The Toronto Maple Leafs have just been gifted a unique opportunity. On Friday, ESPN reported that the NHL expects a significant salary cap increase over the next few seasons.
Starting in the 2025-2026 season, the upper cap limit is expected to rise from $88 million to over $95 million. The 2026-2027 season will see the salary cap maximum rise to $104 million, then bump up to over $113 million for 2027-2028.
The Maple Leafs, the NHLPA, and its members should welcome the news. The rest of the league will be afforded the same chance to maneuver with more financial flexibility, but many interesting scenarios could play out in Toronto.
The Leafs have been a perennial playoff contender since drafting Auston Matthews first overall in 2016 but eight consecutive postseason appearances have yet to translate into an extended playoff run. The increased salary cap space, expiring contracts, and another early playoff exit could see a major revamp of Toronto's roster.
NHL Salary Cap Increase Provides Leafs With Countless Options to Revamp Roster
The future of long-time core Leafs, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, has been a hot topic of conversation for months. Both are headed to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025. If neither is signed to an extension before July 1, the Maple Leafs will have close to $30 million in cap space entering the 2025-2026 season.
Matthews and William Nylander, signed long-term, are not going anywhere. Another faceplant in the postseason and Leafs management can choose to make drastic changes to the core of their roster.
Should Marner disappoint this spring, the Leafs could go after Mikko Rantanen this summer. Maybe Leafs management chooses to upgrade the defense. Jacob Chychrun and Aaron Ekblad are scheduled to hit free agency.
New MLSE president Keith Pelley is another intriguing factor in the Leafs plans. Upon the conclusion of this season, he will have had a year of observation to reflect on how he wants to make his mark on the organization.
Maybe the Maple Leafs finally go on an extended run in the playoffs and the homegrown incumbents, Marner and Tavares, return. If the Leafs convince Marner to sign for a number slotted behind Matthews' AAV and find a common middle ground for Tavares in the latter years of his career, the core members can continue their quest for glory.
The increased NHL salary cap allows the Leafs the option to keep the band together, especially by paying minimal salary numbers to goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz. Maybe that money is used to ink Matthew Knies to an extension.
All of the above storylines will make for a fascinating 2025 calendar year for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The increase in cap space just added another intriguing element.