The Toronto Maple Leafs are going through one of their worst injury periods in recent memory. While the Leafs have dealt with injuries in the past, it’s been a while since we’ve seen anything this bad.
Last Tuesday, the Maple Leafs played with a depleted lineup and still managed to shutout the New Jersey Devils. However, that’s more of an indictment of the Devils’ shortcomings than the Leafs’ virtues.
Yes, Toronto pulled out the win. But the Devils didn’t do much to help their case. That being said, the Leafs must figure out something. As I pointed out before, there doesn’t appear to be much help on the way despite the injury bug.
The Leafs just don’t have the cap space or the pieces to make trades work. Even money-in, money-out trades seem far-fetched with the way the roster is currently constructed.
But there might be a way out, according to insider David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period. In the episode of DFO Rundown posted on December 31, Pagnotta speculated that the Maple Leafs’ trade deadline strategy could come down to the futures of Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua.
Unfortunately, things don’t look good for either Joshua or Tanev. Their health issues appear to be significant and may require reinforcements. But whatever happens depends on the prognosis for both stars.
In particular, the Maple Leafs must determine if Tanev or Joshua could return this season. If there is no chance of them returning, they could go on season-ending LTIR. If they could return at some point in the regular season or playoffs, then the Leafs are stuck in a tight spot.
Season-ending LTIR could be a way out
Let’s assume Pagnotta’s scenario plays out. The Maple Leafs lose both Tanev and Joshua to season-ending LTIR. That situation could free up about $6 million in cap space. While the Leafs would still lack the assets to make a significant deal, at least Brad Treliving would have cap space to make something work.
At that point, it would be up to Treliving’s creativity to make something work. While landing someone like Rasmus Andersson would be a bit of a pipe dream, at least there’s room to make something happen.
It’s worth pointing out that if either Tanev or Joshua goes on season-ending LTIR, they can’t come back for the playoffs.
It’s also worth mentioning that even if both players went on LTIR, but not season-ending LTIR, they could sit out the rest of the regular season. But if they came back for the playoffs, the Maple Leafs would have to remain cap-compliant.
As such, assuming the Leafs make the playoffs, they’ll face a significant cap crunch. Some players may be forced to sit out as the cap space might not allow the team to ice the lineup it wants.
In short, the Maple Leafs are stuck in a bad spot. Of course, this entire conversation hinges on the assumption that the Maple Leafs are a playoff team and they are doing everything they can to make it.
If we assume the Leafs are not a playoff team, well, the problem pretty much goes away. Treliving won’t have to turn over stones to find upgrades, while cannibalizing the Marlies for lineup support.