Toronto Maple Leafs

[2014olympicgold]

Use to be a time you earned your stripes and 90% of kids started on the 4th line and won more ice time with solid play.
he has yet to show he deserves 15+min per game along side Tavares & Nylander. 29pts in 28gp in the AHL proves nothing - just ask pt/gm dman AHL lifer TJ Brennan.

Don't get me wrong, I think he gets there and soon... but I am not for gifting him anything. He should start 3rd line and outwork some superstars for Oct, Nov, Dec before getting a Nylander/Tavares sniff - my opinion.

I personally think it's a disservice to an offensive person on a team expecting to win to be put on a line that is designed for checking. I remember when Marner was with Matt Martin, it was fine for the time because expectations were low and it made sense for time in the Leafs journey. Now...you need wins. Telling Robertson to "earn" his offensive shot after telling him he needs to "earn" the top 6 role while in the minors is wrong.

He deserves an actual shot at the role he has been groomed for in the minors. That "earning" a role now happens in the minors, not on the 4th line. I think it's just annoying seeing a player make 1 mistake then sit for 3minutes, then go out for a 45s shift then people get upset he hasn't proven anything. Or like "why isn't Robertson doing well?!" well he's playing with Simmonds and not JT.

[2014olympicgold]

Well as of today here's your NHL roster for the Leafs:
Bunting (0.95) - Matthews (11.640250) - Marner (10.903) = 23.49325
Kerfoot (3.5) - JT (11) - Nylander (6.962366) = 21.462366
Robertson (0.796667) - Kampf (1.5) - Aube-Kubel (1) = 3.296667
Simmonds (0.9) - Gaudette (0.750) - Anderson (0.750) = 2.4
Clifford (0.7625) - Engvall (RFA) = 0.7625+RFA
Forwards = $51,414,783

Rielly (7.5) - Brodie (5) = 12.5
Muzzin (5.625) - Holl (2) = 7.625
Gio (0.8) - Liljegren (1.4) = 2.2
Sandin (RFA)
Defense = $22,325,000

Murray (4.6875) - Samsonov (1.8)
Goalies = $6,487,500

TOTAL = $80,439,783
Cap Space = $2,060,217

That's with 13F, so likely Clifford is sent down. Adds $762,500, and cap space total jumps to $2,822,717. You can shift any of the lines around but that's likely, as of today, the NHLers the Leafs will use. Dubas did say he wants another depth D, and they are exploring the trade market in general (wouldn't be doing your job if you didn't), but could be a bit of foreshadowing on a D being moved. So don't buy a Muzzin, Sandin or Holl jersey quite yet.

[2014olympicgold]

Toronto signed Mete and Jordie Benn to 1yr, 750k deals. Both are LHD, very different styles of D. Curious what their next step is.

[Axeman33]

Solidifying that back end.

[2014olympicgold]

Also Gaudette and Malgin. Both are that AHL/NHL possibility guys which somehow will be scooped up on waivers yet again lol.

The Leafs are actively shopping Holl (said on TSN yesterday) and the Leafs are exploring a Kerfoot deal as some think he can get $5m+ on the open market next yr. Guys on the UFA market next yr include Hube, Miller, Kane, MacKinnon, Tarasenko, Pavelski, Pastrnak, Larkin, Bunting, ROR, Horvat, Pacioretty, and Trevor Moore. If you remove some of the obvious guys off the list as they'll re-sign (Hube, Mac) then Kerfoot could be a top 10 available player.

[2014olympicgold]

Everytime I do this, the Leafs make a move in the next 48hrs.

Well as of today here's your NHL roster for the Leafs:
Bunting (0.95) - Matthews (11.640250) - Marner (10.903) = 23.49325
Kerfoot (3.5) - JT (11) - Nylander (6.962366) = 21.462366
Jarnkrok (2.1) - Kampf (1.5) - Aube-Kubel (1) = 4.6
Engvall (2.25) - Gaudette (0.750) - Anderson (0.750) = 3.75

Clifford (0.7625) -Simmonds (0.9) = 1.6625
Forwards = $54,968,116 (Clifford+Anderson to AHL, $53,455,616)

Rielly (7.5) - Brodie (5) = 12.5
Muzzin (5.625) - Holl (2) = 7.625
Gio (0.8) - Liljegren (1.4) = 2.2
Sandin (RFA)
Defense = $22,325,000

Murray (4.6875) - Samsonov (1.8)
Goalies = $6,487,500

TOTAL = $82,268,116 With Clifford/Anderson in AHL. $83,780,616
Cap Space = $231,884 (-$1,280,616)

So some points:
- Leafs are cap compliant without Sandin being signed, and running 20 man NHL roster
- Leafs are a Holl trade away from signing Sandin for 2.2m and being cap compliant, but have a RD/LD issue
- Leafs are a Kerfoot for 2nd round pick away from being cap compliant with Sandin, a 13th forward, and 7d roster.
- Gaudette can go to the AHL, Kampf/Jarnkrok are your C3/C4, with Robertson getting an NHL chance.

So pretty much, it's not a huge hurdle here for the Leafs. However, they are sitting there with their butts exposed with Sandin as an RFA. And everyone is waiting for the Kadri ball to drop as cap dump trades will happen before that signing. We will see.

[kovalchuk17]

Im unsure the Leafs can wait with the growing pains when it comes to Sandin, Rielly Gio and Muzzin on the left side is pretty ridic. I see him sitting in the press box alot if he signs a new deal. This would suggest a trade might work but what do you trade him for? Weird limbo Sandin is in right now.

As meh as I think Kerfoot is, hes still a solid player who can play pretty much anywhere in the lineup so hes likely more worth keeping around than a 7th dman.

[2014olympicgold]

Goaltender Ian Scott announces his retirement from professional hockey at 23yrs old due to injuries. He was drafted 110th in 2017 and was named the CHL goalie of the year back in 2018-19 season which was his last full season of hockey. He was named playoff MVP after going 16-6-1 with 5SO and a 0.925s%. He missed the entire 2019-20 season after undergoing hip surgery, then only got into 6 games during the 2020-21 (COVID shortened) season between the AHL and ECHL. He played 1 period during the 2021-22 season before getting hurt for the rest of the season for the ECHL Newfoundland Growlers.

Goodluck to Ian as giving up on your NHL dream at 23 due to injuries is a big choice. However, it will haunt me now that drafted 111th overall in 2017 (right after Ian Scott) is Boston's starter Swayman.

[Dennis]

Toronto Maple Leafs@MapleLeafs

We have signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a professional tryout (PTO) contract.

[2014olympicgold]

Projected Lineup:
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Kerfoot - JT - Nylander
Jarnkrok - Kampf - Engvall
Simmonds - Gaudette - Aube-Kubel
Clifford, Anderson

There's no room there for Robertson, Abruzzese, Steeves, Aston-Reese really. Should be interesting how the bottom few players play out (Gaudette, Clifford, Simmonds, Anderson) but ya it's quite a tight group in Toronto and not a whole lot of breathing room for the younger guys to break through.

[Dennis]

If he can be signed to a cheap contract, ZAR over Clifford, Simmonds, Anderson without a second thought. He'll never set the world on fire but teams have a hard time scoring when he's on the ice and he's great at wasting time. Not the funnest to watch but winning the game is the priority.

[2014olympicgold]

If he can be signed to a cheap contract, ZAR over Clifford, Simmonds, Anderson without a second thought. He'll never set the world on fire but teams have a hard time scoring when he's on the ice and he's great at wasting time. Not the funnest to watch but winning the game is the priority.

I wouldn't be surprised if Clifford and Anderson are sent down, and ZAR and Simmonds split duties on the 4th line. But I also wouldn't be surprised if ZAR is using a PTO with the Leafs for exposure for other teams and Toronto is using him for the NHL experience minimum rule there is for pre-season games.

[2014olympicgold]

Leafs released their training camp roster. No real surprises outside of Malgin getting a spot and the injured list of Abramov, Engvall, Liljegren, and Woll. And no Sandin (RFA, no contract).

Liljegren - out 6weeks min from hernia surgery. Will start season on LTIR.
Engvall - out till early October with an ankle injury
Abramov - "Out for a bit" with a back injury (missed the rookie cap in Traverse)
Woll - "Out for a bit" with a shoulder injury.

RD on the Leafs roster to fill Liljegren's spot:
Niemela, Villeneuve, Hollowell, J.Benn (LH), Mete (LH)

They can also look at moving a LHD to the right side, and sign Sandin.
Rielly - Brodie
Sandin - Muzzin
Gio - Holl

[2014olympicgold]

Couple of notes. Rielly is taking reps on the right side recently. Bunting will replace Tavares on the PP1 to start the yr. Marner taking a bit of reps on defense, out of emergency bases.

Here's the early indications of the top 9:
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Nylander - Kerfoot - Jarnkrok
Aston-Reese - Kampf - Aube-Kubel

JT, Engvall IR/LTIR.

[2014olympicgold]

Price for Chychrun for the Leafs would apparently be:
- 1st round pick
- One of Liljegren, Sandin, or Neimela
- One of Knies or Robertson
- One of Kerfoot or Holl for cap reasons