Report: Leafs set to lose more players due to poor cap management

Everyone was impressed when Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas managed to sign four star players, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander to stay on the roster long-term. But now, space is missing for the rest of the team, one that hasn’t proven it can be a top contender for the Stanley Cup.

And cap space has become a recurring problem as we saw this offseason as the Maple Leafs didn’t have the room to hold on to goalie Frederik Andersen or forward Zach Hyman. Now Michael Traikos of the Toronto Star wonders which free agent will be next, and this one, is gotta hurt: 

“After that, who knows?”, asks Traikos. “Maybe it’s Ilya Mikheyev or Jack Campbell. Or someone even more important, like William Nylander.”

While the reporter mentions these names, he too believes defenseman Morgan Rielly is likely to lose out due to the Leafs’ poor cap management. 

Chris Johnston recently reported that the large contracts signed this summer by several notable NHL defensemen could make it difficult for the Maple Leafs to re-sign Rielly. Over the last few months alone we have seen several defensemen cash some very big checks, defensemen like Dougie Hamilton, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski and even Cale Makar. Every single one of those players will carry a cap hit of over $9 million per season on their new deals, we bet Rielly is also looking to cash big. Johnston doubts Rielly’s next contract will come in lower than $8 million per season, and we know that’s a lot for Toronto to take on. 

For 2022-23, Cap Friendly shows the Maple Leafs with a projected $67.78 million invested in 14 players. Goaltender Jack Campbell is also slated to become a UFA while promising defenseman Rasmus Sandin is a restricted free agent.

While Dubas does not need to worry about all this at the moment with a full season ahead and less than a month away, this will become an issue fast and furious. 

And imagine if Toronto cannot make it past the first round of the playoffs again! You’ll have to get ready for significant changes, and not just on the roster!