The Toronto Maple Leafs are a limitless source of entertainment and love.
That doesn't mean they don't drive us nuts. We love the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that love is unconditional (we'll show up for even the worst of rosters) but that doesn't mean we love them uncritically.
Complaining about the Leafs is half the fun of loving them. The fact that they're so bad at running a hockey team (historically) just makes them adorable and only makes it better when we actually do win.
But that said, some of their contracts are absolutely brutal and are preventing them from winning. Others are excellent and helping them to win, at least potentially. In the NHL's Salary Cap Era, we've come to care as much about the contractual situations as we do about the actual games.
So here, is a ranking of every contract on the Leafs. Or, as many as would fit into part one. Enjoy! Information for this article from puckpedia.com.
Grading Every Contract on the Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews $13.25 in year 1 of 4. A+++
This is year-one of the contract, and it's one of the best in the NHL. The risk is zero, the rewards are huge. This is easily Brad Treliving's best move since joining the Leafs.
What makes this contract so good, besides the fact that Matthews is worth way more money, is that it expires when Matthews is 30, which means he can then sign a big contract for his entire 30s, taking him to 38 if he wants.
But had the Leafs signed him for eight years on this deal, he'd be 34 and severely limit his earning power from 34-38. By setting it up this way, I think the Leafs and the player both share the risk and the reward. You can knock Brad for not getting the full eight-years last time, but it's hard to see what incentive Matthews could possibly have had to lock in for eight years on the verge of the cap just starting to rise again.
William Nylander $11.5 in year 1 of 8. A+++++
Nylander is 28 and this contract is dirt-cheap for what he does, and it takes him through the entire rest of his career, expiring when he's 35.
Nylander is one of the best players in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and locking him up for a decent price and making him a career-Leaf is 100% awesome. Treliving is petrified to make a trade, and his free-agent hunting is extremely bad, but when re-signing superstars to new contracts, he's apparently peerless.
A Group of Players A+ (where applicable)
Stephen Lorentz, Pontus Holmberg (entry level), Max Pacioretty and Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies (entry level) are all on league-minimum deals that expire after this season. Fraser Minten (entry level) has three more years to go. Entry level-deals are automatic so no point in grading them, but it's an A+ whenever you have a usable roster player for under a million dollars, that isn't a star, on an expiring contract.
Connor Dewar $1.18 million, year 1 of 1, D-
This contract isn't really hurting the Leafs, but it's getting a bad grade on principle. Dewar is useful, but he's interchangeable with 900 KHL and AHL players. The salary cap is limited and every cent you allocate poorly hurts you when you add them all up.
The Leafs could easily have a league-minimum player in Dewar's place and not lose a single shift because of it.
Bobby McMann $1.35 year 1 of 2 A+
According to the Athletic's Player Cards, Bobby McMann is offering the Leafs almost $5 million worth of value so far this year. That's a great deal of surpluss value for the 28 year old to provide. His contract is barely over the league-min, and he has a ton of upside.
McMann provides above average offense and defense, he scores goals, provides depth scoring, and he is a bit of a grinder too. He's the total package - he isn't a star, but there's at least some chance he could become one (at least riding shotgun with a superstar, anyways). The main thing here is that there's no long commitment, and not much risk.
If you're going to go above the league minimum for a non-star, at least make sure he can score and the commitment is short!
Ryan Reaves, $1.35, year 2 of 3. F-
This contract is idiotic and makes no sense. Why does he get term when he should be happy just to get a free ticket to a game? Why is he over the league minimum? There's no explaining or justifying this abomination. Ryan Reaves is the NHL's worst player and his contract is an embarrassment.