you don't think Dermott will get 3? based on how you guys all talk about him, he seems to be a legit top 4 already.

as for Gauthier, maybe 3 is a bit high, but I can't imagine he gets less than 2
- sensarmy_11

He will get league minimum.

I love how Leafs are the posterboys for being in "Cap Hell", meanwhile they are better shape than almost anyone.

0 bad contracts and their young core is signed up once they get Marner done.

Don't sign Muzzin but keep Barrie.
- RogerRoeper

Just can't see them paying 8 mill for Gardiner 2.0

Gauthier is a league min player. Dermott has done jack poop to get more than 3mil. This is his year to prove he's worth the investment.
- AdamFrench

just looked at Gauthiers numbers.....for some reason I thought he was better than that. must have just been basing it off the fact that he was a relatively high pick.

as for Dermott, I guess I'm basing that more on how people talk about him. I assume he'll be playing in the top 4 when healthy, which means he's going t have a really good partner no matter who he's paired with. I guess if he doesn't earn his 3 mil, then you dont' pay him........but it creates another problem of not having anyone in the org who's ready to play top 4 instead of him.

I love how Leafs are the posterboys for being in "Cap Hell", meanwhile they are better shape than almost anyone.
- RogerRoeper

Vegas has a lot to say about Cap Hell.

Vegas has a lot to say about Cap Hell.
- AdamFrench

Vegas went from most cap space to least in such a short period of time.

Just can't see them paying 8 mill for Gardiner 2.0
- bobbyisno1

He's better than Gardiner has doesn't have a bad back. Muzzin is just too slow to invest long-term in. Barrie is built for NHL in 2019.

Vegas went from most cap space to least in such a short period of time.
- RogerRoeper

And McPhee has already run away Just like when he left Washington in no-man's land. At least he didn't trade Glass. They went from a top-5 prospect pool to table scraps in one (frank)ing year.

just looked at Gauthiers numbers.....for some reason I thought he was better than that. must have just been basing it off the fact that he was a relatively high pick.

as for Dermott, I guess I'm basing that more on how people talk about him. I assume he'll be playing in the top 4 when healthy, which means he's going t have a really good partner no matter who he's paired with. I guess if he doesn't earn his 3 mil, then you dont' pay him........but it creates another problem of not having anyone in the org who's ready to play top 4 instead of him.
- sensarmy_11

What about Dubas makes you think he'd ever pay 3 million for a 4th line centre? That will never, ever happen.

But you iliminated the draft, how do you get top draft picks?
- bobbyisno1

It should be "guys who would have been top draft picks" - or "top prospects."

And McPhee has already run away Just like when he left Washington in no-man's land. At least he didn't trade Glass. They went from a top-5 prospect pool to table scraps in one (frank)ing year.
- AdamFrench

I realize they had to go for it, but they might still have that horrible expansion-like 1st year just later with the prospects and cap situation.

I would much rather have the Leafs core going forward.

What about Dubas makes you think he'd ever pay 3 million for a 4th line centre? That will never, ever happen.
- RogerRoeper

you literally quoted the post where I said I was wrong about Gauthier, so I'm not sure what your point is.

I legitimately though Gauthier was an 8-10 goal, 25 pt guy.........I don't think many people pay a lot of attention to other teams bottom six guys, so I just assumed he was better based on the fact that he was a mid-1st rd pick who had a regular spot in an NHL lineup.

having actually looked at his numbers, I 100% agree that he isn't a 3 mil player.

GMs struggle to manage the cap with proven hockey players. Having your cheap players on their "prove-it" contracts is what helps teams to gel it together. I think if you removed that and started paying McDavid $16m for 7 years in the first year of his deal, you're immediately creating cap problems - but you scored the best guy!

Imagine paying $12m x 7 for a 17 year old Alexandre Daigle.

The other thing I see as a major detractor is that many 17-18 year old kids would be signing at home. Or trying to. A friend of mine was golfing with some guy from Arizona - like an AGM or a Scout or something - before the draft a couple years ago, and he said that Matthews desperately wanted to be on the Coyotes. Tavares and McDavid desperately wanted to be Leafs when they were 17/18. Crosby, I believe, desperately wanted to be a Canadien.

The kids wouldn't leave home.

And it's not just money - it's status, fanbase, and so on. The rich would get richer.
- Monkeypunk

Your two points contradict each other.

If Matthews desperately wanted to go to Arizona, in theory Arizona could sign him for less than market value.

And I don't understand SensArmy's point about the cap having to go up. GMs would have a budget that they would have to adhere to, and would have to make contract decisions based upon it.

He's better than Gardiner has doesn't have a bad back. Muzzin is just too slow to invest long-term in. Barrie is built for NHL in 2019.
- RogerRoeper

He isn't built to play Boston, just like Gardiner.

And McPhee has already run away Just like when he left Washington in no-man's land. At least he didn't trade Glass. They went from a top-5 prospect pool to table scraps in one (frank)ing year.
- AdamFrench

and they have no elite roster players to show for it, other than Mark Stone (I think he's elite, I know some people don't).

the leafs are going to have cap problems, but at least they have guys like Matthews, Tavares, Marner, etc...........Vegas is going to be (frank)ED for years.

It should be "guys who would have been top draft picks" - or "top prospects."
- Atomic Wedgie

I knew what you meant, just getting in some digs.

I would like to announce I dislike the Leafs more than any other team in pro sports except the Rangers and Red Sox. This is not a JT thing, I just genuinely hate the Leafs!

Good Day

Guno89
Member of USA, below avg beer league player, Labbat blue fan and hater of bad pizza.
- guno89

?!?!??!?!

It's bland, pissy lager.

It's like being a fan of soda crackers.

you literally quoted the post where I said I was wrong about Gauthier, so I'm not sure what your point is.

I legitimately though Gauthier was an 8-10 goal, 25 pt guy.........I don't think many people pay a lot of attention to other teams bottom six guys, so I just assumed he was better based on the fact that he was a mid-1st rd pick who had a regular spot in an NHL lineup.

having actually looked at his numbers, I 100% agree that he isn't a 3 mil player.
- sensarmy_11

He might have been if he played the full year, but he's just too slow.
He did show imprvement at the end of the season though.

He isn't built to play Boston, just like Gardiner.
- bobbyisno1

If we have Barrie and Andersen doesn't stink in a game 7 we win. It's that simple.
The narrative that the Leafs are too "Soft" to ever beat Boston is odd. Did I watch the wrong series?

Your two points contradict each other.

If Matthews desperately wanted to go to Arizona, in theory Arizona could sign him for less than market value.

And I don't understand SensArmy's point about the cap having to go up. GMs would have a budget that they would have to adhere to, and would have to make contract decisions based upon it.
- Atomic Wedgie

if the cap doesn't go up, and you replace ELCs with 8-10 mil deals....something would need to dramatically change.

assume for a second that all ELCs in the league are gone right now (for players on NHL rosters). replace all of them with a moderate salary of say 4 mil per player (a few might be less, most would likely be more, in the scenario that was suggested) just about every team in the league would instantly be over the cap......and that's only with 4 mil contracts

you have to assume that almost everyone who's a "1st rd talent" would want considerably more than that. top 5 guys are probably asking for like 10 mil out of the gate.

it's not realistic to due away with ELCs and not raise the cap.

you don't think Dermott will get 3? based on how you guys all talk about him, he seems to be a legit top 4 already.

as for Gauthier, maybe 3 is a bit high, but I can't imagine he gets less than 2
- sensarmy_11

If that's what the Senators want to pay him, go for it.

?!?!??!?!

It's bland, pissy lager.

It's like being a fan of soda crackers.
- Atomic Wedgie

MMMM, soda crakers and butter with 6 year old cheddar, MMMM

I knew what you meant, just getting in some digs.
- bobbyisno1

How dare you!

Good day to you, sir.

If we have Barrie and Andersen doesn't stink in a game 7 we win. It's that simple.
The narrative that the Leafs are too "Soft" to ever beat Boston is odd. Did I watch the wrong series?
- RogerRoeper

I agree with you. I don't think "toughness" had anything to do with it. the days of the "big bad bruins", with a big dominant Chara, Lucic, mcquaid, thronton, boychuk, etc, are long in the past.

boston, IMO, is much more a skilled team now than a "tough team".

I think the leafs lost that series because Boston had better goaltending throughout the 7 games than the leafs did

He isn't built to play Boston, just like Gardiner.
- bobbyisno1

I don't know about that, muzzin laying out Krug was absolutely my favourite playoff moment last year. He might be the only thing close to a guy built to play Boston on the entire team.