The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a pair of trades earlier this week, acquiring defenseman Cody Ceci from the Ottawa Senators and Alex Kerfoot from the Colorado Avalanche. Both players were restricted free agents and in need of new contracts, which Leafs GM Kyle Dubas promptly took care of on Thursday.
The Leafs signed Ceci to a one-year, $4.5 Million extension and locked up Kerfoot to a four-year, $14 Million deal ($3.5 Million AAV).
Ceci had 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists) in 74 games with the Sens last season and was eligible for salary arbitration one year away from unrestricted free agency, but according to reports following the trade on Monday, the 25-year-old blueliner agreed to a new deal for slightly more than the $4.3 Million salary he earned in 2018-19 and the same cap hit as former Leaf Nikita Zaitsev.
Kerfoot had 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 78 games for the Avalanche in his second NHL season and was acquired along with defenseman Tyson Barrie in exchange for Nazem Kadri and Calle Rosen. The 24-year-old is expected to be the third-line center behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares. After trading Kadri with three years left at a $4.5 Million salary, Dubas was able to sign his replacement up the middle for a year longer and $1 Million per season.
According to Cap Friendly, after the signings of Ceci and Kerfoot, Toronto has $3.765 Million in available cap space, but that does not include placing Nathan Horton and the injured Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott on LTIR. The Leafs are able to go over the $81.5 Million salary cap by 10% during the summer, so they still have enough room to get RFA Mitch Marner locked up on a long-term deal and have until the start of the regular season to get under the cap.
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