The chatter surrounding the possibility of three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane joining the Toronto Maple Leafs has gained steam over the last couple of days.
However, the deal may not be quite so easy. The Leafs are $2.75 million past the cap ceiling and would need to clear space to sign Kane. But there’s a way the team could do it without necessarily resorting to a cap-clearing move.
Since Patrick Kane is over 35, Toronto could structure the deal based on a lower base salary and numerous performance bonuses. The bonuses would be attainable in order to entice Kane to actually ink with the Maple Leafs.
So, let’s assume that the 37-year-old chooses to sign with Toronto. That situation could allow the Leafs to structure a deal similarly to the one he inked last season in Detroit. That contract paid the former number-one overall pick $3 million in base salary with about $4 million in bonuses.
While Kane would be worth signing to a deal in that range, the fact is that the Maple Leafs might have a hard time fitting it under the cap.
So, what if the Leafs signed Patrick Kane to something like a $2 million base salary and another $4 million in bonuses?
It could work, and it might be a way to allow Toronto to add a middle-six winger who can chip in about 20 goals and 50 points.
Maple Leafs Would Need to Clear Cap Space to Sign Patrick Kane
As it stands, the Maple Leafs could sign Kane on a lower base salary without necessarily shedding contracts. Teams can go over the cap limit by 10% during the offseason.
The organization, however, would have to clear up room before the season begins. That situation is inevitable as the Leafs would have to be cap-compliant before the puck drops on Game 1 of the 2026-27 season.
One of the ways out would be to place Max Domi on LTIR. Such a move would erase the amount Toronto is currently over, and allow Patrick Kane to join on a $1 million base salary contract.
Anything above that might require another cap-dump move to free up enough space. It wouldn’t be surprising to see John Chayka come up with something to free up some additional space in the coming weeks.
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Toronto Could Use More Scoring, Experience
Aside from the offensive punch that Patrick Kane brings to the table, the Maple Leafs could use more experience.
In particular, Kane brings a winning pedigree that the club might have lost somewhere along the way over the last couple of seasons.
That’s why adding the former Chicago Blackhawks forward isn’t necessarily about scoring. It would be about giving the Maple Leafs another trusted veteran voice that could help bring the team together under Jim Hiller.
In a way, adding Kane would be about alleviating some of the burden of Hiller. The move would allow the players to sort of self-govern, allowing Hiller to discharge some of the micromanaging that Craig Berube apparently wanted to do.
There is nothing imminent to suggest that Patrick Kane will be signing with the Maple Leafs soon. But if he remains unsigned as the summer wears on, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear Toronto become a more enticing destination.
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