Toronto Maple Leafs: Will The Leafs Keep Komarov Past Current Deal?
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov has made himself a fan favorite since becoming a Leaf in the 2012-2013 season, but can they keep him beyond his current contract?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are paying Komarov $2.95M per year for the next two seasons, after which he’ll likely be looking for a deal that pays him equal or increase dollars. That might not be a contract the Toronto Maple Leafs can justify at that time.
Paying grinder’s ~$3M is not a good practice for a team who will be looking to become a regular in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – which is what the Toronto Maple Leafs will be aiming for in the 2018-2019 season.
Komarov will be 31 when his contract expires and – barring another magical shooting percentage and 19 goal season – will be providing a quality of play that can be replaced by a cheaper player.
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It’s easy to appreciate Komarov for what he does for the Toronto Maple Leafs but falsely placed loyalty can get teams into cap trouble they shouldn’t be in.
If you look at the championship rosters of the Blackhawks and Penguins, their money is spent heavily on the core that wins them titles and not by divvying extra funds to the wrong places.
It doesn’t help his cause that in the same off-season, and the one immediately following, the Toronto Maple Leafs will no longer have the luxury of star young players on entry-level deals.
The money is going to have to start being spent in the right places, and paying Komarov three or more million per season is a hard justification to make.
This pending scenario may lead to Komarov’s departure prior to him hitting free agency – as a deadline deal in 2017-2018.
Komarov’s style of play is an attractive one for many teams searching for that extra push for the playoffs. He hits, never stops skating, plays a good possession game and can score from time to time. He’s a player that doesn’t hurt you while he’s on the ice and can be squeezed into the cap at the deadline.
His value to the Toronto Maple Leafs may very well maximized at the 2018 trade deadline. While it’s hard to imagine the Leafs letting Komarov go, business is business and Komarov isn’t truly a core piece of this franchise moving forward into playoff years.
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