Maple Leafs' pursuit of Jack Roslovic puts one player on chopping block

The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly in talks to sign Jack Roslovic, who is currently a free agent after finishing his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Roslovic, 28, is close to signing a new contract, and the Maple Leafs are in negotiations to try to sign him, as are the Vancouver Canucks, according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli.

"You've got your contenders that are sort of looking to see if Jack Roslovic is willing to bet on himself and take a short-term, short-money deal to repeat the success he had last year in Carolina," said Seravalli. "I don't think the door is completely closed in Carolina. One of the teams to keep an eye on is the Toronto Maple Leafs. They've had discussions."

What Maple Leafs will have to do to sign Jack Roslovic

The problem is that the Leafs have 14 forwards on the roster and less than $2 million in salary cap space, so Toronto will have to release at least one player for Roslovic to fit on the roster.

The main candidate to leave would be Nick Robertson, who did not manage to establish himself last season, being a healthy scratch for the team in the playoffs.

Robertson, 23, signed a new $1.825 million deal with the Maple Leafs that saw his contract extended for one more season. However, coach Craig Berube himself hinted that the player does not have his spot guaranteed in a recent interview with The Athletic.

"There’s a lot of competition at camp. I’ll leave it at that," said Berube. Considering Robertson's high salary, his low impact on the team, and his coach's statements, it is easy to assume that, if Roslovic arrives in Toronto, the one sacrificed will be the native of Pasadena.