Bridge deals for Hughes and Pettersson?
TSN Radio Vancouver: Jason Brough on Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, who both have a year left on their deals: “Do we need to start talking more about a bridge deal for Hughes and Pettersson? Will Benning, in Covid times, be able to give them long contracts…or are you looking where the only option is a bridge through the years we’re dealing with a flat cap”
Satiar Shah: Have to wonder if the Canucks will reconsider throwing in an asset to move out some salary as long as it doesn’t cost them a first-round pick or a top prospect.
Leafs to carry a reduced roster this season
TSN: Frank Seravalli doesn’t think the pandemic really accelerated their salary cap issues down the road. The Leafs appeared to figure out how they are going to handle the flat cap of $81.5 million for this season.
Mikheyev is now signed, and Travis Dermott needs a new deal. Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said on the weekend that they could carry close to 20 roster players this season.
“Maybe carrying 21 players on game day, shuttling a waiver exempt player down to the minors to accrue salary cap space at the beginning of the season on off days. And then after that, once they have some space banked up, then they can begin to get creative if need be later in the season.
But guys, if there was going to be any point in which you want to try and budget to the minimum of the cap possible, it’s in this season because of the roster space considerations and the COVID-19 crunch. And who knows what next season is going to look like? You’re probably going to have some exempt cap players that are going to be travelling with your team at all times. So smart move by the Leafs in that case and that’s how they play to attack this at the moment.”