The Toronto Maple Leafs are over the salary cap and need to get under it by the time the new NHL season starts.
Due to the Toronto Maple Leafs salary cap situation, the Leafs are either going to have to dress a short-handed lineup or trade someone as they are nearly $3 million over the cap right now. T
Though this number seems to include three goalies, and Martin Jones $800 K will likely come off when he is waived after training camp. Either Pontus Holmberg or Dylan Gambrell can also be sent down without affecting the team too much as well.
Some additional options for getting under the cap include moving Sam Lafferty ($1.15 million), Conor Timmins ($1.1 million), or Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million).
Jarnkrok might make the most sense because trading him opens up more space than the other two. (Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)
Toronto Maple Leafs Shouldn’t Have Trouble Trading Jarnkrok
Trading Jarnkrok and his $2.1 million salary while demoting Jones would get the Leafs extremely close to being cap compliant.
Due to the additions that Leafs general manager Brad Treliving made this off-season, Jarnkrok doesn’t have a clear spot on the team, as Tyler Bertuzzi, Matthew Knies, , Max Domi, and Nick Robertson, among others, are all looking to take his ice-time.
With three years left in his contract at $2.1 million a season, it shouldn’t be hard for the Leafs to find a trade partner for the 31-year-old Jarnkrok. He is a 30-40 point guy who can play up and down the lineup.
Although Calle Jarnkrok registered 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points during the regular season, he only recorded three points in 11 playoff games for the Leafs.
Jarnkrok is one of the players the Leafs hoped would provide them with secondary scoring, but he disappeared in the playoffs. (Stats from hockey-reference.com). He’s not a bad player or anything, but at his age he has very little upside and can be replaced with a cheaper option on the roster without affecting the team’s results very much.
Trading Jarnkrok will allow the Toronto Maple Leafs to start the season with a roster of 22 players. They can play it safe and start with 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders.
However, if they don’t want to risk losing Martin Jones as their third-string goalie, they could start with 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goaltenders. Either way, the team would have more options.