Maple Leafs Want Kucherov? There’s a Catch Many Are Overlooking

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Picture Nikita Kucherov feeding Auston Matthews on the power play, or the other way around. It’s easy to imagine, and since Elliotte Friedman reported that the Lightning star would consider Toronto, many Leafs fans are doing exactly that. But, there’s a problem with the idea, one that goes far beyond whether Kucherov would consider the Leafs or if Tampa would be open to moving him.

There’s a not-so-small salary cap rule that has flown under the radar but would have a huge impact on any deal.

The Initial Obstacles in a Kucherov Trade to Toronto

Kucherov has a modified no-trade clause covering 10 teams, and nobody has published the full list. Friedman says the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens are among the clubs he’d entertain, but that’s not confirmation. Tampa GM Julien BriseBois has also said he doesn’t intend to trade the reigning Hart Trophy winner, so the Lightning would need to change course too.

Assuming things become clearer and Toronto is actually among the teams on Kucherov’s list, the hurdles in a trade remain.

Kucherov’s $9.5 million cap hit runs through the end of this season. Toronto would need to clear room in the current-year cap to take it on, a challenge that comes with any star trade. That’s one issue. It’s probably something the Leafs can overcome if the right return is there.

Toronto Has a Second Salary Cap Hurdle

It’s not as simple as whether the Leafs can fit Kucherov into their current cap picture. If they only intend to add him as a rental, fine. But there are limits to how much next season’s money a team can commit while still playing this one. It’s called the tagging rule, and Toronto has $648,000 left under it, the lowest in the NHL.

It’s the rule that created such a delay in the Kirill Marchenko trade. Because the Maple Leafs wanted to sign him at $12.5 million per year, they had to first move money off of next season’s books. It’s the space a team has left to add next season’s commitments while still playing this one.

A rental wouldn’t touch that, because Kucherov’s contract expires after this season and tagging counts only 2027-28 money. The trouble is what a trade looks like if the Maple Leafs can’t immediately sign him to an extension. If they are forced to keep him only as a rental, that changes the equation.

I spoke with Levine to get confirmation that Toronto can’t do a sign-and-trade or extend him immediately. He responded:

““Yes, any contract for next season requires tagging room. They currently have $650K of space. So if they trade for him and don’t remove anyone from their roster, they cannot even afford to sign him to a league-minimum extension. They would be able to sign him on July 1 when the offseason formula changes to the new 27-28 cap + 10%.”

Kucherov is said to want $17-$20 million per season. Even if the Leafs were willing to give it to him, they can’t. They would have to first trade that much salary off the books for next season. Does Tampa want to take that back? Would another team take a salary dump from Toronto to make it work?

And, if they can’t jump those hurdles, is GM John Chayka comfortable giving up a huge package for a player they can’t sign and who could walk on July 1 for nothing?

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