

Perhaps the only insurance policy that Wayne Simmonds would have in this specific scenario is pulling the Jason Spezza card of stating he will retire if his contract lands elsewhere; slightly risky as a team could still call his bluff, but still an option.

Realistically, Wayne Simmonds has been in the NHL long enough that you would doubt he has any appetite to play for the Toronto Marlies.

In fact, doing so would likely come with certain caveats and promises, you’d imagine, just in case the Maple Leafs do then prove strong enough to make a real Stanley Cup run.

Waiving Simmonds only works if you’re about to buy-out his contract and with such measly savings by following that approach, it seems a very unlikely solution to how you handle Wayne Simmonds this season. He’s more likely to remain on the Toronto roster than be waived.

Trade Him

Perhaps even less likely that the notion of waiving Wayne Simmonds is the idea that the Toronto Maple Leafs can find a trade partner.

If you were talking the Wayne Simmonds of yesteryear that put up fifty points a season, made big momentum-shifting hits and was willing to fight; absolutely there would be takers.

Unfortunately the current version of the player seems more likely to manage one of those elements per game, while ultimately slowing his linemates down somewhat.

The issue with trading really is two-fold though. Wayne Simmonds, being a Scarborough local; you have to imagine, enjoys being home. Add in his limited move clause and it’s already a hard-sell.

If I’m Wayne Simmonds, the only teams I’m willing to go to are going to be ones that are contending right now. Granted he only gets to veto 10 teams, but still…

Realistically though, those very same teams are going to likely see the least value in Simmonds. While Tampa and the Rangers, for example, do each run players that fit the slightly old-school mold of Simmonds; it really is one per team.

The idea that any team is coming in with a trade purely for Wayne Simmonds is frankly delusional and something more akin to armchair-GM thinking as opposed to being based in reality.

Right now, it seems the Toronto Maple Leafs have very limited options as to how they handle the final year of Wayne Simmonds’ contract. Unfortunately for them, it seems he will be taking ice-time off younger guys this season.

Perhaps the only saving grace in all of this is that teams will continue to have a deterrent when it comes to taking liberties with Maple Leafs players. However, the need for that in the modern game continues to lessen seemingly.

All told, signing Wayne Simmonds certainly was never a failure for the Leafs; unfortunately he didn’t get back to the heights of his earlier years though which would’ve made it an absolute success.

The jury remains out on what role he effectively plays this season; in perhaps his last NHL year.