The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of many team that will have a really tough time this offseason. The salary cap isn't going up and that handcuffs the Leafs and pretty much 1/4 of the league. It also looks like it'll likely put an end to the Alex Pietrangelo in Toronto dream. There was a lot of chatter that general manager Kyle Dubas was looking to bring Pietrangelo home like he did with John Tavares, however with no cap growth it's looking impossible. James Mirtle of The Athletic looked at the situation recently and it just doesn't fit cap wise. "I tried at first to simply move out some lesser salaries, with Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen's combined $6.6 million the first to go, but even with a minimum 20-player roster, that wasn't enough. This lineup remains nearly $2.5 million over the cap: Is it impossible to fit Pietrangelo in without trading one of the big four forwards? No. You could, for example, trade away Andersen or Kerfoot and still get there.Realistically, however, the Leafs would be significantly hindering their depth by going that top heavy. And that could get even worse in future years, as Toronto's cap situation tightens up and more players need new contracts.Pietrangelo is a very good defenceman. One of the best in the league. But he turned 30 in January and you'd be looking at a seven-year deal to sign him as a UFA. Moving a younger star forward for an aging defenceman doesn't strike me as the right move."Are you still hoping to see Pietrangelo join the Leafs?
