REPORT: Toronto Maple Leafs might lose one of their top players due to salary cap

Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs though, the season ended just like it always does, with a first round exit. The Leafs had a chance to knockout the defending Stanley cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games, but lost games 6 & 7 to be eliminated from the playoffs.

One of the biggest surprises for the Maple Leafs last season was the acquisition of Michael Bunting. The ''rookie'' was let go by the Arizona Coyotes of all teams, and signed a 2 year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a $950,000 AAV.

Absolutely no one would have guessed though how good Bunting was actually going to be for the Leafs. Bunting fit in like a glove on a line with Matthews and Marner and racked up 23 goals and 63 points.

While this may have turned out to be the best value contract in the NHL last season, the Leafs fortunately have one more year of Bunting at this contract, then after this season they could come into some issues. After this season the Leafs will have quite a few players in need of contracts and due to the large contracts of their ''big 5'' they will not have the cap space to give Bunting the large contract he deserves. Unless they continue to thin out the bottom 6, we can expect that Bunting will be leaving the Maple Leafs after this upcoming season, if not during at the risk of losing him for nothing.

Michael Bunting is a free agent following next season.

Will the Maple Leafs have the cap room to keep him around?@JamisonCoyle | @Stevekonroyd | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/mKzbpRAMop� NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 29, 2022