In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs’ Quick Hits, I’ll take a look at how well – you heard it – the team is doing with the salary cap in this challenging time. Second, I’ll look at why Justin Holl and Alex Kerfoot might still be with the organization.
Third, I’ll take an advance preview of Mikko Kokkonen who will be playing with the Toronto Marlies this season.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Kerfoot, Aston-Reese, Matthews & Marner
Quick Hit One: Maple Leafs in Good Salary-Cap Situation
The Maple Leafs are doing a good job with salary-cap management. All teams are struggling, but the Vegas Golden Knights are struggling more than most. Right now, the Golden Knights are over $5 million over the salary cap, while the Maple Leafs are “only” about $1.5 million.
In fact, things got so bad in Vegas that the team basically gave away Max Pacioretty and Marc-Andre Fleury. Maple Leafs’ fans seem to want to critique (endlessly it seems) the way their team mismanages the salary cap. It just isn’t so.
Most NHL teams at the top of the winning column have salary-cap issues. For the Maple Leafs, the harping is about the Core Four of John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander earning so much money (the first three players earn over $10 million per season).
However, this group of players has ensured each season that the Maple Leafs are a top team with a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
The Golden Knights are so far over the Cap that any move to comply will force them to lose another important player. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs have far more options for settling the cap without tearing their team apart.
Quick Hit Two: Kyle Dubas Is Loyal to His Players
In a recent post, LeafsNation Jon Steitzer made an insightful comment about Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas. Steitzer was talking about the Maple Leafs’ propensity to keep players until their contracts ran out and then – if it seemed like the right move – to let them walk to another contract on another team. That’s happened over the seasons to a number of different players the team had under contract control. Ilya Mikheyev and Jack Campbell did this season, for example.
Steitzer was speaking specifically about why Justin Holl and Alex Kerfoot were still with the team rather than traded for some return. He postulated two reasons for that practice in regard to Holl and Kerfoot. The first is that Dubas wants to keep these two players. The second is that he sees the players whose contracts expire and walk as “parties fulfilling their contracts with the team.”
As Steitzer noted, Dubas seems to let players walk in free agency and, as a result, they leave for nothing and he replaces them as needed. Steitzer noted that the practice seems more intentional than a repeated error. Then, if Dubas believes that, at the end of the contract, if the money vs. potential value doesn’t make it logical to bring a player back (as noted by Mikheyev and Campbell), he doesn’t.
There are two things Steitzer noted about Dubas. First, “he’s incredibly loyal to his players;” and, second, “he’s more of a card counter than a gambler. He’s not taking any risk that isn’t calculated.”
Related: WHAT THE MAPLE LEAFS MIGHT BE LEARNING ABOUT EXPIRING CONTRACTS
Quick Hit Three: What Should the Maple Leafs Expect from Mikko Kokkonen?
To say that young Finnish defenseman Mikko Kokkonen has had an up-and-down career thus far is an understatement. He started with a bang, making his debut in the Finnish league at the young age of 15 years old. No one younger has ever played in Liiga in its entire history. By 2019, he was an 18-year-old regular and scored the most points by any draft-eligible defenceman in Liiga in 17 years.
The Maple Leafs drafted him in 2019 in the third round, and that was widely considered a strong selection. But things have slowed down for him since. it seemed like a no-brainer in terms of value at that selection.
However, his results have remained relatively stagnant in the three years since. However, at the end of 2020-21, Kokkonen played 11 games with the Toronto Marlies and scored a goal and six assists. Did he have his game back?
While you wouldn’t know it based on last season’s statistics, Maple Leafs’ fans should be able to see if Kokkonen can play more closely this season. Kokkonen will likely be suiting up for the Marlies full-time this season. He signed an ECHL contract in the spring, but will likely stay the season with the Marlies.
That move should have a positive impact on him as a player. The Maple Leafs have a strong player development staff, which should help his skating. In addition, the Maple Leafs’ system expects its defensemen to be more involved.
He’s a youngster to watch.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Quick Hits: Nylander Trade, Bunting & Gardiner
Mike Reeves
August 13, 2022 at 7:48 am
When the Leafs sign Sandin they will be close to 3 million over. Dubois is loyal to some of the players. Not sure about trading Kerfoot till we see how the new guys perform consider that Dubois record on good new bargain players is around 50 percent wrong there is likely 3 players that will stink
Pingback: Capitals Operating as Though Nicklas Backstrom Won't Be Back
Pingback: Capitals Operating as Though Nicklas Backstrom Won’t Be Back – Hockey 1 on 1
Old Prof
August 13, 2022 at 2:01 pm
I do hope they get tough with Sandin Mike – I don’t like how his agent operates
Pingback: Maple Leafs Random Thoughts: What to Do with Alex Kerfoot? – Old Prof Hockey
Pingback: Would Sam Gagner Be a Good Fit with the Maple Leafs?
Pingback: Would Sam Gagner Be a Good Match with the Maple Leafs? - sportsnewz.today
Pingback: Would Sam Gagner Be a Good Fit with the Maple Leafs? – Hockey 1 on 1
Pingback: Would Sam Gagner Be a Good Match with the Maple Leafs? - sposnews
Pingback: If Maple Leafs' Find Nick Robertson the Right Fit: Watch Out!
Pingback: If Maple Leafs’ Find Nick Robertson the Right Fit: Watch Out! – Hockey 1 on 1
Pingback: If Maple Leafs' Discover Nick Robertson the Proper Match: Watch Out! - sportsnewz.today
Pingback: If Maple Leafs' Discover Nick Robertson the Proper Match: Watch Out! - sposnews