Colton Sissons and the Toronto Maple Leafs are quietly building one of the priciest supporting casts in the league.
Everybody already knows about Auston Matthews at $13,250,000, William Nylander at $11,500,000, and Matthew Knies at $7,750,000.
Those three alone account for $32,500,000 against the cap. That part isn't a secret to anyone who follows this team.
What's less talked about is the rest of the forward group, and Toronto isn't exactly cutting corners there either.
Sissons signed for $2,857,142, and he's joined by Jack Roslovic at $1,500,000, Max Domi at $3,750,000, and Dakota Joshua at $3,250,000.
Nick Paul carries a $3,150,000 hit, Brandon Duhaime sits at $1,850,000, and Teddy Blueger comes in at $1,800,000.
None of those seven are being paid to drive offense. They're being paid to kill penalties, win faceoffs, and slot into whatever role a given night demands.
Why this depth spending could box in Toronto at the deadline
Think of it like insurance. You don't notice the premium until the one night your top line goes cold and someone else has to answer the bell.
Matthews still put up 53 points in just 60 games last season, and Nylander led that trio with 79 points across 65 games.
Head coach Jim Hiller inherits a roster that finished 32-36-14 last season, a group that clearly needed more than star power to get over the hump.
The old knock on Toronto was simple: too much on the stars, not enough support underneath them. This roster doesn't fit that criticism anymore.
But there's a real cost to building it this way. Money already committed to Sissons, Roslovic, Domi, Joshua, Paul, Duhaime, and Blueger doesn't disappear if one of them struggles.
Is that a smart bet on depth, or a rigid structure Toronto can't easily undo in February? Probably both, depending on how the middle six actually performs.
If a top-six scorer or a top-four defenseman becomes available at the deadline, Toronto's front office won't have unlimited room to chase it.
That's the tradeoff nobody talks about when they see $32 million tied up in three names at the top of the roster.
Is Toronto's $32 million depth spend a smart bet or a mistake?
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