Patrik Laine to Toronto? The Maple Leafs Have a Problem

The Patrik Laine discussion around the Toronto Maple Leafs is easy to understand. He’s a former second-overall pick; he can score, and when his game is working, he can be a dangerous offensive player. Put a player like that on a team that could use more scoring, and it's natural for fans to start thinking, “Why not?”

But there's another part of the conversation that probably deserves more attention: how do the Maple Leafs actually fit him into the roster?

Reading what Maple Leafs fans are saying can be instructive.

One reader pointed out the obvious problem. Toronto is already tight against the salary cap, and adding Laine isn't simply a matter of finding enough money to sign him. The Maple Leafs would have to create room while also figuring out what happens with Max Domi and the rest of the roster. That could mean moving another contract, sending a player down or making a bigger trade just to make the numbers work.

And that's where this gets interesting. If Toronto has to move a player such as Dakota Joshua to make room for Laine, the question becomes whether the team is actually improving. Joshua brings something that Laine doesn't: physicality, energy and the willingness to dig for pucks. That's not a small thing for a team that spent the summer talking about getting harder to play against.

Can the Maple Leafs Fit Laine Under the Salary Cap?

Another reader makes essentially the same argument, but from the hockey side rather than the salary-cap side. Laine has been a highly touted player for a long time, but his career hasn't followed the path people expected when he entered the NHL. He's moved around, his production has been inconsistent, and he's never quite become the dominant scorer many thought he would be.

That doesn't mean he can't still help Toronto. It means that the Maple Leafs have to ask a pretty simple question. What problem are they trying to solve? If they need another pure offensive weapon, Laine makes some sense. If they're looking for another player who wins battles, creates energy and makes life uncomfortable for opponents, maybe he's not the answer.

There’s a secondary story for the Maple Leafs.

And that's probably the secondary story here. The Maple Leafs don't need to add a recognizable name just because he's available. They need to add the right player.

Laine might be that guy. But between the salary-cap gymnastics and the question of whether he actually fits the team's new identity, this isn't nearly as simple as saying, “Put Laine on the Leafs.”