While the very bottom of the Maple Leafs depth chart changed a bit after this week’s draft, the top tier is a work in a progress.
Article content
Right up to the start of free agency this Wednesday, general manager Kyle Dubas will be trying to set the table for a run at a goaltender, either retaining Jack Campbell, getting in on the shrinking number that will hit the open market, namely Colorado’s Darcy Kuemper or pursuing a trade. If the ‘sacrificial lamb’ theory has any validation – that the Leafs can no longer count on ending their first round playoff hex unless their core four is broken up – the next few days will determine if Dubas actually gets bold enough to move William Nylander’s palatable $6.96 million US cap hit for space, defence or prospects. The downside is the loss of both Nylander and Ilya Mikheyev as a pending UFA would drain goals from the NHL’s second highest offence.
Another Leaf forward Alex Kerfoot, who will face renewed comparisons to Nazem Kadri now that the latter has won a Cup after they were swapped for each other, is also trade bait. As with Nylander, he does not lack for contributions as a Leaf, but poses an attractive deal for a team, especially one near the cap floor that could handle his $3.5 million on their books, yet pay him just $750,000 in real dollars.