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Around the League 2019-2025 Edition

So I'm guessing the leafs stick to a 20 man roster and full 6 man taxi squad.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Tavares - Marner
Thornton - Kerfoot - Vesey
Simmonds - Engvall - Spezza

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogosian

Anderson
Campbell


Taxi Squad

Robertson - Boyd - Barabanov

Sandin - Lehtonen

Dell


That would leave the leafs a solid $1.5m under the cap, which turns into a big available caphit at the deadline.

But there's one guy that I think they would also want in here somewhere and that would be Joey Anderson so maybe they go with a 21 man roster instead.
 



So, my guess is that off-days when they don’t have games they’ll roll with a 21-man roster, when/if everyone is healthy.

They might do a 20-man roster too, but I’m assuming that they’re not going to waive any vets, and that the KHL UFA’s (Lehtonen & Barabanov) will be full-time members of that roster. The Leafs make a point of taking care of the guys they lure from overseas, and I don’t think either would be happy with getting paid a pro-rated $92.5K AHL salary while stashed on the taxi squad.

So, the full-time 21-man roster:

Auston Matthews
William Nylander
Mitch Marner
John Tavares
Zach Hyman
Alex Kerfoot
Ilya Mikheyev
Joe Thornton
Wayne Simmonds
Jimmy Vesey
Jason Spezza
Alexander Barabanov

Morgan Rielly
Jake Muzzin
TJ Brodie
Justin Holl
Travis Dermott
Mikko Lehtonen
Zach Bogosian

Frederik Andersen
Jack Campbell


And the taxi squad:

Pierre Engvall (waiver exempt)
Nick Robertson (waiver exempt)
Joey Anderson (waiver exempt)
Travis Boyd

Rasmus Sandin (waiver exempt)
Martin Marincin (🤮)

Aaron Dell

...and with the exception of Dell, Marincin (God, I hope so) and maybe Boyd, I expect all of these guys will get rotated on to the regular roster to get them into games with some regularity.
 
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Hmm, I guess I can’t count, since that’s actually a seven-man taxi squad.

So, scratch one of Boyd or Marincin, I suppose, again, assuming everyone is actually healthy.

I’d pick Marincin, but it’ll probably be Boyd considering all the forward depth we have, and with Marincin being Keefe & Dubas’s boy.
 
Seems tho that there's a pretty huge trade deadline caphit difference between carrying 20 or 21 guys (literally doubles the available cap), and with a taxi squad practicing and traveling with the team and only having to be called up at 5pm game day....I just don't see the advantage to carrying 21 guys.
 
Seems tho that there's a pretty huge trade deadline caphit difference between carrying 20 or 21 guys (literally doubles the available cap), and with a taxi squad practicing and traveling with the team and only having to be called up at 5pm game day....I just don't see the advantage to carrying 21 guys.


I agree that in an ideal world, they’d want to stick to a 20-man roster.

But do you really think they’ll stick one of the KHL UFA’s on a taxi squad roster where they’ll be earning a small AHL salary? Probably wouldn’t help with future recruitment efforts, or their relationship with Millstein.

Maybe eventually they’d demote Barabanov, but only after they’ve given him a good opportunity to prove whether or not he can play.

And if not Barabanov or Lehtonen...who else gets the chop?
 
Didn't think of this angle. The taxi squad will allow teams that are on cap he'll to be compliant. How's that fair to take that were responsible?

 
Didn't think of this angle. The taco squad will allow teams that are on cap he'll to be compliant. How's that fair to take that were responsible?




I don’t see the issue?

As far as waivers and the impact on the cap goes, putting someone on your taxi squad is no different than sending them to the AHL under normal circumstances.

The only difference is that taxi squad members will be able to practice & travel with their NHL teams.
 
I don’t see the issue?

As far as waivers and the impact on the cap goes, putting someone on your taxi squad is no different than sending them to the AHL under normal circumstances.
It may be subtle but having the ability to carry the extra players with the club basically bails out terrible GMs yet again. Vegas would have needed to make another move for the AP deal.
 
Oh I get the dig there. Keep it in the politics thread. If you're unable to separate let me know.
 
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