The Toronto Maple Leafs have become famous for having questionable contracts over the years, and that continues to be the case as we enter the 2023-24 season. As a result of this, we will discuss three of the worst contracts that they currently have. Yet, it is important to note that Matt Murray and Jake Muzzin will be excluded from this list, as both players are dealing with long-term injuries and will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) once the season begins.
Ryan Reaves
The Maple Leafs have long been criticized for being too soft to play against. In attempt to stop this ongoing narrative, they signed enforcer Ryan Reaves to a three-year, $4 million contract ($1.35 million annually). Although bringing in Reaves was an understandable move by general manager (GM) Brad Treliving, there is no denying that this contract is peculiar for more reasons than one.
Although Reaves’ toughness is going to be warmly welcomed by the Maple Leafs, it is certainly risky that they have committed three years to a 36-year-old enforcer. This is a contract that runs the risk of becoming a poor one early on if Father Time hits Reaves quickly. With that, for a team that has very limited cap space, Reaves’ $1.35 million cap hit is not very cheap for a fourth-line winger.
It is going to be intriguing to see how much of an impact Reaves makes for the Maple Leafs, but there is no question that his contract is concerning. He should make the Maple Leafs harder to go up against, especially in the postseason, but it is fair to argue that his contract is a bit too high, both in term and in salary.
TJ Brodie
TJ Brodie has been the subject of both trade and buyout rumors this summer, and the main reason for it is the Maple Leafs’ cap situation. Although the 33-year-old has been able to handle top-four minutes for the Maple Leafs, his $5 million cap hit is a bit too hefty for what he provides at this juncture of his career. More specifically, his offensive contributions have tailed off in recent years, and that is concerning given how much money he makes. For example, in 58 games this past season for the Maple Leafs, he posted just two goals and 14 points.
For the record, if the Maple Leafs keep Brodie on their roster for the start of the season, that is not a bad thing in the slightest. His defensive game is still quite effective, and he would continue to be a key part of their top four and penalty kill. However, it is also hard not to ignore that his cap hit is higher than what he should be making at this juncture of his career.
Related: Maple Leafs’ 4 Best Contracts for 2023-24 Season
With the Maple Leafs’ cap situation being in a rough place, Brodie will likely continue to be a notable name in the rumor mill. Whether a move or not occurs centering around the Ontario native, his cap hit will continue to be a topic of discussion as we inch closer to the regular season.
John Tavares
At 32 years old, John Tavares is still a star in the NHL, and his stats from last season effectively show that. In 80 games this past season with the Maple Leafs, the 2009 first-overall pick posted 36 goals to go along with 80 points. It was another excellent regular season from the captain, and he will look to put up similar totals in 2023-24. However, although he is still a major part of the Maple Leafs’ roster, his contract is also among the worst on the club.
As Tavares’ contract continues to age, it has the potential to become far worse. As noted above with Reaves, Father Time spares no one, and it is quite possible that Tavares production could tail off as we enter the final two years of his contract. With that, if the Maple Leafs ever wanted to move Tavares to gain more cap space to keep other key players around, it would be nearly impossible. His monstrous $11 million cap hit alone would be extremely difficult for most teams to bring in, and he carries a full no-movement clause (NMC). Thus, there is no way that they can move him unless he approves of it.
Tavares’ contract will also be one of the main things creating difficulty for the Maple Leafs next summer when players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Ilya Samsonov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, and John Klingberg will all be due for their next contracts.
Nevertheless, although none of these deals are necessarily horrible, they do carry some risks both in the present and the future. It will be interesting to see how well these three perform during the 2023-24 season from here.
