TORONTO, ON - MARCH 23: Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Minnesota Wild during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on March 23, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Wild defeated the Leafs 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Phil Kessel has not played for the Toronto Maple Leafs since they traded him on July 1st, 2015 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In order to make that trade happen, the Leafs needed to retain $1.2 million of Kessel’s $8 million salary.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have to pay that $1.