Cap crunch: Brown believes deal is possible

Winger Connor Brown appears to be in no rush to sign a deal with the Maple Leafs, but even without a contract, he’s happy to do what he can to help out.

The restricted free agent dropped by a Leaf summer camp for minor hockey players, several of whom chanted his name after he answered questions about his contract status.

“It’s patience,” said Brown. “All I can do is continue to work hard in the summer and take care of my part and let my agent and management take care of theirs.”

GM Lou Lamoriello assured fans a few weeks ago that Brown would be in a Leafs jersey when the season began.

There are, however, questions as to whether the Leafs have the summer cap space to sign Brown. Teams can exceed the cap by 10 per cent, or to a limit of $82.5 million (U.S.). The website capfriendly.com dug through the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, determining the Leafs didn’t have enough space to sign Brown to an amount equal to his value — around $3 million a year — without making a trade or two.

A source within the Leafs organization told the Star the team does have the cap space, according to its reading of the CBA, but would not provide specifics. Lamoriello was due to talk Wednesday at the conclusion of the team’s development camp.

“Things will sort themselves out,” Brown said. “You just have to be patient.”

Brown said he is excited about the additions the Leafs have made — notably winger Patrick Marleau and defenceman Ron Hainsey.

“Marleau has been around for a long time, and he’s going to bring a lot of experience to our team. He’s from a good winning tradition. It’ll be awesome playing with him,” Brown said. “And I remember playing against Hainsey last year. Great stick. Another veteran guy who will add experience to our locker room.”