Oilers Rival Ruins a Trade Between Edmonton and Toronto

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Ryan Hall
October 9, 2023 (11:00 PM)

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The stage is set: the NHL season is about to begin, with tomorrow marking day one. All NHL teams will have their rosters finalized and must comply with the salary cap. Some teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, have struggled to meet cap compliance.

The Leafs were nearly $3 million over the salary cap threshold before this weekend, forcing them to make a move. They traded forward Sam Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in 2024. Lafferty, who had a brief stint with the Maple Leafs, playing only 19 games, was acquired from Chicago alongside Jake McCabe to bolster their Stanley Cup prospects.

Their Cup run ended in the second round against the Florida Panthers in five games.

Following the trade announcement, Elliot Friedman of the "32 Thoughts" podcast mentioned that the Edmonton Oilers were considering Lafferty as a potential addition to strengthen their bottom six forwards.

From the Leafs' perspective, Lafferty became a casualty of the salary cap constraints, coupled with the fact that they have a new general manager in Brad Treliving. A player of Lafferty's calibre, with a salary hit of over $1,000,000, could have benefited the Oilers. Regrettably, the deal could not come to fruition.

The Oilers opted to maintain a lineup similar to last year's, believing they are well-prepared to embark on another potentially longer journey in their quest for a sixth Stanley Cup.