For the Leafs, with so much uncertainty around the contracts of Auston Matthews and William Nylander, future flexibility was key.
theathletic.com
While there’s no long-term security in those contracts for the players, the appeal is in what may lie ahead. Bertuzzi, Domi and Klingberg, in particular, each get one year to shine bright with the Leafs, a talented team in the centre of the hockey universe, in hopes of scoring a bigger, richer deal when the cap rises next summer.
Each has a chance to boost their value with the Leafs.
But why were the Leafs so intent on keeping things short?
A long-term deal for Bertuzzi in particular, who ranked third on The Athletic’s UFA rankings, wouldn’t have been the least bit surprising or controversial in the way that, say, Reaves’ agreement was.
What made the Leafs prize flexibility even with someone who may start next season as their No. 1 left winger?
Start with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, a cap that’s expected to climb to $87.5 million in the fall of 2024, and the flexibility to pivot, if need be, next summer.
The Leafs entered free agency not knowing what chunk of the salary cap Matthews and Nylander will be eating up in the 2024-25 season and beyond. As of this writing, they still don’t know.
As Treliving said, “We all know that we have some other business to take care of.”
The variability on the Matthews extension in particular is considerable.
If the Leafs prefer to meet in the middle on term with Matthews and his agent, Judd Moldaver, with a five-year deal, Matthews’ cap hit could be as high as $14.5 million. The cap hit would rise on a deal that’s longer than that and fall on something shorter.
Factor in the Nylander extension, which could bring a cap hit anywhere from $9-10 million annually, and what that means is millions available, or not, down the road for the Leafs.
You have to wonder if the Leafs, at an organizational level, were also reluctant to commit to anyone but low-cost players like Reaves ($1.3 million cap hit) and David Kämpf ($2.4 million) because of the stakes associated with next season. If things don’t end well again, do they want to have, say, Bertuzzi, on the books at $5.5 million for another three, four, or five seasons when major change may be in order?
The Leafs have given themselves the opportunity to pivot next summer.
In addition to Bertuzzi, Domi and Klingberg, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Sam Lafferty and Matt Murray (if he were to stick around somehow, which seems unlikely) will play on expiring contracts next season. (Jake Muzzin’s contract will also expire.) That means upward of $20 million in cap space to reorient the roster next summer.
The Leafs had 10 pending UFAs this past season, but this feels even more intentional with the emphasis on short-term deals this summer — with even more money in play.
