Sunday was the day Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been expecting for a while now. The team made a trade and placed six players on waivers so it could become salary-cap compliant.
The Maple Leafs Picks for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft
Sam Lafferty was traded. He was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. For those fans interested, the only round the Maple Leafs do not have a pick in the 2024 Draft is the second round. That pick was moved to the St. Louis Blues as part of the trade-deadline deal that brought Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the organization. The Maple Leafs now have two picks in the fifth round as well as two in the seventh round.
The Maple Leafs also placed Martin Jones, Simon Benoit, Kyle Clifford, Dylan Gambrell, William Lagesson, and Maxime Lajoie on waivers. As this post is being finalized, we have no news yet about whether these players will have passed through waivers or whether any have been picked up by another team.
Question One: How Will the Team Manage Its Salary Cap Limits?
What does that do for the Maple Leafs regarding their cap situation? Assuming that Conor Timmins goes on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), it gives the team the ability to carry one extra body.
Related: Maple Leafs Conor Timmins: Odd Man Out
As it is, fans don’t know who exactly will be on the roster. Realistically, we won’t know that for certain until Wednesday. If the Maple Leafs do place Timmins on LTIR, that would most likely be the day they would do so. Still, by NHL rules they have to file an official roster by 5:00 p.m. Monday.
That might mean the Maple Leafs would need to send waiver-exempt players who will be on their opening-night roster, such as Matthews Knies, down to the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies (it would be a paper move) until they place Timmins on the LTIR.
Question Two: What Is the Status of Bobby McMann?
There is one player whose fate is yet to be decided who could affect the roster. That is Bobby McMann. McMann came to camp still dealing with injuries from last season and he did not play in any preseason games. He has to clear waivers if he is to be sent down, but a team can’t assign a player to the AHL if that player is injured.
If the organization feels he is injured badly enough for him to join Timmins on LTIR, then he will not affect the team’s salary cap. But, if he is just day-to-day and was placed on injured reserve (IR) instead of LTIR, McMann’s $762,500 contract would still count against the cap. That would wipe out the extra player on the roster. We will have to see what the Maple Leafs do with McMann.
Question Three: Will the Maple Leafs Offer Noah Gregor a Contract?
Will the Maple Leafs offer PTO tryout Noah Gregor a contract? Gregor did have a decent camp and showed he could be a competent fourth-line player. But, if they sign him it would mean one less spot on the roster for players like Nick Robertson or Pontus Holmberg. For now, these two players were moved to the AHL. However, they could remain there or be recalled during the season.
Question Four: How Long Will Fraser Minten Be on the Maple Leafs’ Roster?
One of the most interesting questions was whether the Maple Leafs would find a spot for Fraser Minten. He showed well during the preseason, and now the team seems ready to give him a longer look. His hockey IQ seems almost off the charts, meaning he’s a quick study and should be able to pick up stuff with coaching and further on-ice experience.
The trade of Lafferty to the Canucks on Sunday created salary cap space and a vacant spot on the roster. That provided an opportunity for Minten to secure a place on the team, at least for the time being.
According to NHL rules, the Maple Leafs’ second-round pick from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft may play in up to nine regular-season games without using up a year of his entry-level contract. He can later return to play in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Kamloops Blazers if that’s what seems best at this point. It will be interesting to see how he would do in the heat of regular-season AHL battles.
The Bottom Line
Right now, there are a lot of pucks in the air for the team. However, that’s likely true for every other NHL team at this time of the season. Things will settle out for all NHL teams; however, that will probably happen over the next few days.
Related: Ranking Every Calder Trophy Winner Since 2005
As noted, the spate of decisions the team must make will slow down soon as all teams begin their regular season’s competition.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
