the whole world waived the white flag to France a few days ago so it's not surprising.
- Symba007

We weren't invited

I'm sticking with that.

We weren't invited
- RickJames77

Canada/CountryformelyknownasUSnowcalledPutin'spuppet suck too much to be invited to this lawn diving competition

Canada/CountryformelyknownasUSnowcalledPutin'spuppet suck too much to be invited to this lawn diving competition
- Symba007

We're too busy with trying to set the world record at the July 4th hotdog eating contest.

Canada/CountryformelyknownasUSnowcalledPutin'spuppet suck too much to be invited to this lawn diving competition
- Symba007

A bit early Symba?

We're too busy with trying to set the world record at the July 4th hotdog eating contest.
- RickJames77

Only in the states can Joey nuts on his chest can be a hero.

Only in the states can Joey nuts on his chest can be a hero.
- Symba007

In all seriousness, that competition is one of the most revolting things

Karlsson for Nylander, Gardiner and 2019 1st round pick.

Karlsson easily fits under the cap for 2018/2019 season.

Here's how he fits the next year.

2019/2020 - Salary Cap Ceiling - 82.46M (Assuming cap goes up 2.96M)

The salary cap this year is 79.5 million, up from 75 million in 2018, 73 million in 2017, 71.4 million in 2016, 69 million in 2015, 64.3 million in 2014. On average, the cap rises 2.96 million a year over the past 5 years. The lowest it has risen in the past 5 years is 1.6 million. The most it has risen is 4.5 million.

Marleau (6.5M) / Tavares (11M) / Marner (7.5M)
Hyman (2.25M) / Matthews (9.5M) / Kapanen (2.5M)
Johnsson (2.5M) / Kadri (4.5M) / Brown (2.1M)
UFA/ELC (750K) / UFA/ELC (750K) / UFA/ELC (750K)

Kessel: 1.2M (How (frank)ing stupid was that to retain salary?)

Rielly (5M) / Karlsson (10.5M)
Dermott (860K) / Zaitsev (4.5M)
UFA/ELC (1M) / UFA/ELC (1M)

Andersen (5M)
UFA (1M)

Total: 80.66M

While McDavid will be used by some as the benchmark to what Matthews and Marner get, Kucherov is a better comparable. He scored 80 and then 100 points as a 24 and 25 year old and led the league in scoring for most the year. McDavid won serious hardware that Matthews and Marner simply can't compare to. Tavares had half a dozen teams making him offers to negotiate with. Matthews and Marner won't have that opportunity until they become UFAs. And no team is going to pay four 1st round picks for either in the form of an offer sheet. As RFAs, they can get big pay days but not UFA paydays. That's why they should make less than Tavares. But, if Matthews must get 11M, there's exactly 1.5M still available to give to him so it still works.

Also assumed Kapanen and Johnsson get the same kind of money Brown and Hyman got because that's the likely type of players they can / will be with top-six minutes, given their age and skill set. If they score 20 goals, it's fair to give them what Brown got. If they want more, they can get traded and replaced.

If Marleau retires (which his contract is built for him to do on July 2nd, 2019, after he gets his 3 million dollar bonus and promptly traded to Arizona) it opens 6.5 more in cap space and solves every cap related problem very easily in one shot. Horton is on LTIR, obviously. Even if Marleau doesn't retire, he can fit but obviously the 6.5 million would be better spent on younger, cheaper players. Either way, it still works under the cap.

If the cap, for some incredible reason stays the same and doesn't rise (hasn't happened once yet) trade one of Johnsson, Brown or Hyman to clear cap space. If necessary, trade Zaitsev or Carrick to clear cap space. Replace with cheap UFA / ELC. Zaitsev is obviously the best candidate to be traded out of all the names listed, especially if Ozy can replace him as the Russian RHD.

Give Karlsson an 8 year deal with half of it in signing bonuses and upfront money. Make it lockout guaranteed. He's not as good as Doughty, that's why he gets a touch less but if it's absolutely necessary, making it 11M still fits.

Karlsson fits. Proven. This is why Prindham is the AGM, right?
- Unholy_Goalie

This is full of the same hope and delusion that silly leaf fans were accused of (by you) when hoping for Tavares.. do you member? I member

This is full of the same hope and delusion that silly leaf fans were accused of (by you) when hoping for Tavares.. do you member? I member
- Puck-us-all

We got a live one

Max is Plantheparade and now who are you? Hmmm...

Canada/CountryformelyknownasUSnowcalledPutin'spuppet suck too much to be invited to this lawn diving competition
- Symba007

We got a live one

Max is Plantheparade and now who are you? Hmmm...
- RickJames77

I am me

We got a live one

Max is Plantheparade and now who are you? Hmmm...
- RickJames77

He members

- LeafGuy89

- Symba007

you are a political genius!

If leafs have a good year next season, why would Marleau be okay with going somewhere like Arizona for his last season? Seems like wishful thinking, Marleau will play out his full contract in Toronto and that third year will probably make things pretty tight.

If leafs have a good year next season, why would Marleau be okay with going somewhere like Arizona for his last season? Seems like wishful thinking, Marleau will play out his full contract in Toronto and that third year will probably make things pretty tight.
- ClarksonDavid

Exactly.

symba, explain this.

(use only your leaf homer logic)

If leafs have a good year next season, why would Marleau be okay with going somewhere like Arizona for his last season? Seems like wishful thinking, Marleau will play out his full contract in Toronto and that third year will probably make things pretty tight.
- ClarksonDavid

Agree- he will play out the deal, and he earned his pay last season. Pretty sure both the Leafs and Marleau are happy with the deal at this point.

If leafs have a good year next season, why would Marleau be okay with going somewhere like Arizona for his last season? Seems like wishful thinking, Marleau will play out his full contract in Toronto and that third year will probably make things pretty tight.
- ClarksonDavid

For sure, Marleau didn't come here to be traded to some poop team as we get contenderish.

For sure, Marleau didn't come here to be traded to some poop team as we get contenderish.
- Garnie

But but ug says so..

For sure, Marleau didn't come here to be traded to some poop team as we get contenderish.
- Garnie

Turn up the volume Garnie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJY_qqz_x8

For sure, Marleau didn't come here to be traded to some poop team as we get contenderish.
- Garnie

Yeah, never understood that line of thinking Leafs will just have to deal with that contract.

If leafs have a good year next season, why would Marleau be okay with going somewhere like Arizona for his last season? Seems like wishful thinking, Marleau will play out his full contract in Toronto and that third year will probably make things pretty tight.
- ClarksonDavid

Exactly. He's going to finsih out the contract in Toronto and then probably retire.

But but ug says so..
- Puck-us-all

Vermette > Marleau

Exactly. He's going to finsih out the contract in Toronto and then probably retire.
- TrashPanda

Marleau will finish his contract in Toronto



Then sign a cheap extension, cause he'll still be decent.

No player had ever worn #91 for the Leafs before John Tavares.

No player has ever worn #65 for the Leafs either...yet.

Another great reason to get Karlsson.
- Unholy_Goalie

Karlsson will cost too much to acquire and the leafs cant afford the cap hit.

Because he's a leaf. Too many dumb leaf fans that don't have a clue and think that he sucks and should be traded for a 7th rounder and all the leaf haters.

He's on TV more often so more people see him more often. People see the bad giveaway and focus on that and claim that is defensive, when giveaways have nothing to do with playing defense. People have it set in their mind that guys like polak who are called stay at home dman are good defensively and don't make mistakes simply because they don't make plays, so they can't point to them giving it away as evidence. But polak is brutal defensively, he makes more defensive mistakes than gardiner but because it's not glaring giveaway people don't have anything to point to.
- burn

Ya no.
Gardiner just makes dumb defensive plays all the time.
Great offensively.
But just dumb defensively