It looks as if every NHL team will have to adhere to a hard salary cap of $39 million next season. Our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs currently have 8 players under contract for next season. They are Mats Sundin, Owen Nolan, Ed Belfour, Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Ken Klee, Darcy Tucker and Matt Stajan.
Even if you rollback these eight salaries 24%, you arrive at a figure of $27,066,647. Those eight players account for over 69% of our cap next season. We have a whopping $12,000,000 for the remaining 17 players, which may or may not include the likes of Aki Berg, Tie Domi, Brian Leetch, Nik Antropov, Alexander Mogilny, Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts.
Something has to give, the numbers just won't add up. If nothing else, this will force the Leafs to do some much needed pruning. We're too damn old. As tough as it will be, I think it's time to buy out the likes of Belfour and Nolan and say goodbye to Leetch, Nieuwendyk and Roberts. This team desperately needs some youth, above and beyond the likes of Stajan and Colaiacovo.
Better yet, join me as I pray for Sidney Crosby. We have a 2.08% chance of winning the draft lottery and picking first over all. It might be our only hope.
