The time has come for the Toronto Maple Leafs to pull off a “Kucherov.” By this, I mean the Leafs should take a page out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s playbook.
In 2021, the Lightning won their second straight Stanley Cup but used Long-Term Injured Reserved (LTIR) to its maximum benefit.
During that season, Tampa’s leading scorer Nikita Kucherov was sidelined with a hip injury that cost him the entire season. However, he was ready for Game 1 of the playoffs after recovering sooner than expected.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said, at the time, “Sometimes the stars align for you.” That comment alluded to the fact that the Lightning had roughly $18 million in LTIR cap relief they used to add numerous players to the team.
Then, the team activated Kucherov for the start of the playoffs. Please bear in mind that is possible because there is no salary cap in the playoffs. So, the Lightning dressed a lineup that was nearly $100 million when the cap was $81.5 million.
I bring this up because Auston Matthews health is a major concern for the Leafs right now. Sure, he's back and recently had five points over two games this weekend, but for how long?
If Matthews is healthy, then forget everything I'm saying. But if, as we suspect, he's still playing through an injury that likely isn't going to get better without extended rest, then maybe the Leafs should consider a different tactic. Certainly being cautious with the team's best player and opening up $13.25 million in cap space is preferable to risking everything to make a run at a good playoff seed.
Toronto Maple Leafs must use LTIR to their advantage
The Vegas Golden Knights pulled the same trick in 2023 when they won their first Cup. The team shut down captain Mark Stone four about the last three months of the season. That allowed the Knights to make moves heading into the trade deadline that season.
Of course, fans across the league called the move cheating. However, the league investigated the moves and found no evidence of tampering or cap circumvention. The Golden Knights merely exploited a loophole in the salary cap system.
So, if the cap finagling by the Lightning and Golden Knights led to each team winning the Stanley Cup, there’s no reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn’t explore that route. If Auston Matthews is playing through any kind of pain, then shutting him down for the season is the best option.
Of course, the Leafs could end this kind of speculation by simply letting their fans know what Matthews' injury is and how they plan to approach the situation. But they won't.
The Leafs cannot afford to take any chances this season. The Shanaplan is on its last legs, but the team is in first place and guaranteed to make the playoffs. The time has come for the Leafs to take that extra step and make the necessary moves to get the team across the finish line.
The club can then figure out what to do during the summer. But by then, no one will care what happens because they’ll be too busy celebrating the Toronto Maple Leafs first Cup in nearly six decades.