The Maple Leafs have found themselves in a familiar place.
Toronto placed both Max Domi and Dakota Joshua on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) Wednesday, creating roughly $7 million in additional cap flexibility while simultaneously clearing two roster spots.
The timing is certainly convenient.
The Maple Leafs entered the season with both players looking increasingly like pieces the organization would have preferred to move elsewhere. The problem was finding another team willing to take on their contracts.
Now, Toronto doesn’t necessarily have to find one.
With both players injured, the Maple Leafs can leave them on LTIR, create some much-needed roster flexibility and take their time figuring out what comes next.
That doesn’t mean either injury is being exaggerated or that the players aren’t actually hurt.
It simply means Toronto has very little reason to rush either one back.
And that could make this a very useful development for the organization.
The Maple Leafs Suddenly Have a Very Convenient Solution
The Maple Leafs spent much of the summer trying to reshape their roster, and Domi and Joshua were among the contracts that created complications.
Domi carries a $3.75 million annual cap hit through 2027-28, while Joshua is entering the third season of a four-year contract worth $3.25 million annually.
Those aren’t necessarily impossible contracts to move.
But they aren’t particularly attractive ones, either.
Toronto couldn’t simply wish them away.
That’s where the injuries change the equation.
By placing Domi and Joshua on LTIR, the Maple Leafs effectively get their roster spots back while gaining approximately $7 million in artificial cap space. Instead of carrying two injured players on the active roster, Toronto can use that flexibility to bring in healthy bodies.
And, perhaps more importantly, there is no immediate reason to accelerate either player’s recovery.
That is where the timing becomes so interesting.
The Maple Leafs don’t have to publicly decide what to do with either contract right now. They don’t have to find a trade partner. The organization doesn’t have to waive either player. They don’t even have to determine exactly where the two fit once they are healthy.
They can wait.
If Domi eventually returns, Toronto can reassess the situation then. If Joshua takes longer, the organization can continue using the LTIR space while he recovers.
There is nothing unusual about that from a roster-management perspective. Injured players are placed on LTIR all the time.
But considering Toronto’s apparent desire to create room for other players, this is an unusually convenient solution to a problem that had been hanging over the organization.
For now, the Maple Leafs can simply let time do the work.
And that’s particularly valuable when there was never an obvious trade market for either contract in the first place.
Elvis Merzlikins Is Already Settled on Robidas Island
Domi and Joshua aren’t the only players who have found themselves on Robidas Island.
Elvis Merzlikins has already settled in there.
The goaltender began the season on LTIR after the Maple Leafs acquired him from Columbus as part of the Kirill Marchenko trade. His placement was crucial because Toronto needed the additional cap flexibility to become compliant before Tuesday night’s season opener.
Merzlikins is reportedly in Switzerland while rehabbing from his injury, putting his return timeline firmly into the category of “whenever he’s ready.”
And there is another reason not to expect him to become a major part of the Maple Leafs’ plans.
He’s in the final year of his contract.
Toronto acquired Merzlikins primarily because his contract and the circumstances surrounding his availability helped make the larger Marchenko trade work. The Maple Leafs don’t need to view him as a long-term answer in net.
That makes his LTIR placement even more useful.
Merzlikins can continue recovering in Europe while Toronto gets on with the season. If he eventually becomes healthy enough to return, the Maple Leafs can figure out what to do with him then.
There is no need to force the issue.
And that leaves Toronto with three players occupying a rather unusual version of Robidas Island.
The Maple Leafs have legitimate injuries to deal with, but they also have a roster-management opportunity they desperately needed.
For an organization that spent much of the summer trying to create more flexibility, the timing couldn’t be much better.
Maple Leafs Add 2 New Residents to Robidas Island