The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to work the phones as we get closer to training camp. Toronto management looks to make some late, big moves. General manager Brad Treliving has been one of the busiest men in the NHL since the end of summer vacation. Most recently, he finalized a deal to re-sign Nicholas Robertson to a one-year contract. However, he doesn’t seem satisfied with hunting for more and looking to make more moves in Toronto.
Also Read: A Guide to Toronto Maple Leafs Ownership History
What’s next for Toronto?
Toronto did not stop at the Robertson signing, as they have more moves to make. TSN insider Darren Dreger said that Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa are next on the to-do list for Treliving.
I would expect Pacioretty and Hakanpaa to be next in line as Leafs adds. It was important to get Robertson done to avoid the possibility of an offer sheet. https://t.co/45RJnN1HHC
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 10, 2024
It’s been reported that Pacioretty has been signed to a professional try-out (PTO) with the Leafs. All signs point to the former Montreal Canadiens captain moving to Toronto; it’s almost imminent. David Pagnotta of TheFourthPeriod is fairly confident that Pacioretty will be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. Also, that would add to the competition of the left wing on the Leafs roster. It’s not confirmed what a deal with Pacioretty would look like. However, it’ll most likely be a cheap and short-term deal.
As a follow up, I’m told regardless of whether or not Toronto will make a separate trade (which, again, they’re working on a move), the expectation is Max Pacioretty and the Maple Leafs will come to terms on an agreement for this season. https://t.co/3uqM10097V
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) September 10, 2024
In addition to Pacioretty, there’s Hakanpaa. The defenceman was acquired in free agency and supposedly signed a tw0-year deal at $1.5M AAV. However, the situation is a little uncanny. Even though there was some sort of agreement for a contract, it hasn’t been officially signed, as Hakanpaa isn’t listed on the Leafs roster. Although, according to these sources, it seems like there is intention for Toronto to make the move official.
Toronto to Make Moves Via Trade
Now that Robertson is on the Maple Leafs’ payroll, they now have just over $400K in cap space, according to PuckPedia. So, it will be impossible for Treliving to bring in Pacioretty and Hakanpaa with that much space. Therefore, the solution to this problem for Toronto would be to make some moves via trades. Despite the signing of Nick Robertson, there’s some belief that he could still be traded, as he requested a move out of Toronto earlier in the offseason.
There are a few players on the Leafs roster that could be used as bait to clear up some cap space to create some wiggle-room. There are a couple of depth forwards that Toronto could look at moving, who both make over $2M AAV. Those forwards go by the names of David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok. While they are excellent two-way forwards for the Leafs, they may need to be sacrificed for Treliving to go along with his plan. Even though it might create a hole in the lineup, there are players to fill the gaps. For example, prospects Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten are getting closer to becoming full-time NHL players. Either of those forwards could be potential replacements.
Another trade that makes sense is to move defenceman Timothy Liljegren. Since Toronto are looking to bring in Hakanpaa, that will be an easy substitution as they are both right-handed defencemen and play in the bottom four pairings. A Liljegren trade would create lots of space in the cap, an extra $3M to be exact. Also, if Treliving feels that it’s too much of a risk to lose Liljegren since Hakanpaa has a history with a bad knee, there’s also Conor Timmins that can be moved off the books.
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