The Maple Leafs finally landed Kirill Marchenko, and the paperwork behind the deal explains why it took so long.
Friedman shed light on the holdup Tuesday morning. He pinned it squarely on the NHL's tagging rules.
Put simply, a team can't commit more future salary than the cap allows. Toronto wasn't permitted to extend the winger without clearing room beyond this season.
Think of it like a bank that won't approve a second mortgage until you prove next year's paycheck covers both. The league wanted proof on the 2027-28 books.
Enter Emil Andrae. The young defenseman carries a $1,550,000 cap hit through 2027-28, and Friedman suspects that's exactly why he was included.
And the extension is massive. Marchenko's new deal carries a $12,500,000 cap hit running through 2032-33, when he'll be an unrestricted free agent.
That number slots him between Auston Matthews at $13,250,000 and William Nylander at $11,500,000 on the Toronto payroll.
Marchenko now out-earns William Nylander on the Leafs payroll
For the record, this isn't a luxury buy off one hot spring. The Russian winger posted 74 points and a +29 rating in 2024-25.
Last season dipped to 67 points in 76 games. Still legitimate top six production.
Career-wise, he sits at 208 points. Columbus drafted him 49th overall in 2018 and got four NHL seasons out of him.
Here's the problem. Six more years at that price is a steep bet on a winger whose point total just slid by seven.
The Maple Leafs paid it anyway. Would a team chasing a Cup really let cap mechanics block a proven scorer?
The Blue Jackets, for their part, get a cost-controlled blue liner. Andrae went plus-15 with 13 points in 61 games with the Flyers last season.
He's 5-foot-9 and only 24. Don Waddell is buying upside and cap flexibility, not a finished product.
Columbus won't wait long for a reunion either. Toronto visits the Blue Jackets on October 20.
Before that, the Maple Leafs host the Canadiens tonight riding a two-game win streak. Jim Hiller now has a new scorer to slot into his lineup.
The cap math got the deal over the line. Whether that contract still looks smart in 2031 is a different conversation entirely.
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Are the Maple Leafs overpaying Kirill Marchenko at $12.5 million a year?
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