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Toronto Maple Leafs: The Battles for the Last Few Roster Spots

By David Corcoran

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: Fraser Minten, #38 pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning, poses for a portrait during the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: Fraser Minten, #38 pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning, poses for a portrait during the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 12: Carter Verhaeghe #23 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against Calle Jarnkrok #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 12: Carter Verhaeghe #23 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against Calle Jarnkrok #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Battles for the Last Few Roster Spots

Forward Battles – Likely Locks
Two players that are likely secure on the roster are Sam Lafferty and Ryan Reaves.  Lafferty has looked good playing alongside John Tavares through September and has collected three points in four contests.

Lafferty does make $1.15 Million and if he can produce beside Tavares, the cap hit would be a steal, however if he falters and plays in a fourth line role, the team could likely have someone make a couple hundred thousand less than him for similar production.

The Toronto Maple Leafs would have to place Lafferty on waivers to send him down to the Toronto Marlies, however his entire cap hit would be buried.

The curious case of Ryan Reaves is a bit different than Lafferty.  Reaves just signed a three year deal at $1.35 Million per season to bring energy to the Maple Leafs, however that is valuable cap space the team is using on a player that may only play eight minutes a night, if he gets in at all.

For the role he is slated to play, Reaves has looked okay as he has dressed for three games beside David Kampf and Noah Gregor.  If this is truly the fourth line it could be a dangerous trio as Kampf and Gregor are both talented players.

A Lock, buts Need to be Moved

With the noted eight players already secured along with Reaves and Lafferty, this leaves six players battling for potentially two forward spots if the team is able to carry 13 forwards.

Calle Järnkrok is the most identifiable player missing from the list as the veteran forward scored 20-goals last season and is signed to three more years at $2.1 Million per season.

Järnkrok struggled down the stretch last season and was invisible in another playoff performance.  In his last 11 regular season games, the Swedish forward collected just four points and then had just one goal in the two playoff series.  He has been noticeably silent over his career in the playoffs as he has just five goals in 86 playoff games.

When he signed the contract, Järnkrok received a ten team no trade clause and if Treliving hasn’t tried moving him he should start.  If their are not team’s interested, it should not be dismissed to put him on waivers to be sent to the minors.  By sending to the AHL, the club would get a $1,150,000 in cap relief and if he were to be claimed, it could be addition by subtraction in the way of cap space.

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