What should Maple Leafs do with these depth players?

With the new CBA and playoff salary cap coming into play faster than expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs have some tricky decisions ahead. Depth players like Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf aren’t flashy stars, but they’re reliable and valuable — especially if injuries hit. The question is how to handle their contracts without tying the team down.

Reasons for keeping Calle Jarnkrok: He’s flexible and reliable

Jarnkrok can play up and down the lineup without making mistakes, which makes him handy. He’s not the kind of player teams typically buy out for huge savings, either. A buyout would drop his cap hit a little next season, but he’d still carry over some cap space the year after. If the Maple Leafs put him on waivers and he clears, they’d only have $950K on the books this season — a bigger immediate savings — and he’d still be around if injuries strike.

Reason’s for keeping David Kampf: He’s steady and useful

Kampf is solid defensively and knows the system inside out. With two years left at $2.4M per season, a buyout would leave dead money on the books for a few years. If he clears waivers and goes to the Marlies, the Maple Leafs cut his cap hit to $1.25M a year and avoid any long-term penalties. Plus, he can help younger Marlies players get used to the Maple Leafs’ system and be ready for a call-up if needed.