The Maple Leafs need to find a way to fit Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz on their roster, and trading two other key players could be the way it gets done. The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves at a juncture where the club will have to be salary cap compliant prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. With the likelihood of signing forward Max Pacioretty and perhaps Stanley Cup champion Steven Lorentz, both of whom are in training camp on professional tryout contracts, come some very tough decisions. According to PuckPedia, with the Leafs $1.069 million above the $88 million cap, their roster will need alteration to please the league before October 7. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNHL/status/1840806816910909670'> </a></blockquote></div> In trying to clear space for these potential signings, the probable sending away of players will create much speculation on who might be moved. Recently, TSN's Darren Dreger identified winger Calle Jarnkrok and center David Kampf as a couple of possible Maple Leafs that could be moved. Jarnkrok's deal carries a $2.1 million cap hit through 2025-26 and includes a 10-team no-trade list. Kampf's $2.4 million cap hit runs through 2026-27, also with some form of a limited no-trade clause. Moving either player would free up valuable cap space, but either contract poses some difficulties when it comes to trading them. � Another name that has been put out in trade rumors is defenseman Conor Timmins. While there have been a lot of humps in the road for Timmins during his career, including a concussion that forced him to miss the entirety of one season, he has shown promise since his trade to Toronto at the end of 2022. Now 25 years old, entering his prime, Timmins could well be a regular contributor to the Leafs' blue line. The two are ripe for a breakout year, but this season might be cut short for him <a href='https://www.houseofhockey.net/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/big-moves-coming-for-the-toronto-maple-leafs-as-two-veterans-may-be-traded-to-become-cap-compliant' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>should management decide to move him</a> in order to accommodate other veterans like Pacioretty or Lorentz. If the Leafs can't find a suitable trade, <a href='https://www.hockeyfeed.com/nhl-news/leafs-shove-3-players-on-trade-block-to-sign-2-more-players-and-become-cap-compliant?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1ponz0BeBQMviosgdpkB3Obg3NLgsIphD3HeoNtq8vD2Mn2IsUI1eYIbE_aem_BuuZy9kxYdOdP_GY150nZw' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>there are other options.</a> According to insider James Mirtle, Timmins going on waivers is another option. LTIR could also be employed as a cap-management tool, and players such as D Jani Hakanpaa and F Connor Dewar could be LTIR candidates as a means of balancing out the roster. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/mirtle/status/1840800423999127642'> </a></blockquote></div> The following week or so will prove to be a pivotal moment for Brad Treliving, the general manager of the Maple Leafs, as he sorts through these difficult decisions. The team has until October 7 to get its roster set, and the eventual solution might set the course for the franchise during the coming season. Whether via trade, waivers, or other creative solutions, Toronto's path to cap compliance will soon become clear.