The Toronto Maple Leafs are headed toward an impending cap crunch. According to PuckPedia, the club has $1.275 million in available cap space. That razor-thin margin doesn’t leave much room to add pieces, especially at the trade deadline.
Obviously, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of dead-weight on their roster that they could move out, but as for now, they have almost no cap-space.
While most contending clubs spend all the way up to the cap ceiling, the inevitable cap crunches can limit how much teams can add. That situation doesn’t bode well, especially when injuries or inconsistencies pile up.
Savvy clubs have a strong pipeline of young AHL-level players who can come up and fill in on short notice. While the Leafs don't have any pending superstars at the AHL level, their overall situation is pretty decent with the likes of Matthew Knies, Topi Niemela, Caden Weber, Nick Robertson, Bobby McMann, Alex Steeves, Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten either contributing already or about to contribute NHL mintues at a cheap rate.
Still, with no guarantee that any of those players are imact players, how do the Leafs get around their looming cap crunch?
There’s always the possibility of stocking up on cheap free agents who could fill out the lineup. However, that approach seldom works for contending teams looking to make deep playoff runs.
So, what can the Maple Leafs do to solve the cap crunch? Some folks may not like the answer.
3 Players Who Could Become Victims of the Toronto Maple Leafs Cap Crunch
The most reasonable solution to the impending cap crunch will be to move some players out. But the question is: Who gets shipped out?
Short of moving a huge contract like John Tavares’ $11 million, the club will need to get creative and sacrifice various players to balance the books.
First, David Kampf comes to mind. He’s a solid defensive forward. However, his $2.4 million for a fourth-line centre has raised too many eyebrows. As such, he’s a prime candidate to get the heave-ho.
Second, Conor Timmins, who’s essentially the club’s seventh defenceman, could also be moved if things get dire.
Lastly, Calle Jarnkrok could see his way out of Toronto. His $2.1 million cap hit could come in handy if things get really tight.
By moving Jarkrok, Kampf, and Timmins, the Toronto Maple Leafs can free about over $5 million. While that may not sound like a lot, it could mean adding to solid top-four defenceman or a top-six winger to round out the roster for the postseason.
Personally, I think the Leafs are unlikely to move players out at this point. The club will likely keep the status quo. However, if the Leafs do find themselves out of a playoff spot at any point this season, the panic button will begin to flash.
If and when it does happen, the Leafs brass will have a good excuse to clean house once and for all.