A look at the various holes the Leafs will need to fill this summer and how much cap space they'll have to work with
With Kyle Dubas out as general manager, the Toronto Maple Leafs' search for the newly-vacated position should be at the top of every available candidates' list. Yes, the media can be a bit of a deterrent for some candidate, I'm sure, but you're dealing with one of the biggest hockey markets in the world. The new GM will also have a few elite superstars at his disposal, and all of a sudden, a lot of cap space.
As good as that sounds, there's a reason why Dubas was fired and there's a reason why this whole showcase can be referred to as a circus. The core members are paid egregiously for their suspect offensive output when the lights are bright. There are a lot of open roster spots with several pending UFAs that the Leafs would like to bring back and most importantly the pressure is white hot.
James Mirtle of the Athletic outlined 5 main takeaways from the Leafs salary cap table:
"1. They need another winger to play in the top six, unless you're excited about more of Calle Jarnkrok there. This is the role vacated by Michael Bunting, who is almost definitely moving on, as outlined here.
2. They have to shift John Tavares over to the wing after his performance down the middle in the playoffs, which was another exclamation point on his limitations there.
3. Tavares to the middle, combined with Ryan O'Reilly, David Kampf and Noel Acciari all going UFA, means there's a big chasm at the center position on this roster. If (or, realistically, when) you're trading one of the big-name wingers, you're going to need someone who can play down the middle coming back.
4. The Leafs need another top four defenseman, too. And it's worth debating whether Mark Giordano should be in the top six at this point, given he'll need a helluva lot more load management next season.
5. Joseph Woll absolutely earned the backup role. And the Leafs wisely signed him for a bargain prior to his breakout season."
He mentions that with a $1 million cap hike, the Leafs should have around $20 million to work with but with only 15 players signed. His prioritized moves include signing Ilya Samsonov and signing at least a few of their veteran UFAs.
John Tavares' post-season shined another light on his inability to play down the middle, which makes the Leafs paper thin at the centre position. With Ryan O'Reilly in the fold, that would've solved the equation without a shadow of a doubt, but will the Leafs be able to sign him to the term and money he is looking for? There is definite interest from both sides but at the end of the day, money talks even for the most humble stars.
Ilya Samsonov signed a prove-it 1-year deal last summer and he truly turned back the clocks and played like the number-one goaltender the Washington Capitals believed they drafted in the first round of the 2015 draft. He had his best season to date with a 27-10-5 record, a .919 SV%, and a 2.33 G.A.A with 4 shutouts. He thoroughly outplayed Matt Murray - whenever he was healthy - and was an instrumental piece in their series victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Mirtle believes he can be signed at around $3 million dollars on a short-term deal and coupled with Joseph Woll, the Leafs would have a very capable tandem at less than 4 million. Matt Murray will have to be moved but it's a little more complicated than trading an expiring contract with a cap hit of $4.68 million.
His actual salary is $8 million - 2 of which is being paid by Ottawa - so whoever acquires him has to pay $6 million in cash and considering it would be a bottom-dwelling rebuilding team, that's a tough sell. The Leafs did manage to trade Petr Mrazek's 2 years and $8.6 million in cash last summer in a deal that saw the swap out a first round pick for a second round pick, so anything is possible. By making this move, the Leafs would have $16.5 million left to spend with 4-5 holes to fill.
Players like Luke Schenn and Noel Acciari will always be wanted and if made available on the open market, a bidding war will ensue. They're the type of grit, sandpaper, veteran leaders that every team is looking to acquire and the free agent market is never a good place to look for a deal if you're strapped for cash. If their interest to return was real, then they could sign for one-year deals worth $1 million and $1.5 million respectively - modest raises - which would open the Leafs up to 14 million left to spend with a LW1, C2, and C3 still needed.
There is considerable concern around Mark Giordano in the sense that if he needs to be load managed again, the Leafs need to desperately search for another top-4 defenseman. Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly, and T.J. Brodie can suffice but you also can't rely on a full season from Schenn in the top-4 either. Timothy Liljegren can make the jump as well but that would still leave the Leafs thin at a very important position on the ice.
There's a belief that Brendan Shanahan wants to ride the core members for another season and in doing so, the Maple Leafs will be looking to add more talent with the remaining open spots and cap space available. With so many holes to fill, they will be looking at making moves akin to finding the next Michael Bunting or Ryan O'Reilly, where they don't break the bank on one singular player. They need to find the right pieces to fit with their core, new GM, and possibly new head coach.
However with so much cap space at hand for the first time in years and the general idea that some players are willing to return at modest prices, the Leafs aren't entirely in hell just yet - and that's without trading one of the core-4.
