Marleau is safe, but money is tight

How does Patrick Marleau’s contract affect the Maple Leafs’ cap next season, and is there any consideration to buying him out? He’s still at a 58-point pace and looking pretty good. And if Kapanen continues looking like a top-six winger, how much more complicated do things get? Is there any money left for Gardiner? — Nick M

Marleau’s cap money is set at $6.25 million. He can’t be bought out — league rules for players 35 and older and all. (Remember Stephane Robidas?) Kapanen will get a raise. Nylander’s contract — no matter what level — means there’s a squeeze. I think Gardiner will be the one sacrificed but it could be Nylander. Many years ago Red Kelly transitioned from all-star defenceman to all-star forward. Got me thinking about the Leafs having so many good forwards and not so many D-men. In today’s high-speed, high-skill NHL, would it possible for a forward to become a defenceman, perhaps with a season with the Marlies? If so, who would be a good candidate? — Bruce C

A forward learning to play defence in his 20s at an elite level seems harder than a defenceman learning to play forward. Wendel Clark went from defence in junior to wing in the NHL. I always thought Gardiner would have been a terrific centre. He played that a bit in high school. But I don’t see a forward going back. That said, I think John Tavares could play anywhere in a pinch. Seem to remember the Wings using Sergei Fedorov on defence on occasion, and not just the power play. Are you worried about the Leafs consistently being outshot, despite winning most games? People tend to say that yes they are outshot, but the shots are from the perimeter. Is that the case? This trend is nothing new for the Leafs over the last several years, but it always makes me nervous having your goalie being peppered with shots and running the risk of fatigue/ injury. — Justin P

I’ll worry about the Leafs being outshot when the coach worries. Remember, when a team is leading the way the Leafs do, the other teams get a bit desperate and shoot from anywhere. So shots when the game is close are more telling. But the stat that matters the most to the Leafs (and probably most teams) are highdanger shots. The Leafs typically outshoot their opponent in this category by two or three (12-9, 10-7) most games. Or so Babcock says. The stats the Leafs use are not available publicly. I noticed that Edmonton played its opening game against New Jersey in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is only a three-hour drive from where I live in Norway. What are the chances that Toronto opens a season in Scandinavia? A rather hopeful Canadian stuck in Norway. — Scot

I would love it if the Leafs got to be one of the teams that goes overseas. The thing about those trips, the NHL has to buy the home game off the team. The league then sells the tickets overseas. To buy a Leaf game would be costly, and the NHL might not get its money back. Things could change if the Leafs want to develop a bigger fan base overseas. I’ve got my money on them going to China soon.

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