2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
Highlander
Active member
I would like to see Grebbo switch with Holmberg for tonight's game, just to see what happens.
My guesses would be Alex Nylander getting waived as he hasn't cracked the lineup recently and did not show much compete so he's a better bet to clear waivers than he might have been when he got called up.
Grebenkin is probably the second. He's still rough around the edges and waiver exempt. He needs more ice time to smooth out his game.
I think Minten has impressed them enough to get a longer look.
Dewar has had some decent moments recently.
Reaves probably gets more healthy scratches.
Grebenkin is probably the second. He's still rough around the edges and waiver exempt. He needs more ice time to smooth out his game.
I think Minten has impressed them enough to get a longer look.
Dewar has had some decent moments recently.
Reaves probably gets more healthy scratches.
bustaheims
Well-known member
I suspect Mermis will be put on waivers as soon as he's healthy enough, if for no other reason than to get his cap hit off the books to keep trying to get the team's total below the ceiling and out of LTIR.
I think someone else will have to go with him to get them out of LTIR
bustaheims
Well-known member
Pretty sure, yeah, but the more they chip away at it, the better. With everyone who is close to returning back, once they get Kampf back with them, they'll be out of LTIR if they send down all the Marlies and one of Holmberg or Robertson (or, preferably but less likely, Reaves - would also open up the most cap space).
dappleganger
Active member
One Max is back. Nice to see his absence wasn't prolonged.
If there are no cap issues (they might be over a little ... not sure) ...
With Domi & McCabe allegedly likely to return on Tuesday, that will probably be a day of reckoning for some of those on the bubble.
McMann is expected back this week.
Puckpedia is saying Kampf is expected to return in a week which will cause cap issues.
Unless there are more injuries, decisions are coming ...
With Domi & McCabe allegedly likely to return on Tuesday, that will probably be a day of reckoning for some of those on the bubble.
McMann is expected back this week.
Puckpedia is saying Kampf is expected to return in a week which will cause cap issues.
Unless there are more injuries, decisions are coming ...
Some are easy.
Grebenkin back to Marlies where he can play big minutes every night.
A. Nylander on waivers, I guess about 25% chance a bottom feeder picks him up but it's addition by subtraction...he showed nothing.
Tonight I think Robertson has to sit for Pacioretty if for no other reason than to give him a break. He's lost in his own head out there. The tougher question is what to do with him long term. He won't clear waivers so either they move someone else out or trade him.
Holmberg...as long as he's out of the top-6 I don't care. He's serviceable for the bottom 6 but we have a lot of those guys already. Ultimately I keep coming back to the question - just what exactly do the Leafs want the bottom 6 to be? A sheltered scoring line and a shut-down line, a shut-down line and a crash/bang line, something else? Without knowing that it's pretty tough to know what those decisions will be. I think Minten has earned a longer look as 3rd line center but he is also an easy one to send down and playing top line minutes for the Marlies would be good for him so I don't know.
I think these two can be sent down without waivers
Rifai (I think he's covered by waivers from last October ..?)
Grebenkin (waivers exempt)
These players would require waivers
Mermis (coming off LTIR Dec 10th)
A Nylander
When Kampf (Dec 14th) and Jarnkrok (Jan 2nd?) return, they'll need two more if no one else hurt:
Trade Robertson for a pick
Waive Reeves to AHL (leaves 200k cap hit on Leafs)
That would get them a 23 man (8 dmen, 2 goalie, 13 forwards) NHL roster under the cap with Minten being an upgrade on Robertson in the lineup and they would probably have everyone but Robertson for depth.
I don't see a lot of handwringing required.
If they were able to add Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Schenn from two years ago to that roster, that would be a heck of a team.
Bullfrog
Active member
I'd take him back in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the $7M for the next 4 years. He's fine defensively
For whatever it's worth it'd be very, very unlikely for the Leafs to run into cap issues right now. Even with a 23-man roster plus 4 players on regular IR (totaling $8.57mil in cap hits) the Leafs still have about $650k in cap space. There's no 23-man roster configuration that would give the Leafs issues cap-wise.
Obviously that's barring any future trades of course.
My heart says take him back, my mind says it'd be a bad idea. Regardless I think the odds of it happening are pretty darn slim regardless of what the media says.
Bullfrog
Active member
Agreed 100%. The whole culture needs to change. The fact there's even a penalty for fighting is ridiculous. In what other sport are you allowed to bare-knuckle punch someone in the face and be allowed to be back on the ice/court/field 5 minutes later? In most sports, you'd be banned for the season, or at least suspended for many games.
Honestly, it's why the women's game is so great. It's about skill.
Bullfrog
Active member
I'd put it at zero %. If they've got $7M free, they're spending it on someone else. Knies will eat up most of that.
Out of pure curiosity I played around with some projections. If the Leafs moved out all three of Domi, Kampf, and Jarnkrok for next season it feels possible to fit Kadri in even without retention. Having Minten, Grebenkin, and Cowan all potentially being able to play bottom-6 roles on their ELC deals would be a big help with that. But yeah still think it's very unlikely to happen.
When (if) Kampf returns (expected Dec 14th according to Puckpedia), there could be a cap issue (~$100k) if they have not waived Mermis and McMann (not at practice today), McCabe (head injury) & Hakanpaa (recovering from knee surgery) are still on IR.
Hakanpaa could easily move to LTIR to solve it. I think they would waive Mermis in a heartbeat. So it is not a big deal.
Depending on how things unfold, they might have to do a little fiddle to stay under the cap.
Early next month (about 3 weeks from now), if there are no further injuries, they'll face a cap issue when Jarnkrok's $2.1M cap hit returns. A lot could happen between now and then so I doubt they're very worried about it.