- In a significant move to streamline their roster and manage wage bills ahead of the 2024-2025 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have cut a number of players as they near their final lineup. General Manager Brad Treliving and his staff made several rounds of cuts to meet the league’s requirements before opening night on October 9, when the Leafs will face the Montreal Canadiens.
The most substantial round of cuts came on October 3 and 4, when the team reassigned over 30 players to the Toronto Marlies, their AHL affiliate. Among these were key prospects like Alex Steeves and Nikita Grebenkin, who impressed in the preseason but were sent down to refine their skills in the minors. Many of these cuts were made with an eye on maintaining flexibility under the NHL’s salary cap.
The team also placed some players on waivers, including Steeves and goaltender Jon Gillies, allowing them to clear roster space without losing these players entirely. The Leafs are balancing a mix of veterans and younger talents, aiming to cut down the roster to around 22-23 players before the season starts.
This trimming effort is part of a larger strategy by the Leafs to handle cap constraints while staying competitive. With several high-profile contracts on their books, they must make careful decisions about depth players to maintain financial flexibility. The team is focused on securing a roster that gives them the best chance to break their 56-year Stanley Cup drought while managing long-term cap considerations.
By cutting some of their emerging prospects, the Leafs are betting on experience and proven NHL players to carry them into what they hope will be a deep playoff run. These moves reflect the ongoing challenge of balancing roster talent and cap space, a dilemma that has defined the modern
NHL.
