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The Toronto Maple Leafs started their annual maneuvering to get under the salary cap by placing two players on waivers on Sunday, and announced the signing two veterans on professional tryouts on Monday in advance of the start of the regular season in Montreal on Wednesday.
The club placed goaltender Matt Murray and defenseman Marshall Rifai on waivers. The Leafs are hoping that some contractual hurdles they put in place will help get both players down to their AHL affiliate. Murray’s one-year, $875,000 deal has a bonus poison pill of $100,000 due on Thursday according to Chris Johnston of the Athletic that might dissuade a club from putting a claim in, while Rifai signed a two-year, one-way extension last month.
The club also confirmed the assumption that many observers made prior to camp, that forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz would be signed to one-year deals.
The 35-year-old former Montreal team captain was impressive in the preseason and signed a one-year contract worth $873,770, while Lorentz, who scored a goal for Toronto in their 3-2 win over Detroit on Saturday, signed a one-year deal for the league minimum $775,000.
Toronto also announced an extension for defenseman Cade Webber. The big 23-year-old was acquired from Carolina in March and signed a two-year, entry-level contract in April. The Leafs liked what they saw of the 6’7”, 212 lb. blueliner during the preseason and signed him to two-year contract, worth $1.65 million ($825,000 AAV).
The club now has to be cap compliant by Monday afternoon, something that Puckpedia theorized would be possible by placing Calle Jarnkrok, Jani Hakanpaa, and Dakota Mermis on LTIR.
With #LeafsForever signing Pacioretty & Lorentz, their opening roster looks to be $4,344,999 over cap for 23 players.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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