Toronto Maple Leafs Gambled and Lost During the Summer

The Toronto Maple Leafs made two bad choices during the off-season.

The Toronto Maple leafs decided to re-sign Pierre Engvall and Keep Alex Kerfoot. Both decisions are coming back to haunt the team.

So far, both Engvall and Kerfoot are underperforming this season. Their performance wouldn’t matter as much if they didn’t combine for $5.75 million of the Toronto Maple Leafs salary cap. Together, they have combined for three goals and ten points. For a team that needs secondary scoring, that is not good enough. (Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

Toronto doesn’t have a problem with getting offense from their top four guys Mitch Marner (23 points), John Tavares (22), William Nylander (21), and Auston Matthews (21). When these four players have an off night, the rest of the team isn’t picking up enough of the slack. Something that is a problem early on this season. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

From the point totals that Kerfoot and Engvall registered last season, Toronto expects them to match those numbers or improve upon them. With the way both are playing right now, that seems unlikely. It is hurting the team on the ice and in their salary cap. One or both could get traded between now and the NHL trade deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs Not Getting Bang for Their Buck

After registering 12 points in 42 games during the 2020-21 season, Engvall exceeded expectations last season with 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 78 games. His breakout year saw him rewarded with a one-year deal for $2.25 million. A raise of $ 1 million from his previous contract. So far, Engvall is not living up to his end of the deal.

Kerfoot registered 13 goals and 38 assists for 51 points last season. An offensive output like that is worth the $3.5 million he makes. The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping for similar numbers from him this season. So far, he has one goal and five assists for six points in 20 games. His six points put him on pace for his worst point totals since joining the Leafs. With one point in his last five games, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe has demoted Kerfoot  to make way for Nick Robertson.

Toronto GM Kyle Dubas is watching the trade value of both players shrink. He should have traded one or both of them when their value was high after last season. Dubas gambled on them to continue being productive, and he is losing the bet.