The Leafs are currently over the cap; 4 ways that they can remedy that
Following a 6-3 stinker of a loss against the St. Louis Blues, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas went out and hit a homerun on the trade market by shipping off Nick Ritchie and his $2.5M cap hit this season AND next for a big, physical, stay-at-home right-shot defenseman in Ilya Lyubushkin and a serviceable depth forward in Ryan Dzingel.
The one issue that the Leafs face now is that they have to make another move, be it a trade, a waiver transaction, or a demotion to become cap compliant. As it stands, the Leafs are about $160K over the cap. There are a number of ways to remedy this, and Maple Leafs Hot Stove's Kevin Papetti has presented 4 options that we'll take a look at here.
1 - The Leafs can send Timothy Liljegren to the Marlies.
With Liljegren not needing to clear waivers, this is the move we're most likely to see, because it's the quickest fix.
Lyubushkin can comfortably slide right in on the right side with either Jake Muzzin or Rasmus Sandin and this would allow the Leafs to be patient with their next trade instead of having to rush it.
2 - Waive Ryan Dzingel.
Dzingel's $1.1M is a buriable amount and if whether he clears waivers or is claimed by another team, the Leafs can use that space to accrue more cap space for the deadline if need be.
The problem here is that Dzingel is a forward with some real versatility. He can play center or either wing and he's also a former 2-time 20-goal scorer. He could be a valuable depth piece in the playoffs.
3 - Trade Travis Dermott.
The Leafs have been rumored to be trying to move Dermott and his $1.5M cap hit through next season. The former 2nd round pick hasn't developed into the reliable, two-way top-4 defender that the Leafs hoped he'd be when they selected him over Canes superstar Sebastian Aho in the 2015 draft.
Dermott is still just 25 years old and there's still some room to grow. He could benefit from a change of scenery and could thrive in a new environment with a new team who can offer him consistent playing time. I still think the Leafs will move him at some point here.
4 - Trade Justin Holl.
Holl and Muzzin formed a pretty formidable duo for the Leafs last season, but for one reason or another, they just haven't gelled the same way this season.
Holl counts for $2M against the cap through 2022-23, but holds a modified no-trade clause and has the ability to submit a list of 10 teams that he can block a trade to.
The 30-year-old right-shot defenseman could be used as a bottom pairing defender, with Lyubushkin slotting in at Holl's usual spot on the 2nd pair alongside Muzzin, but then it would leave rookie Timothy Liljegren without a spot and skating as the 7th or 8th defenseman.
Liljegren has been arguably the better of the two between he and Holl this season, so if the Leafs are looking to run their optimal lineup, Holl may be on the outside looking in. Since a $2M 7th defenseman doesn't make much sense, a trade would be the better option.
Knowing what we know about Dubas, I think he'll do the thing that makes the most sense, temporarily demoting Liljegren while he finds the right deal to move one of Dermott or Holl, but it's really anyone's guess what Dubas has up his sleeve at this point.
