Confirmed with Link: Jason Spezza, Aaron Dell on waivers (UPD: Dell claimed by NJ, Spezza Clears)

[mouser]

Interesting they decided not to invoke LTIR yet, even though the math is well setup for doing so at the moment. Wonder if they haven’t signed off yet on the duration of Robertson’s injury, or are just trying to milk a little more cap space without invoking LTIR.

If it’s the later the team is okay at least through tomorrow. The potential downside risk is if someone like Engvall, Lehtonen, Barabanov, or Sandin is recalled and injured. That could leave the team in a situation where the optimal LTIR cap solution is no longer available, or could require more waivers to achieve.

Delaying the LTIR did end up biting the team slightly, though nowhere near as bad as a Lehtonen injury might have.

The Leafs were able to bank an extra $2k or so in cap space by waiting a couple days. The tradeoff is they’ll be banking less per day going forward now if they can get under the ACSL then they would have.

 

[Ciao]

Delaying the LTIR did end up biting the team slightly, though nowhere near as bad as a Lehtonen injury might have.

The Leafs were able to bank an extra $2k or so in cap space by waiting a couple days. The tradeoff is they’ll be banking less per day going forward now if they can get under the ACSL then they would have.

Great predictions, @mouser .

It's all pretty much unfolded as you said it would.

I completely don't understand how the numbers work, but Lehtonen's been sent down, a couple of guys brought up, and Robertson's on LTIR.

What happens next?

 

[mouser]

Great predictions, @mouser .

It's all pretty much unfolded as you said it would.

I completely don't understand how the numbers work, but Lehtonen's been sent down, a couple of guys brought up, and Robertson's on LTIR.

What happens next?

Leafs currently have 20 healthy players and $821,667 in the LTIR pool. Let's say Brooks and Anderson were temporary for the cap benefit and are sent back down. That leaves $2,296,667 available and the team 2 roster slots short.

- Any two players can fit into the recall and run a 20 player team
- If the Leafs want to run a 21 player team then the three recalled contracts can't be a combined more then $196,667 over the $700k minimum salary. Which would mean no Engvall, Lehtonen or Barabanov.

- If Thornton goes on LTIR that adds another $700k, bringing the available pool to $2,996,667 and a lot more flexibility to run a 21 player roster. Would still be a similar situation if they desired to run a 22 player roster--the additions couldn't include contracts totalling more then $196,667 over the min salary.

 

[Ciao]

@mouser Thanks for the analysis of the Leafs cap situation and roster option. Much appreciated.

 

[mouser]

Looks like that Thornton LTIR announcement is coming shortly.

 

[Ciao]

@mouser What are the conditions, if any, that the Leafs would be able to accumulate cap space while using LTIR?

 

[Ciao]

With the help of Mouser's analysis, I would pretty much expect the Leafs to LTIR Thornton, and before too long find a way to run a 21-player roster with 12 F and 7 D including both Barabanov and Lehtonen until they can make a decision on those players.

Everyone else is in the fold for the duration of their contracts, but the two European free agents need some special consideration to evaluate and retain them for balance of this season and following seasons, if either or both of them are worth keeping. I don't think they've seen enough of either of them to have a handle on that.

A decision on Lehtonen would surely affect Dermott and/or Holl's situation as well, concerning possible trades and whom to protect in the expansion draft. There are a lot of moving parts on the roster.

 

[Golden_Jet]

@mouser What are the conditions, if any, that the Leafs would be able to accumulate cap space while using LTIR?

There aren’t any, once Cap is over 81.5

 

[JT AM da real deal]

With the help of Mouser's analysis, I would pretty much expect the Leafs to LTIR Thornton, and before too long find a way to run a 21-player roster with 12 F and 7 D including both Barabanov and Lehtonen until they can make a decision on those players.

Everyone else is in the fold for the duration of their contracts, but the two European free agents need some special consideration to evaluate and retain them for balance of this season and following seasons, if either or both of them are worth keeping. I don't think they've seen enough of either of them to have a handle on that.

A decision on Lehtonen would surely affect Dermott and/or Holl's situation as well, concerning possible trades and whom to protect in the expansion draft. There are a lot of moving parts on the roster.

Yes I hope we get to see some more of both ... but we can't go with 11 forwards if Spezz is playing as it really drops us down to 3 lines ... like to see us lineup with 12 forwards tonight ... like to see both Andersen and Barabanov if they can fit both

 

[mouser]

@mouser What are the conditions, if any, that the Leafs would be able to accumulate cap space while using LTIR?

They would need to get the team cap under $81,490,675--the ACSL and their current cap hit as of today. With 20 healthy players currently on the roster, assigning any player would require a corresponding recall. Teams cannot make a loan that leaves them with less then 18 skaters on the active roster.

In theory Anderson and Brooks could be send down and replaced with two $700k players, that would leave the team $75k under the ACSL, accruing $646k/day. That would also mean no Engvall, Barabanov, Lehtonen, or Sandin.

At this point it looks like the cap accrual option is off the table, or at most only done on off-days for a very small bit of gained space.

 

[cesareborgia]

Dell was good for us. Never let in a stinker once. I'll miss that kid, has a bright career ahead of him.