Jack Roslovic finds himself still without a contract with the start of the regular season fast approaching.
The 28-year-old right winger is the most notable player remaining in what was a thin free-agent market. For months, media speculation tied him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, that's no longer the case. During his podcast on Monday, Johnston said he didn't see the Maple Leafs as much of a fit for Roslovic because they currently have too many forwards.
“They're probably facing a scenario at some point before getting into the season where a forward or two are on the move somewhere,” Johnston said. “It could be through waivers, could be sent down to the American Hockey League, but I don't see them necessarily being in an adding position this moment.”
Most of the media chatter had the Maple Leafs moving a depth forward like David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok or Nick Robertson to free up cap space for Roslovic. PuckPedia indicates the Leafs have just over $1.9 million in cap space, with Kampf carrying an average annual value of $2.4 million, Jarnkrok $2.1 million, and Robertson $1.825 million.
Johnston claimed Roslovic rejected offers earlier this summer of two or three years with cap hits between $3.5 million and $3.75 million. He was hoping for better offers, but they didn't materialize, leaving him scrambling to find a new contract before the season begins next month.
Johnston didn't say if those earlier offers came from the Maple Leafs, but it could explain why they're supposedly no longer interested in Roslovic.
Entering Training Camp On One-Year Deal, Nick Robertson’s Future With Maple Leafs Murkier Than Ever
Nick Robertson kicked off his seventh training camp with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/news/maple-leafs-sign-robertson-to-contract-extension">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> on Thursday, but his position and role on the team have never been more uncertain. Agreeing to a one-year, $1.825 million contract before he was set to have an arbitration hearing with the club, Robertson didn’t want to get into the business side of why he decided to go that route.
Speaking of Robertson, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic recently examined three scenarios facing the 24-year-old left winger. He could continue having difficulty establishing himself as a top-six forward, finally have his long-awaited breakout campaign or be traded to another team.
Siegel considered the trade option to be the most likely outcome. He indicated that it's uncertain if Robertson will get any meaningful playing time, so it doesn't make sense for him or the team to keep him around.
Finding a suitable trade partner could be difficult. As Siegel observed, if there is a team out there willing to take a chance on Robertson, why hasn't he been moved yet?
The answer could be that those clubs likely view him as little more than a depth forward, just like the Leafs do.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.