This Toronto Maple Leafs training camp? It’s straight-up weird. While plenty of teams split their roster into NHL and AHL groups for camp and preseason games, the Leafs are on another level with a camp that’s almost completely drama-free, because they really have no significant decisions to make. Forget the manufactured hype about whether a prospect will “make it” or if a PTO guy will get signed; the source even says it’s more about finding stories in what’s ultimately a non-event. Usually, those prospects go down to the AHL, and PTO players rarely stick unless the team needs them for a precise salary cap calibration. It’s just how it goes.
Zero Decisions, Zero Drama for the Roster
So, what does this “decision-free” training camp look like for the Maple Leafs? They’ve got 24 players in their NHL group, and out of those, only 23 are healthy, with Max Domi on LTIR with a $3,750,000 cap hit. The roster is pretty much set, featuring big names like Auston Matthews at a hefty $13,250,000 and William Nylander at $11,500,000. Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Dakota Joshua, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger, Steven Lorentz, Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Christopher Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Emil Andrae, Troy Stecher, and Nick Blankenburg (who has no cap hit currently) round out the skaters. In goal, it’s Sergei Bobrovsky ($7,000,000) and Anthony Stolarz ($3,750,000).
Cap Space and NHL Stasis
When it comes to the numbers, the Maple Leafs’ total cap hit for this group is $105,877,382. After accounting for Max Domi’s LTIR, they’re sitting on $1,872,618 in cap space. Remember all that talk this summer about their cap situation? Yeah, it turned out to be a total non-issue. This flexibility means they could sign Nick Blankenburg if they want him, or even keep someone like Ben Danford on the NHL roster for a bit, or just roll with 22 players. And here’s the kicker: there’s still some serious talent out there. The league is in a strange kind of stasis right now, and the source points the finger directly at Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin. Teams trying to acquire those guys are staying put, preserving cap space and trade assets, leaving some big holes to fill later. On the forward market, you’ve got names like Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, James van Riemsdyk, Evander Kane, Reilly Smith, Jonathan Drouin, and even Patrik Laine. For defense, besides the Leafs’ own PTO guy Blankenburg, there’s Ben Hutton from the Senators and Carson Soucy from the Blue Jackets still floating around.
The NHL is definitely buzzing, even if the Maple Leafs’ own camp isn’t. When that Hellebuyck and Larkin situation finally breaks, expect some fireworks. It’ll be wild to see which of these unsigned talents land where.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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