Yesterday’s win over Columbus was one of those nights where Toronto’s special teams did the heavy lifting early, then the rest of the roster took over and turned it into a rout.
The Leafs rolled to a 6-2 win, with the Cowan/Nylander/Matthews/Marchenko/Roslovic group right in the middle of the action and the penalty kill doing plenty of damage on its own. Columbus did push more in the third, in a pretty standard score-effects script, but the Blue Jackets still couldn’t generate much in the way of dangerous offense.
Auston Matthews also hit a milestone, skating in the 700th game of his NHL career. That made him the 17th player in Toronto Maple Leafs history to reach 700 games with the franchise.
The night wasn’t all clean, though. Jake McCabe took a stick to the face and did not return to a game that was already well in hand for Toronto.
The Leafs’ special teams were the headline for a while. The power play helped keep things steady early, and the penalty kill was excellent throughout. By the end, though, Toronto was simply the better team, even with Columbus’ third-period push.
There was also plenty of chatter before and during the game about the Leafs’ cap situation and the tagging room issue that complicated the Marchenko trade. On Jeff Marek’s podcast, Steve Werier offered a quick explanation of how tagging room works under the current CBA.
It used to be so complicated that only the NHL office could really sort it out, but the newer rules made it much simpler. Now, tagging room is basically the same idea as offseason cap space, except it’s tied to next year’s cap and limited by this year’s cap ceiling plus 10%.
After doing a rough calculation, the number came out very close to the limit Werier mentioned. The practical result is that Toronto has to operate right now as if it has no LTIR room at all - around $3.5 million, give or take - if it wants to add a player. The team has to be dollar in, dollar out because tagging room does not use LTIR space.
That doesn’t mean the Leafs are stuck permanently. They do have space next year with a projected roster and no one on LTIR. But for the moment, the tagging rules are what are holding them back.
There are ways to create room, too. Expiring UFAs aren’t part of the issue, and there are obvious places to look if Toronto wants to free up space now.
One is among AHL players on one-way contracts signed through next season. The Leafs have a few on low salaries, and moving one could create a little extra breathing room, even if it’s only a small amount.
The more obvious candidates are Miles Wood and Dakota Joshua.
There was discussion on the podcast about how strange it was that the Leafs took Miles Wood, but there was a reason Columbus wanted him gone. Emil Andrae was the sacrifice in that deal.
Wood is signed at $2.5 million for two more years, and he’s hurt right now, which makes finding a taker tougher at the moment. Reports say they already tried.
Joshua, meanwhile, is on a conditioning stint with the Marlies. His $3.25 million next year would bring the tagging room in line with the actual LTIR room available right now and could help open the door for a move that brings back a more valuable player than whoever is sent out.
Max Domi is another name in the mix, though the question there is whether he’s actually recovering or if that situation is still up in the air. If he’s done playing, then moving his contract would be the cleanest solution, though it would come at a cost.
Trading Zack MacEwen would free up $875,000 in tagging room, but that’s not exactly an exciting route. The same goes for moving Cole McWard.
Wood looks like the logical place to begin. He isn’t unplayable in the NHL, but his salary is too rich for what he brings, even with cap inflation.
The fact that he cleared waivers says plenty. Still, the sense is that Toronto will probably find a new team for him.
In Other News...
Auston Matthews Is Giving Maple Leafs Fans A New Captaincy Debate
Auston Matthews has looked at his captaincy differently this season, and it has given Maple Leafs fans something else to debate beyond the usual questions about his production and the teams ceiling. There is a sense that his leadership has become more deliberate, both in how he carries himself with the media and in the way he handles his role on the ice, which has made the early read on this season feel a little different than in years past.
One thread worth watching is whether that change is happening in a vacuum or with some help from around the organization. Mats Sundins presence has been floated as a possible influence on Matthews approach, though nothing about that is confirmed, and the broader point is simpler: Matthews may just be settling into the job on his own terms. For a captain under constant scrutiny in Toronto, even a subtle shift in demeanor can turn into a meaningful storyline fast. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Jake McCabe Concern They Cant Ignore
Jake McCabes night ended early against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a stick incident forced the Maple Leafs defenseman out of the game in the first period. Toronto confirmed he did not return, leaving the team to wait for more information on what exactly happened and how serious the injury might be.
The concern for the Leafs is obvious because McCabe is such a steady part of their blue line, and any facial injury brings an immediate layer of uncertainty. Head coach Jim Hiller is expected to provide an update, but for now Toronto is left hoping the situation is not as damaging as it looked in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Blue Line Trouble Just Made This Erik Karlsson Rumor Real
Torontos injury pileup on the blue line has pushed the Maple Leafs into a familiar place this time of year, searching for help and trying to figure out whether a move can steady the back end before the situation gets worse. That search has now sharpened around Erik Karlsson, with reports linking Toronto to the Penguins defenseman as the club weighs how a high-end puck mover would fit into a lineup that has been stretched thin.
Karlsson is still producing offense in Pittsburgh, which is part of why the rumor has real legs, and the fit is easy enough to imagine for a Leafs team looking for immediate impact. The harder part is the price, and nothing has been settled yet, but this is the kind of conversation that tends to get louder once injuries force a contender to explore every possible option. [Read more 🡒]