Toronto Maple Leafs Future Cap Situation Looks Fine

Many Toronto Maple Leafs fans complain about the status of the team’s salary cap situation every year. Looking ahead at Toronto’s salary cap for next season and beyond, things look good.

I have heard so many people say that there is no way the Toronto Maple Leafs can afford to sign Auston Matthews to an extension. That statement couldn’t be further from the truth. By the time the 2024-25 NHL regular season starts, Toronto will probably still have both Matthews and William Nylander.

Matthews and Nylander are under contract for next season but can start negotiating a contract extension with the Maple Leafs this summer. According to capfriendly.com, the NHL salary cap is expected to be $87.5 million in 2024-25, and then $92 million in 2025-26.

Things will change between now and the end of next season, but Toronto has close to $53 million available. Should Toronto find a way to sign both to an extension this summer, navigating next season’s cap will be easier.

Whether or not Kyle Dubas is still the general manager, no GM will price themselves out of having enough room to sign players like Matthews and Nylander.

So out of the almost $53 million, Toronto will allocate about $22 million towards Matthews and Nylander.

That leaves $31 million to fill 13 other roster spots (Seven forwards, three defensemen, and two goaltenders.) That seems like a lot, but most of those spots will be for players making under $2 million a season.

Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24 and Beyond

Michael Bunting (UFA) and Ilya Samsonov (RFA) are the two players that Toronto will spend the most on this summer for next season.

I think the team will also try to keep Noel Acciari because he has fit in really well, but I can see them getting him signed for under $2 million. After them, it is mostly Toronto Marlies players earning an NHL spot, and they all make under $1 million.

Players such as Nick Robertson, Nick Abruzzese, Matthew Knies, Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, and Bobby McMann will be trying to earn a full-time roster spot with the Maple Leafs next season.

If Toronto does re-sign Bunting and Acciari, there will be four open roster spots in the Maple Leafs forward group. There is always the possibility of signing a UFA, but four of the six names mentioned above could fill the roles just as well.

Having a bunch of players making under $1 million that can all handle playing at the NHL level is a luxury that Toronto should not waste. It will help them next season and for many seasons after that.

There is no reason to assume the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t afford to keep Matthews and Nylander.

We will all have to wait and see what the team does, but I don’t see any cap problems in Toronto’s future.