What’s Next For The Toronto Maple Leafs?

In the wake of Sunday’s blockbuster trades, one cannot help but wonder what’s next for the Toronto Maple Leafs? Who’s next to go? Who stays?

In any case, I think that it’s pretty safe to say that this season is a write-off. We’re not making any moves to make a run at the playoffs this season. So, let’s look forward and take a look at what the Maple Leafs should look like next season.

According to CapGeek’s 2010-11 Cap Calculator, the Maple Leafs are committed to 14 players and $47.6125M in payroll. Now, bonuses are included in that number, leaving 9 roster spots and $13.4475M in cap space.

Now, let’s assume that Nikolai Kulemin, Christian Hanson & Jonas Gustavsson re-sign for modest raises, either before the end of the season or in the summer.

Let’s also assume that Viktor Stalberg & Nazem Kadri will be up with the big club next season. Under these assumptions, here’s what the Leafs will have committed for the 2010-11 season:

————————————————————————————————————————————–
PLAYER BONUS CAP HIT
FORWARDS
Phil Kessel — $5,400,000
Tyler Bozak ($2,850,000) $3,725,000
Mikhail Grabovski — $2,900,000
* Nikolai Kulemin — $2,000,000
Nazem Kadri ($850,000) $1,750,000
* Christian Hanson — $1,250,000
Colton Orr — $1,000,000
Viktor Stalberg ($65,000) $850,000
Fredrik Sjostrom — $750,000
Jay Rosehill — $512,500
DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf — $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek — $4,500,000
Tomas Kaberle — $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin — $3,800,000
Jeff Finger — $3,500,000
Luke Schenn ($2,100,000) $2,975,000
Carl Gunnarsson ($170,000) $800,000
GOALTENDERS
Jean-Sebastien Giguere — $6,000,000
* Jonas Gustavsson — $3,000,000
BUYOUTS
Darcy Tucker — $1,000,000
ROSTER SIZE 19
SALARY CAP $56,800,000
PAYROLL $56,462,500
BONUSES $6,035,000
CAP SPACE $4,597,500
————————————————————————————————————————————-

That leaves 4 spots open with about $4.5M in cap space.

Here are some projected lines (minus the 4 open roster spots):

FORWARDS

Kulemin-Grabovski-Kessel

Stalberg-Bozak-Hanson

Sjostrom-Kadri-_____

Rosehill-_____-Orr

_____ _____

DEFENCEMEN

Kaberle-Phaneuf

Beauchemin-Komisarek

Gunnarsson-Schenn

Finger

GOALTENDERS

Giguere

Gustavsson

————————————————————————————————————————————–

There are still so many moves on the horizon. How would you fill out this roster?

  • Would you move Tomas Kaberle for some much needed help up front and/or a first-round pick?
  • Would you re-sign or trade Alexei Ponikarovsky?
  • Would you bury Jeff Finger in the minors to open up some cap space?
  • Would you bring back John Mitchell for a cheap number?
  • Would you assume that Lee Stempniak, Wayne Primeau & Rickard Wallin are as good as gone?

If you were Brian Burke, what would you do?

Follow me on twitter: @SantosDan

2010-2011 Toronto Maple Leafs
PLAYER BONUS CAP HIT
FORWARDS
Phil Kessel — $5,400,000
Tyler Bozak ($2,850,000) $3,725,000
Mikhail Grabovski — $2,900,000
* Nikolai Kulemin — $2,000,000
Nazem Kadri ($850,000) $1,750,000
* Christian Hanson — $1,250,000
Colton Orr — $1,000,000
Viktor Stalberg ($65,000) $850,000
Fredrik Sjostrom — $750,000
Jay Rosehill — $512,500
DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf — $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek — $4,500,000
Tomas Kaberle — $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin — $3,800,000
Jeff Finger — $3,500,000
Luke Schenn ($2,100,000) $2,975,000
Carl Gunnarsson ($170,000) $800,000
GOALTENDERS
Jean-Sebastien Giguere — $6,000,000
* Jonas Gustavsson — $3,000,000
BUYOUTS
Darcy Tucker — $1,000,000
LOST VIA REENTRY WAIVERS
NONE
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS
ROSTER SIZE 19
SALARY CAP $56,800,000
PAYROLL $56,462,500
BONUSES $6,035,000
CAP SPACE $4,597,500
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  • Gilmour2halloffame

    my predictions

    Kabs traded at the deadline for 1st and young forward
    Monster gets signed for 1 year $1.5M they need another year to see what they got
    Primeau at $1M cheap serviceable 4th line centre
    Mitchell at $750k
    Poni for a 2nd
    Exelby for a 4th
    Finger will not get bought out or waived. He either gets traded for an expensive forward (salary dump) or stays put
    Kulemin 3 years $7.5M (cap $2.5)
    Kadri does not start with the team but comes in the middle of the season (similar to Bozak this year)
    whatever holes are left they get cheap FA’s

    only my predictions (just like my Saturday night post about Blake for JSG!)

  • voodoo_band08

    http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/02/01/12700576.html

    Wicked break down of the whole Phaneuf trade………sorry, just thought it was cool to read and share.

  • CarltontheBear

    leafs_20 wrote:

    Staal is on pace for 50 points and that is on a third line role. If this guy was on another team he could easily put up 60-70 points, he is a big guy with good hands and is a great penalty killer to boot. If Burke could get this guy that would be unreal.

    Crosby and Malkin are the only forwards on Pitts with more icetime

  • CarltontheBear

    LeafsRyan. wrote:

    Who hasn’t Elisha slept with? C’mon Dion your better then that!

    Seriously? The guy looks like an ogre…you think if he wasn’t in the NHL he could get a girl anywhere near as hot as Elisha?

  • Cameron

    The only way the Penguins trade Staal is if Bergeron (friend of Crosby’s, can play the wing, and kills penalties almost as good as Staal) is going to end up in Pittsburgh. They need a real quality PK guy to make up for his loss. That said, I don’t think Bergeron is unattainable. The problem is, I wouldn’t want to involve Boston in any further trades, so the Penguin would have to acquire that Staal replacement on their own.

    On another note, you would think Stajan is Crosby the way the announcers talk about him now that he’s not a Leaf – “Flames fans, you’re gonna love Number Eighteen!”

  • LeafsRyan.

    my damn sportsnet west froze…

  • Troy

    The Calgary game announcers seem to think very highly of Stajan.

  • Troy

    Every time I hear of Elisha Cuthbert, I think of Popular Mechanics For Kids.

  • Charlie

    Why is Blake, Hagman, Stajan, White all wearing different numbers?

  • cb900f6

    Doc_yqx wrote:

    Julie Sucks wrote:
    TuckerThomas wrote:
    @ gordan:
    Another fake Jordan?
    That’s just his poor, newfie, half-brother. Just ignore him and he will go away.
    Easy on The Newfs…..There’s 2 of us here,so you’re all outnumbered !!! hahah

    Another one here…

  • Charlie

    voodoo_band08 wrote:

    http://www.csnphilly.com/pages/landing_09?Flyers-Not-Likely-to-Deal-Until-After-Ol=1&blockID=173348&feedID=704
    Right now Kaberle is at great value, Sourray’s down, Phaneuf a Leaf and who’s really out there, and no Chelios or Scheiner aren’t the solution, and seeing how Burke got Phaneuf, may’be a Kabs and Poni for Carter and Legin (prospect). Probably won’t be till the deadline, but by then the salary cap doesn’t apply at a percentage over.
    We’d have two offensive players and a center for Kessel with an added depth player, Bozak can play on the 2nd.
    Grabs should be packaged with either Exelby, Finger and Stempniak for some picks.
    Right now we have 3 contract spot that will be filled and we’ll have 3 more going into the off, and 13m or more on July 1st.
    UFA Signings
    Rene Bourque – 3yrs/2m.per(Could center the 3rd line w/Sjostrom on the PK)
    Manny Malhotra – 2yrs/1m.per(Veteran leadership that Toronto lacks, would of kept May this year)
    Jordan Leopold – 3yrs/2m.per(Could play with Phaneuf on the PP and works great on the PK too.
    RFA Situation
    Kulemin – 3yrs/2m.per
    Hanson – 3yrs/975k.per
    Gustavsson – 3yrs/2.75m.per
    So that’s 5-6m in RFA’s and 5-6m on UFA’s, we’ll save 1-2m in cushion.
    Kadri – Carter – Kessel
    Kulemin – Bozak – Stalberg
    Sjostrom – Bourque – Hanson
    Orr – Malhotra – Rosehill
    Phaneuf – Beauchemin
    Komisarek – Schenn
    Leopold – Gunnarsson
    Giguere – Gustavsson
    With players such as Brent, Oreskovic, J.Mitchell, Foster, Deveau, Hamilton, Rogers, Ondrus, MacDonald are all gone.
    That leaves players like Stefanovich, Mikkus, D.Mitchell, DiDo, Reimer, Aulie, Slaney, Greenhop, Giliati, Boyce and Scott are all Marlies next year, now that looks like a good mix of youth and grit.

    Rene Bourque is going to be re-signed. No doubts. and if he weren’t, he ain’t signing for $2 mil!!!

    Why would we be signing a dman? Leopold ain’t the second coming.

    I do like your RFA numbers though.

  • dawriter67

    Charlie wrote:

    Why is Blake, Hagman, Stajan, White all wearing different numbers?

    They’re not entitled to have their same numbers. Who gives a rat’a ass about them.

    The Calgary Maple Leafs.

  • office
  • ms office 2007
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