Maple Leafs GM Announces Final Roster Decisions Before Training Camp

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Tom Banks
August 25, 2023 (9:33 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs took a step forward in 2022-23 after 19 years of first-round failures, and now the moves this off-season have been made with one clear goal in mind: the Stanley Cup.

Moves to be made

With the additions of Ryan Reaves, Martin Jones, John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, this team could look completely different from 2022-23, but that may not be the only moves this team makes.

In his latest interview while addressing the Auston Matthews extension, GM Brad Treliving opened up on more potential moves before the regular season kicks off.

Regarding filling out the rest of the roster, Toronto is still in a delicate dance with the salary cap, needing to shed about $3MM before the season starts, even with LTIR relief, CapFriendly projects. That hasn't stopped Treliving from considering a few minor additions, he said today, although he didn't indicate whether those would come in the form of tryouts or guaranteed one-year contracts before training camps start next month.

One ultimate goal

After years of trying, this summer has seen plenty of change, but even so, the Eastern Conference is stacked full of talent, so there may be some moves out there to optimize this roster.

Ultimately, it appears to be Cup or Bust in Toronto these days, and if a PTO or two could be the difference between a particular line or blue line pairing making the jump in 2023-24, it's wise of Treliving to explore the opportunity.