Looking at what the Leafs can afford to spend at the deadline, whether they move someone out or not

So, how much can the Leafs afford to spend? With the current $1.135M they have, if Dubas and Keefe drop down from a 23-man roster to a 20-man roster, sending down Wayne Simmonds, Jordie Benn and Joey Anderson would open up an additional $2.4M, and that's assuming that Robertson and Mete have already returned from LTIR and have already been sent down. That number could increase a bit if they decide to waive Zach Aston-Reese instead of Anderson or Benn, since ZAR makes $840K, $90K more than the league minimum deals that Anderson and Benn are signed to. However, for the purposes of this piece, we'll assume the Leafs have at least $3.535M.

That $3.535M in available cap room could go a long way at the deadline, especially if they can get the team they're dealing with to retain salary. Of course, that will come at a premium, likely an additional pick or a prospect in the deal.

The Leafs, with as good as they've been this season and how well their depth has served them, are likely not looking to subtract from their current roster. However, let's pretend for a second that they'd entertain the idea of moving out Alexander Kerfoot or Pierre Engvall. That would open up an additional $2.25M-$3.5M, elevating their cap room to $5.785M to more than $7M, so certainly enough for a big-ticket rental.

Of course, as Elliotte Friedman recently reported, the Leafs have not yet decided if they're sold on going big game hunting or whether they'd prefer to add two pieces - one forward and one defenseman. If they go the multi-player route, I don't think we end up seeing the Leafs subtract from their roster. However, if they do decide to go big-game hunting, they may have to deal a Kerfoot or an Engvall to make it happen.