Toronto Maple Leafs should sign Kasperi Kapanen sooner rather than later

The Toronto Maple Leafs have their very well known salary cap issues but may, in fact, be facing a further crisis in the not so distant future with Kasperi Kapanen.

Okay…I know I am not reinventing the wheel here. I know, that you know, that I know, that you know, that the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ cap issues are similar to that oceanic swell at the end of “The Perfect Storm”.

It’s MASSIVE. It’s coming. There’s no way to avoid it.

That first wave happens to be the issue of getting Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner signed. These two are adding dollar bills to their upcoming contracts with each game of the season thus far and Kyle Dubas must have a financial calculator on hand every time they hit the score sheet.

That wave is ginormous and will be wealthy beyond belief when it passes by. It seems like a foregone conclusion.

Yet when the second wave arrives, it could potentially knock an already writhing ship off its course or even cause capsize. This involved the next group of restricted free agents and Jake Gardiner that need deals at the end of this season.

For the purpose of this article, I want to focus on one RFA in particular, Kasperi Kapanen.

More from Toronto Maple Leafs

• Maple Leafs Rumours: Half of NHL teams interested in Ilya Mikheyev
• Toronto Maple Leafs: How to address the goaltender position
• Leafs reward Timothy Liljegren with extension after breakout season
• Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell situation becoming increasingly uncertain
• Jason Spezza retires, joins Toronto Maple Leafs front office

Right now, this guy is REAPING the rewards of William Nylander contract holdout. I have to say that I am of the ilk that the Nylander issue is going to go one of two routes in this regard: bridge or deal.

Now, I want to share an example with you if you don’t mind. My son’s Peewee House League team has a boy on the roster who is a GREAT kid, not very talented, has trouble skating with the other kids but has a heart of gold, and an attitude that brings everyone up and displays sportsmanship out the yang! Whenever this boy gets an assist or goal, our bench goes crazy. Great kid.

If I were to join the Leafs tomorrow…I would be that player in the show. The game would blow by me and by the time I got to one end, they would be going the other way. Yet, put me with Matthews this season and I get 30 points…and that’s with a torn Achilles from the beginning of the summer! Any of us would!

So Kapanen having six points in six games is no surprise because…well…he is a pro, but also portrays amazing talent of his own. This could mean trouble for Leafs management at the end of the season.

What if Kapanen keeps the pace up? Some will say, “He won’t though.” But what if? You have to be crazy to think that his agent doesn’t ride in and start trumpeting, “Nylander doesn’t want to take $6 million over six years? We’ll take it!”

If I’m Dubas, I consider signing the young Fin to a deal RIGHT NOW! Get him under ink for three to four years for $3-4 million a season. (psst, that’s Ron Hainsey money) and have him on the wing for Matthews for a couple of the “core” years to contend for the Cup.

If not, you not only face the pejorative connotations that come with letting a talent drive value but I would assume offer sheet availability gets said value out of reach.

The Leafs brass may be caught in the riptide of missing the possibility of signing the cause of the big wave. Matthews is the only of the two who have expressed interest in talking during the season. Marner says he wants nothing to do with talking contract during the year but things can change.

However, they shouldn’t topple the boat by not anticipating the second wave and getting on things now. And before all of you jump on me about how Dubas is smarter than I am…I know this already. I am writing this in the basement of my condo!

But…if the Leafs get desperate and need a 30 point winger on the cheap…feel free to get in touch! I would easily take eight years at the league minimum.