The Maple Leafs’ opening-night cap problem isn’t going away with one tidy roster move.
Toronto is already sitting $2.75 million over the projected cap, and if the club wants to be compliant by Sept. 29, it’s going to take more than a simple waiver transaction to get there. That’s the reality even with the excitement around the new additions to the lineup, the arrival of Gavin McKenna, and a fresh coaching staff that is expected to bring more creativity and entertainment for the team’s loyal and passionate fans.
There is some room to maneuver, but not enough to make this painless. Sending Troy Stecher down would open up $1.225 million in cap relief, leaving $125,000 of his $1.35-million hit on Toronto’s books.
That still doesn’t come close to clearing the full overage. Moving Steven Lorentz wouldn’t solve it either, and it would also strip away a key part of Sergei Bobrovsky’s arsenal.
Philippe Myers looks like a logical waiver candidate, but his number also doesn’t add up to enough relief on its own. The bigger point is that this isn’t just about trimming the roster. Toronto needs actual cap space, and that likely means moving out salary.
Even if the Maple Leafs manage to create room by sending Stecher and Lorentz to the AHL, that still leaves them roughly $300,000 short of getting back under the line. And while carrying extra bodies would make sense for a team that’s already fairly injury-prone, Mac Domi’s possible LTIR relief is only useful as a cushion if he stays out. If he returns, that protection disappears.
So the club may have to make a tougher decision and push real money out the door. A trade involving Dakota Joshua, who carries a $3.25 million cap hit, or Oliver Ekman-Larsson, at $3.5 million, would do that. Toronto may not want to go that route, but with the deadline for compliance closing in, it may not have much choice.
In the end, burying salary in the minors doesn’t really fix this. The Leafs need a roster that can be cap compliant or at least protected enough to survive the early stretch, and John Chayka has to do more than make one cut if Toronto is going to be ready for 2026-27.
In Other News...
Gavin McKenna Could Put The Maple Leafs In Rare Territory
Gavin McKenna arrives in the league with the kind of pedigree that immediately changes the conversation around rookie of the year. As the first overall pick, he is already being framed as a strong Calder Trophy candidate, and for Maple Leafs fans that makes the upcoming season feel a little more interesting, especially with Toronto history in the award looming in the background.
McKenna would not be navigating the race alone, of course. The Calder field figures to be crowded, with Ivar Stenberg and Porter Martone among the names expected to push him all season, which is what makes the chase so intriguing for Toronto observers. A win would place McKenna in rare company for the Maple Leafs, but first he has to get through a competition that looks built to stay close for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Need One Cheap Camp Option More Than Expected
With salary-cap room tight and roster spots already crowded, the Maple Leafs may still have one more low-cost avenue to explore when training camp opens: professional try-outs. That kind of move is usually about insurance more than splash, but it can be useful for a team trying to shore up depth without creating more financial strain, especially after an offseason that has left Toronto still weighing how much flexibility it really has.
Carson Soucy, Eeli Tolvanen and James van Riemsdyk are among the names that could make sense in that lane, each bringing a different kind of appeal for a club looking for options rather than promises. Soucy would address the blue line, Tolvanen would offer another forward look, and van Riemsdyk brings the kind of veteran familiarity that can make a camp invitation at least worth a closer look. The Leafs do not need to force anything, but their current situation suggests they may need one cheap camp option more than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A New Cap Question If Gavin McKenna Breaks Out
Gavin McKenna arrives with the sort of contract that can look simple on paper and complicated in practice once a rookie starts living up to the hype. His base salary sits just above $1 million, but the deal can climb to $3.5 million a year in bonuses, split between Schedule A and Schedule B incentives tied to individual performance and league recognition.
For the Maple Leafs, the real issue is less about McKennas next shift than what happens if those bonuses start getting earned and carried forward on the cap. Toronto will have to manage that money carefully in the seasons ahead, especially with Auston Matthews contract year looming in 2027-28, and how much room the club has to absorb McKennas incentives could become a quiet but significant part of its planning. [Read more 🡒]