dermott was also reportedly missing the first 12-14 games as well

I know. The point of this roster was to maximize LTIR usage - I also don't think Bracco makes the team. Need to be as close to the cap as possible after putting guys on LTIR so they have greater flexibility moving forward. This would put them $4,801 under the cap, meaning they could have rosters valued at $81,495,199 throughout the season. If their initial roster had Dermott on LTIR and Bracco in the minors and cheaper guys in the lineup, for example the Goat and Aberg, then they wouldn't only be able to have rosters valued at $81,164,366 throughout the season. That difference of $330,833 may not be much, but if could make an impact.

Teams do 'paper' transactions for cap purposes all the time. The risk for the Leafs will be that they may have to expose certain plays to waivers.

Then they could put Dermott on LTIR and send down Bracco if he doesn't make the team, and then recall two players who made it through waivers to fill out a 23 man roster.

Bracco may start the year on the 3rd line until Hyman is back, then he is off to the minors. 3rd line to start the year is Mikheyev and Kerfoot, with either Bracco or someone else who earns it in camp. Babcock has Kappy with the JT and Marner line to start the year, that is why they played together last night.

I think it's to early to really tell on Toronto's cap.

There are questions around Spezza wanting to come back to block shots and PK kill for 700k. You are talking about a guy who's made almost 90 million.
Hard to see how this is worth it for him. I think he's realizing that too. It's not worth taking a puck to the head or something at this point.

TOR might have to carry that contract. Making their cap issues worse.

well boys, we did it. cap issues is no more

If Spezza doesn't want to play they'd just send him to the Marlies and he wouldn't report. They can bury that $700k in the minors and wouldn't have any impact on the cap at all.

he's a 35+ contract, it doesn't work that way

I'm not talking about buying him out, but burying him in the minors. I know for multi-year contracts given to 35+ plus players you only receive $100,000 in cap relief when you send them to the minors after the first year but I don't see anything about sending a 35+ contract to the minors on a one year contract.

you pay the full amount. You can't bury it. You are stuck with it.