Maple Leafs trade for centre Jared McCann from Penguins before NHL roster freeze | The Star
Toronto is his fourth team, though Seattle could well be his fifth. The Leafs submitted their protected list at 5 p.m. — about two hours after acquiring McCann, whose mere presence could have changed their equation.
Teams have two choices: Protect seven forwards, three defencemen and one goalie, or any eight skaters and one goalie.
In the Leafs’ case, it’s easy to see the first four forwards, three defencemen and goalie: Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin and Jack Campbell.
Until the McCann trade, it was widely believed they’d protect a fourth defenceman — Justin Holl — and go the 8-and-1 route. That would leave Travis Dermott, Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall, Adam Brooks, Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza and Michael Hutchinson available for the Kraken.
But if they go that route now, they could lose McCann, who can play in the top six. The Leafs might even see him in the role that Hyman has filled — playing on any line. McCann is reasonably priced with one year left, and would still be a restricted free agent next year.
So now the Leafs might go the 7-3-1 route, adding McCann and two other forwards, while exposing Holl along with Dermott.
The backstory is that the Kraken hired Leafs assistant coach Dave Hakstol to be their head coach, and he hired ex-Leaf assistant Paul MacFarland to run Seattle’s offence. Those two know the Leafs roster as well as anybody, and it’s not beyond reason to think Dubas and Kraken GM Ron Francis have worked out a side deal regarding who Seattle would take as part of the Hakstol hiring. That would make the Leafs’ protected list more for show.
One camp believes it will be Kerfoot, a third-line centre who can also play in the top six. If the Leafs lose his cap hit of $3.5 million, they’d have a bit more money to re-sign Hyman, or a goalie with Frederik Andersen also heading towards free agency on July 28.
If it’s Holl, then the Leafs would see $2 million come off their cap total, but would be looking again for a big, right-handed defenceman to replace him, though perhaps re-signing Zach Bogosian could fill that hole.
It’s doubtful they’d lose Dermott, since Hakstol ran the defence and Dermott was a healthy scratch toward the end of the season and most of the playoffs. It’s also doubtful the Kraken would be interested in the 32-year-old Simmonds, coming off a down year, or the 38-year-old Spezza, who’d probably retire if claimed.
And there are more appealing goalies than Hutchinson available.
The Kraken might like Engvall or Brooks, neither of whom have reached their potential in bottom-six roles. Engvall carries a $1.25-million cap hit, Brooks $725,000.