The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely going to have some uncomfortable decisions to make as training camp cuts get closer.
While the top-six forward group seems set, and the blue line shouldn’t have very many surprises, the tough choices will come in the bottom six.
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But one not-so-surprising name could be hitting the waiver wire. That’s Dakota Joshua.
The 30-year-old did not play this past weekend due to an undisclosed injury. The mysterious ailment has called the depth forward’s availability into question for the season opener.
And if Joshua is unavailable, the Maple Leafs would be faced with two options.
The first is to have Joshua start the season on injured reserve. That’s fine. It would open up a roster spot for another player to make the team. However, it does nothing to create enough cap space for more players to make the team.
And yes, the Leafs could get cap relief by placing Joshua on LTIR. But if his ailment isn’t that bad, the best place for him to go would be waivers.
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As such, sending Joshua down to the Marlies would solve a potential logjam in the bottom six, while buying everyone some breathing room.
Placing Dakota Joshua on Waivers May Be Toronto’s Only Choice
Unless Joshua can rebound in the next couple of days and see preseason action, the likelihood is that he won’t be ready for the start of the season. And with the abundance of depth guys on the roster, there’s no sense for the Leafs to keep Joshua on the roster if he’s not 100%.
That’s why sending him down to the AHL might be the only choice for the Maple Leafs.
With the Marlies, Joshua can buy himself enough time to recover from whatever is ailing him. Most importantly, the pressure would be off trying to rush back onto the ice.
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Of course, that situation does not come without its risks. The specific risk for Joshua pertains to losing his roster spot on the team. It’s a potentially tough situation for the former Vancouver Canucks forward as the competition for those bottom-six spots will be fierce in Toronto this season.
Maple Leafs May Have Another Way Out of the Joshua Situation
There is another possible way out, albeit an unlikely one.
There’s always the chance that another team could claim Joshua on the waiver wire. Such a situation would be ideal for the Maple Leafs and the player.
For the Leafs, it means getting out from under Joshua’s contract. A $3.25 million cap hit for essentially a fourth-line forward at this point is hardly ideal. That’s why seeing another team claim Joshua would alleviate both roster and cap pressure in Toronto.
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For the player, being claimed would mean another opportunity to catch on with a new organization. There could be a couple of teams out there that might see the value in claiming Joshua. While his cap hit is not ideal, bear in mind that injuries happen. And when they do, teams out there might look at the wire and see a possible way out.
Ultimately, it’s tough to see Joshua going on anywhere. The Maple Leafs could see the benefit in sending him down, and, well, Joshua would end up becoming a not-so-surprising name hitting the waiver wire before the season begins.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Maple Leafs Could Have Not-So-Surprising Forward Hit Waivers appeared first on HEAVY.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
