The Toronto Maple Leafs have a projected $18.5 million available this off-season and with a number of UFAs (unrestricted free agents) coming up they will need to spend the money wisely.
The situation facing the Toronto Maple Leafs now is similar to the one Brad Treliving faced last off-season that saw him have nearly $20 million in cap space.
Luckily, many of the contracts coming off the books are those of players who have been stuck on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Meaning, that the team does not have to sign as many players as it seems. Also, this should give the Leafs much more flexibility as they look to improve on this down season.
The Leafs had a very poor year that saw them regress in the regular season and playoffs, failing to make it out of the first round once again, after seemingly taking a step last year.
This is a crucial off-season for the franchise and one of the most important in the Matthews era and will require them to make the most out of their signings.
I will be using the contract projections from AFPAnalytics in order to set a baseline for each player and to see whether or not the Leafs should re-sign them. I did the same with the RFAs last week which is why some players like Timothy Liljegren or Nick Robertson are not listed.
All Contract and Statistical information via: CapFriendly.com and HockeyReference.com