Toronto Maple Leafs coaching is right here! The gamers report at this time, and earlier than everyone knows it, there shall be Maple Leafs preseason hockey on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Over the previous few weeks, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has been busy taking a look at different gamers to usher in on skilled tryouts (PTO). Up to now, they’ve signed Max Pacioretty, Jon Gilles and Steven Lorentz to PTO’s. Whereas additionally signing restricted free agent Nicholas Robertson and free agent Jani Hakanpaa to a one-year, $1.47 million contract.
These strikes by Treliving are designed to create some inside competitors in coaching camp. Final season, the identical factor occurred, and so they traded Sam Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft decide to clear cap area. This season, it’ll be no totally different. If Treliving needs to signal any of the three gamers who they introduced in on PTO’s then he might want to take a look at different gamers on the roster who may be moved to clear up cap area to make all of it work, except, after all, somebody will get accidents and leads to LTIR.
The Maple Leafs have just a few depth gamers who’ve a reasonably first rate cap hit that would fall sufferer to the tight wage cap and be on the transfer, so, let’s check out who that may very well be.
Calle Jarnkrok – $2.1 Million
First up, Calle Jarnkrok, the 32-year-old winger, might discover himself on the way in which out merely due to his cap hit. Nevertheless, relying on how coaching camp goes and the way nicely he’s preferred by his new head coach, Craig Berube, he could have a spot within the bottom-six. Jarnkrok will probably be a Berube sort of participant; though he isn’t massive, he performs onerous and forechecks very nicely. Usually occasions, he makes use of his velocity to get into the play and disturb the opponents. If he can add a bit extra physicality to his recreation, he might find yourself saving his job with the Maple Leafs.
Jarnkrok does a modified no-trade clause, which in response to PuckPedia is a 10-team no-trade record. This shouldn’t make it too troublesome for Treliving to discover a new house for Jarnkrok, because it offers him 21 different groups to commerce with. Final season, Jarnkrok handled accidents that stored him out of the lineup for a portion of the season. This might have an effect on his commerce worth; it’s probably that the Maple Leafs will need to recoup draft capital that they lack whereas attempting to clear cap area.Â
David Kampf – $2.4 Million
Secondly, David Kampf, among the best facilities on the Maple Leafs, may very well be on the transfer. It’s unlucky as a result of he does supply a very good quantity of defensive reliability, his cap hit is simply too excessive for a fourth-line heart in at this time’s NHL. The profit that the Maple Leafs do have is that they’ve Lorentz at camp on a PTO, who can play down the center. This might make Kampf expendable, however very similar to Jarnkrok, he’ll probably be a Berube sort of man. Kampf additionally has a modified no-trade clause, which in response to PuckPedia is a 10-team no-trade record. The excellent news is he’s a man that plenty of groups can turn into higher by including, particularly these on the cusp of playoff groups that want a shutdown defensive ahead.
Associated: Maple Leafs’ Current Signings Create Wage Cap Problem
That stated, with the youth motion that’s occurring in Toronto over the following few seasons, there isn’t going to be area for gamers like Kampf and Jarnkrok to tie up a spot on the roster. Which is why that is the right time to commerce them, though their commerce worth isn’t excessive and Treliving could not get a lot for them. The concept of changing Kampf and his $2.4 million cap hit for a Lorentz or Pontus Holmberg for almost half the value is a win-win.
Timothy Liljegren – $3 Million
Lastly, the one defenceman on the record is Timothy Liljegren. Be mindful, he isn’t the one blue liner they will commerce; there’s additionally Connor Timmins. Nevertheless, Liljegren’s cap hit is $3 million versus his, who’ve a $1.1 million cap hit. At solely 25 years outdated, the native of Sweden hasn’t but reached his potential with the Maple Leafs. It may very well be as a result of he’s taking part in on the third pairing, or it may very well be as a result of he was overhyped as a prospect and will by no means turn into who scouts thought he can be. That did occur with Rasmus Sandin as nicely, earlier than he was traded to the Washington Capitals.
Regardless, Liljegren ought to have a very good quantity of commerce worth on the open market as a result of potential of unlocking one thing in him and making him a high 4 blue liners on a crew. From a Maple Leafs perspective, it makes probably the most sense to commerce him due to his cap hit and the backlog on defence after the strikes that had been made this offseason. Additional, they might hold Timmins as a less expensive seventh defencemen possibility and transfer Liljegren for extra than simply picks, however doubtlessly a higher-end prospect or perhaps a two-way roster participant that carries a less expensive common annual worth (AAV).
This transfer, after all, would depend upon how he performs throughout coaching camp. If he’s lights out and among the best defenders there, he could find yourself locking a spot and forcing the Maple Leafs to go in an alternate path to clear area. Wherein case, they’d most likely transfer a group of Kampf, Jarnkrok, and/or Timmins to make the cash work.
Solely time will inform, however it must be an thrilling preseason for the Maple Leafs as a result of they’ve too many our bodies and never sufficient cap room to go round. Which implies Treliving is most positively going to discover the commerce market this coaching camp.
