You might not know it, but the Leafs almost have a cap crunch this season. The Dion Phaneuf trade meant the Leafs absorbed a large amount of short-term salary, most of which is expiring this year. While they’re under the cap, the excellent play of the Leafs’ rookies will lead to performance bonuses that, when applied to the Leafs salary cap for this year, push them over the limit, and result in an overage applied to next year. How real is this possibility, and how likely is it to matter? Let’s find out.
Throughout this analysis, we’re going to err on the side of conservatism.