What Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Do With Wayne Simmonds?
By Luke Ryan
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.