Wayne Simmonds getting sent down is an unfortunate circumstance for the Toronto Maple Leafs, although it was the right move.
Since every dollar is so crucial to getting under the salary cap this year for the Toronto Maple Leafs, sending Wayne Simmonds to the minors was inevidable.
With 14 NHL seasons under his belt and $35M career earnings, Simmonds has had a great career and when he signed in Toronto two years ago, everybody was excited. The “Wayne Train” was finally coming home and his energy was something that was looked to really help the team’s fourth line.
However, a few injuries later and Simmonds wasn’t quite as effective as we all thought he would be.
His first stretch of hockey in Toronto was unbelievable but a broken wrist really stalled that and he kind of wasn’t the same player after. It was dissapointing, but you could still tell that he was someone who was beloved by his team and someone who everyone wanted to succeed.
The Scarborough, ON native was another local player who gave everything he could to the team and it really sucks that he’s going to start the season with the Marlies and probably won’t play another game with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
What’s Next for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Wayne Simmonds?
At 35-years-old, Simmonds’ career is clearly winding down, but he still has something to give at the NHL level. It just unfortunately won’t be with the Leafs right now because their fourth-line seems pretty set.
The combination of Zach Aston-Reese, David Kampf and Nicolas Aube-Kubel seems like it’ll be a fantastic trio and one that will stick together for the season.
So, with that being said, what’s next for Simmonds?
Will he play the year out with the Toronto Marlies and mentor the young prospects, while making an NHL salary still? Will he ultimately be traded or will the Leafs give him another chance on their roster?
Elliotte Friedman reported that Toronto sent an email saying that “Wayne Simmonds is available” and that they wanted to “do right by the player,” so it’s quite possible that he’s on a new team sooner than later.
Simmonds cleared waivers so any team could have picked him up for “free,” however they most likely didn’t because everyone’s team is set. Once the season starts and someone gets injured, Simmonds could be an interesting trade piece for another team.
Simmonds isn’t going to score 30 goals again, but he can provide leadership and sand-paper as a fourth-line player. I think Leafs fans and himself would prefer to do it in Toronto, but it feels less likely that will happen.
It would be fantastic to see Simmonds fall into a business role and stay in the organization, similar to Jason Spezza, but who knows if that’s something he wants to do post-career.
Regardless, the business side of hockey sucks sometimes because Simmonds was an awesome player to follow and great Leaf, so hopefully he finds another role in the NHL or somehow finds a spot with Toronto eventually.