The salary cap throws many hurdles in the path of a player hoping to become a Toronto Maple Leafs regular.
Because the Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into the season already above the cap (though injuries may fix that a little), there’s very little wiggle room.
Now add the fact that there’s some players on the team that are exempt from waivers to get them down to the Toronto Marlies and some that aren’t.
The logic goes that those with a waiver exemption are headed down, as not to risk losing any assets for free. Obviously there are players in camp who faced longer odds of making it, but this list is compiled out of the players we felt actually had a real chance to break camp in the NHL.
Unfortunate Waivers Exempt Toronto Maple Leafs Players
With the salary cap how it is and with other teams having a penchant for snapping up the Maple Leafs waivers cast-offs, it’s somewhat an unfortunate team to be waivers-exempt on.
Of those that had a genuine chance at making the roster, the list per CapFriendly reads as:
Nick Abruzzese
Nick saw some ice-time for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season as a late call-up and certainly didn’t do too much wrong. However, the log-jam at the bottom end of the roster means he will be Marlies-bound.
Pontus Holmberg
Holmberg is a bit more of a quiet achiever but the Leafs definitely see value in him, giving pre-season reps with William Nylander.
However, much like Abruzzese, not doing anything wrong isn’t enough when you’re waivers-exempt. He hasn’t done enough to shine through as anything that different to what the team already has right now.
Alex Steeves
Another name, much like Abruzesse, that got some chances at the tail end of last year and certainly didn’t put a foot wrong. As with the rest though, he may have tallied a few pre-season points, but isn’t going to crack an already crowded roster, mostly because he doesn’t have to clear waivers to go down.
All in all, this speaks to there being depth on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster and speaks to the team hoping to sneak some talented players back down through waivers.
Those that don’t have to go through that essentially have their path decided, not on talent but on pure roster management, even if they rank among the team’s better prospects.
Unfortunately for these four, with that added pressure; none of them have stood up and properly made the team take notice this pre-season so it’s onto the bus in the minor league for the time being.