Getty Toronto Maple Leafs players celebrate a goal
The Toronto Maple Leafs might face some trouble next summer when they will have to make a difficult decision about who they want back with the team next season.
Hockey insider Darren Dreger joined TSN radio show OverDrive on March 21 following the NHL GM Meetings to discuss the conundrum facing the Maple Leafs next offseason.
Asked by host Bryan Hayes about the possibility of losing one (or the two) of upcoming unrestricted free agents Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, Dreger offered his thoughts about the situation saying the Maple Leafs “have to be careful” entering those negotiations.
“I think you have to have a conversation if you’re (Toronto GM) Brad Treliving,” Dreger told Hayes. “You know, just preliminary talks, ‘Put together some parameter ideas and we’ll revisit down the road.’
“You have to be careful, though, because chances are you’re not getting to a place where you’re actually negotiating, are you?” Dreger pondered. “Is Tyler Bertuzzi or Max Domi, in this case, willing to just push away from an open market? The fit appears to be good–it hasn’t been great all year, but it’s good right now.”
Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi Made the Most of Bridge Deals
Both Domi and Bertuzzi joined the Maple Leafs last offseason signing one-year deals with Toronto. Domi signed a $3 million deal while Bertuzzi inked a $5.5 million pact with the Canadian franchise. Through games played on Monday, March, 25, Domi has appeared in all 70 matches with Bertuzzi playing 68 of them.
Domi has 15 goals, 19 assists, and 34 points to Bertuzzi’s 8 goals, 32 assists, and 40 points this season. According to data from Hockey Stat Cards, Domi has a minus-0.5 Net Rating while Bertuzzi boasts a rather impressive plus-2.6 Net Rating. The difference between these two comes mostly down to Domi’s disastrous defensive rating, which kills his overall production.
The Maple Leafs are in third position in the NHL Atlantic Division with 89 points through 70 games played, making them a lock to make the playoffs next month barring an absolute catastrophe. MoneyPuck gives Toronto 100 percent odds of clinching a postseason berth via either a top-3 finish in the division or the wild-card route.
“I think that Leafs fans can envision what these two players are going to mean to any level of success in Toronto in the playoffs,” Dreger said. “And they can see a future in that, but if you’re Tyler Bertuzzi, if you’re Max Domi, are you leaving millions on the table to extend with the Maple Leafs because the fit is good? Maybe you would have a couple of years ago.”
Toronto Maple Leafs Facing Cap Crunch Next Summer
Dreger’s thought could be right regarding how Domi and Bertuzzi will approach next offseason as they will be free to negotiate with any franchise with Toronto not having legal means to match any offer they receive in the open market once they enter it come July.
According to PuckPedia, the Maple Leafs are projected to have $-14.1 million in cap space by the end of the season. Entering next season and assuming they re-sign no players, they will have $20.7 million in cap space by the time free agency opens on July 1.
That, of course, has to change considering letting everybody leave would leave the Leafs looking at a roster boasting only 14 of the mandatory 23 players they must have in tow once the 2024-25 season gets rolling next fall.
“These guys are at a point in their career where, if they’re gonna make the money, they’ve got to have a good finish to the season and [have] good playoff runs,” Dreger reasoned. “Then they’ve got to be willing to look at what the ultimate market presents, but I’d be surprised if the Maple Leafs didn’t at least try.”
The risk, and why Toronto must be careful according to Dreger, is that Domi and Bertuzzi could prize themselves out of the Maple Leafs’ cap room with good postseason runs through April and May. Even the smallest of increases in their salaries would cut Toronto’s cap space in half, leaving the franchise too little room to operate ahead of next season.