Yesterday's Insider Trading included a bit more information on the so-called "tagging" issue regarding cap space, the Leafs, and your need to worry that they can't do the math.

- TSN
TSN’s Hockey Insiders on the hurdles Toronto faces in making trades, if the Sharks could be a fit for Simon Edvinsson, Nashville looking for youth and skill, the Flames and Morgan Frost, pending UFA Artturi Lehkonen off to a hot start and the Kraken seeking top line skill.
TSN

A few days ago another outlet covered this, and I simplified it down for everyone who read the FTB. This bit was less detailed, but crucially included the correct term which isn't "tagging" and makes me think the league expert was the source.

Boiling it down, the way the CBA requires a team to calculate the space to add a player now involves a method of ensuring there is room for the full run of the contract of that player.

This is not, at all, even a little, like not even sort of, or close to the numbers a site like Puckpedia uses as a projection. This is a recording.

The TSN report says that the Leafs have so little of this imaginary next-season space that they can't recall Ben Danford right now because his contract for next year is more than the allowed space. This is not why they didn't recall him. They seem to be seriously not interested in rushing him into the NHL, but they can't right now.

"Right now" is key here. This is partly a function of an overabundance of depth players, some injuries that aren't long-term and some that might not quite last the full season, which is worse than if they were permanent from a cap perspective.

Dakota Joshua is back with the Leafs – stil on LTIR – and his very large cap hit and his two-year term is partly an issue. But so is the list of players on IR whose term next year gets added into this calculation. Cut the Leafs roster back down to normal size, and it's less of a problem. Those cuts will have to start happening just to get Joshua playing.

Some hazy questions remain around the players on LTIR like Elvis Merzlikins and Max Domi, but it pays to remember that when you're worried the Leafs won't be able to trade for the target of the week, they actually know more than the rest of us about all these details.

Without this issue of next year's space, it would still be incredibly naive to believe that any acquisition won't mean a major exit of someone. Or several someones.

Right now, the troubles are mostly due to the five players on IR. Longer term concerns will get sorted out in time.

On to other things:

Hakstol taking ASU job head-on as program investigates player's collapse
Sportsnet.caAssociated Press

No official word on Kirill Marchenko, but don't expect him to be playing tonight. We'll likely hear something later on in the afternoon our time.

That's all until much later for today's game in Seattle.

From The Branches