Do Maple Leafs Have Too Many Young Contracts?

Is it possible to have too many young players? That may be the question the Toronto Maple Leafs may be asking themselves this offseason as they look to sign several players and draft picks to contracts, according to thestar.com’s Kevin McGran, who looks at the situation of prospect Dominic Toninato’s future in the NHL.

The former college star and Toronto’s 2012 fifth-round pick can be a free agent on August 16 if he chooses, but he claims that he wants to play for Toronto next year. The Minnesota-Duluth captain who led his team to the U.S. college hockey finals finished his career with 55 goals in four season. The question is, are the Maple Leafs able to sign him?

The NHL Collective Agreement limits teams to 50 pro contracts, not including players who remain in junior hockey. While many teams keep that number to the late 40’s to give them flexibility, Toronto is already at 50. While that number could shrink to 36 or 37 when the offseason officially gets underway, the Maple Leafs have other players to consider as well.

The Leafs have five players from 2015 under contract, but will have to make decisions on forwards Martins Dzierkals (third round) and Nikita Korostelev (seventh round) and defenseman Stephen Desrocher (sixth round). To make matters even more complicated, the team only has two of 11 2016 draft picks under contract and the junior careers of Adam Brooks (fourth round), Vladimir Bobylev (fifth round) and Jack Walker (sixth round) are ending and the team must make decisions on them.

The team would consider the option of signing Toninato to a minor league contract with the Toronto Marlies. Many former teammates at Minnesota-Duluth have done this recently, including 2011 fifth-rounder Tony Cameranesi, J.J. Piccinich, a fourth-rounder in 2014. However, Tonitato’s agent Neil Sheehy says he will not sign a minor-league contract, which may force him to take the free agent route if he wants a pro contract.