Had another look at the 50 contract limit (a thread that was active in TMLfans prospects section). I was writing it when the site went down. Capgeek has updated the Leafs Reserve list a little with Zigomanis and Dupuis added.
http://www.capgeek.com/reserve_lists.php?team_id=4&year_id=2011
With Schenn to come, they have 48 contracts total right now. McKegg & Crescenzi are obvious to slide back to junior and not count. Lombardi is on LTIR until further notice and while he is, I don't believe he counts. So that reduces it to 45.
Assuming they land the good-sized, good-at-faceoffs 4th line center they seek, that will add one contract to the NHL roster leaving two spots open among the NHL forwards that a number of Marlies will contend for.
Lupul Connolly Kessel
MacArthur Grabovski Kulemin
Kadri Bozak Armstrong
Brown 4th line Center Orr
________ _________
Goal and the D on the NHL roster seem fairly set to open the season with 9 contracts.
If Dupuis became a Marlie, he can probably play an effective center role in the AHL, working with Scott & Hamilton on a checking line like Foster did last year. With Zigomanis signed, they arguably would have Colborne, Zigomanis & Dupuis to provide them with three Marlies centers - needing a 4th.
For this stage of their development, junior eligible Blacker & D'Amigo probably have to play for the Marlies. Ouwya could go back to Euro to give them relief here but I also think for his development they have to see how he does in the NA game (probably ECHL). Ryan and Devane are options to send back to the CHL which would open up two contract spots if they had to. Ryan apparently skated well at the prospects camp so my guess is he gets a good look for duty on the Marlies. Not sure about Devane.
The worst case is if no one they have already signed fills out the three sports open for forwards on their NHL roster because they would have to sign/acquire three more NHL contracts. I also think they'll probably have to burn one more NHL contract to make sure they have a respectable 4th center for the Marlies (ie Boyce for example). If both those things happen, they would be at 49 and their only relief outside of trade (Mitchell & Greenop seem vulerable as dumps or Finger as a dream) would come from Ryan, Devane or Ouwya going back to their leagues of last season.
Next season, they only have 25 contracts signed right now. They'll have a lot of RFAs in the minors that will allow for some purging. So they'll get a chance to reset some. But since they're such a young NHL club, there's likely to be a little less movement from the minors than in recent years and as the good drafted kids come along, it's going to be somewhat tighter and something they'll have to manage more closely than they have in the past.
So it's not quite a bad as my first post on this was concerned with. If they do experience problems in the future, it's likely because this pool of good prospects they've drafted is developing which to me is a nice problem to have and one they haven't ever had under this CBA or in recent memory before that.
http://www.capgeek.com/reserve_lists.php?team_id=4&year_id=2011
With Schenn to come, they have 48 contracts total right now. McKegg & Crescenzi are obvious to slide back to junior and not count. Lombardi is on LTIR until further notice and while he is, I don't believe he counts. So that reduces it to 45.
Assuming they land the good-sized, good-at-faceoffs 4th line center they seek, that will add one contract to the NHL roster leaving two spots open among the NHL forwards that a number of Marlies will contend for.
Lupul Connolly Kessel
MacArthur Grabovski Kulemin
Kadri Bozak Armstrong
Brown 4th line Center Orr
________ _________
Goal and the D on the NHL roster seem fairly set to open the season with 9 contracts.
If Dupuis became a Marlie, he can probably play an effective center role in the AHL, working with Scott & Hamilton on a checking line like Foster did last year. With Zigomanis signed, they arguably would have Colborne, Zigomanis & Dupuis to provide them with three Marlies centers - needing a 4th.
For this stage of their development, junior eligible Blacker & D'Amigo probably have to play for the Marlies. Ouwya could go back to Euro to give them relief here but I also think for his development they have to see how he does in the NA game (probably ECHL). Ryan and Devane are options to send back to the CHL which would open up two contract spots if they had to. Ryan apparently skated well at the prospects camp so my guess is he gets a good look for duty on the Marlies. Not sure about Devane.
The worst case is if no one they have already signed fills out the three sports open for forwards on their NHL roster because they would have to sign/acquire three more NHL contracts. I also think they'll probably have to burn one more NHL contract to make sure they have a respectable 4th center for the Marlies (ie Boyce for example). If both those things happen, they would be at 49 and their only relief outside of trade (Mitchell & Greenop seem vulerable as dumps or Finger as a dream) would come from Ryan, Devane or Ouwya going back to their leagues of last season.
Next season, they only have 25 contracts signed right now. They'll have a lot of RFAs in the minors that will allow for some purging. So they'll get a chance to reset some. But since they're such a young NHL club, there's likely to be a little less movement from the minors than in recent years and as the good drafted kids come along, it's going to be somewhat tighter and something they'll have to manage more closely than they have in the past.
So it's not quite a bad as my first post on this was concerned with. If they do experience problems in the future, it's likely because this pool of good prospects they've drafted is developing which to me is a nice problem to have and one they haven't ever had under this CBA or in recent memory before that.