Domi got a good, fair contract that works for both sides, we need more deals like this to keep coming our way.

Liljegren was a waste of cap space. Should have traded him. Why bother get Tanev if you're going to give Liljegren 3 AAV? Makes no sense. Not good enough to be 2nd pair, over paid to be 3rd pair and sucks balls in the playoffs. Same with Tanev. Not good enough to be top pair, 34, often injured but they signed Liljegren to the deal Tanev would be worth.

If they sign Tanev, Liljegren has to be traded. There's no way he's going to fit. If they sign Tanev and expect him to play on the top pair, they should all be fired because they obviously didn't learn their lesson with Muzzin, Brodie and Giordano.

Sign Pesce. Or else the Leafs D is going to be a mess.

Trade Liljegren, trade McCabe (replaced by Benoit).

OEL is a target reportedly which is great because his PP goal production is exactly what the Leafs need to add to the blueline without the problems that Klingberg had (injuries and totally sucks on D)

Rielly / Pesce <--- Balanced L/R, one offensive, one defensive.
OEL / Tanev <--- Balanced L/R, one offensive, one defensive.
Benoit / Hakanpaa <--- Balanced L/R, pure physical, shutdown, PK

That should still be the goal.

Robertson wants out which is perfect because the Leafs shouldn't want him back anyway.

Bertuzzi is gone which is fine because Skinner is about to be a UFA and the Leafs are better off with short term deals for LWs than signing one for 5 years and regretting it. I'd look at Stephenson as the 2C and use Tavares as the LW for the top line. Probably cost the same as Bertuzzi but he has a better playoff resume, can play W or C and PK.

There's a lot of options out there like Alex Nylander. Not a proven player but worth an experimental 1 year deal. Players that didn't get a qualifying offer could provide the Leafs with some options. Max Comtois, Sam Steel and Boqvist are out there now, so is Bean if they're looking for a cheap PP specialist on a 1 year, 1 AAV deal.

Askarov still needs to be priority #1. Forget signing some garbage back-up.

Go. Get. Askarov.
- Rare_Jewel

Holy crack addict rant!

I hope yall enjoy Stamkos. Tavares and Stammer can finally have slumber parties again.

Ugh, Tanev is not a great player and giving him that many years is insane.

So Nylander is paid 11.5 and the Panthers only have to pay Reinhart 8.6 due to no tax. Salary cap system is so broken.

And Bertuzzi is off to Chicago…. The guy likes his original six teams lol

And Bertuzzi is off to Chicago…. The guy likes his original six teams lol
- Dozzer

Perfect spot for Bert. Chicago looks to be cornering the market on over paid middle-of-the-road wingers.

Perfect spot for Bert. Chicago looks to be cornering the market on over paid middle-of-the-road wingers.
- winsix

He’s probably been promised that he gets to be Bedard’s winger, it would be a bit amusing if he doesn’t land a spot on that particular line lol

He’s probably been promised that he gets to be Bedard’s winger, it would be a bit amusing if he doesn’t land a spot on that particular line lol
- Dozzer

It would be even more amusing if he did and scored only 21 goals.

It would be even more amusing if he did and scored only 21 goals.
- winsix

To be fair, being a 20 goal guy will be bang on by the end of the contract. Anyone getting 30 will be in the $7-8 mill range by then. My laugh is how he won’t look good skating beside someone like that.

So Nylander is paid 11.5 and the Panthers only have to pay Reinhart 8.6 due to no tax. Salary cap system is so broken.
- Archaic

This really needs to be fixed. Pretty sure Reinhart took a solid discount to stay, but not that much.

And Bertuzzi is off to Chicago…. The guy likes his original six teams lol
- Dozzer

Crazy that there is such blatant tampering, and when the Leafs are looking to massage the system the league sends out warnings.

This really needs to be fixed. Pretty sure Reinhart took a solid discount to stay, but not that much.
- The Judge

Exactly. Its clear that no tax states have a large advantage. It's Bettman so I doubt it ever gets fixed, but if I'm the big market teams in making a stink about it.

Crazy that there is such blatant tampering, and when the Leafs are looking to massage the system the league sends out warnings.
- Archaic

Canadian teams do not matter to the league. It’s a business and those 7 already sell beautifully. American teams? Not so much.

Exactly. Its clear that no tax states have a large advantage. It's Bettman so I doubt it ever gets fixed, but if I'm the big market teams in making a stink about it.
- Archaic

Ok that’s not how it works.

A player pays the tax for where the game is…so the leaf players only pay the 37% federal tax rate for a game in Florida and only pay the 53.53% rate for the games in Ontario.

A lot of players go to non Canadian cities for the privacy, the take home cash is the take home cash and that’s more important than a cap hit to them.

To be fair, being a 20 goal guy will be bang on by the end of the contract. Anyone getting 30 will be in the $7-8 mill range by then. My laugh is how he won’t look good skating beside someone like that.
- Dozzer

Looking at Bertuzzi's career stats, he had one season where he scored over 60 points. He managed 43 points playing mostly top 6 with either Matthews or Tavares. By contrast, Domi scored 47 with less ice time and opportunity. Not hard to see why Leafs moved on from Bertuzzi. Domi also signed for significantly less money. At $5.5 M Bert is an overpay, but Chicago will have to overpay for a while.

Exactly. Its clear that no tax states have a large advantage. It's Bettman so I doubt it ever gets fixed, but if I'm the big market teams in making a stink about it.
- Archaic

Tax advantages and disadvantages affect every business in the world. Why would the NHL be any different? How would you fix it? Account for state, federal and local taxes and end up with 32 different cap systems that potentially change every year?

Looking at Bertuzzi's career stats, he had one season where he scored over 60 points. He managed 43 points playing mostly top 6 with either Matthews or Tavares. By contrast, Domi scored 47 with less ice time and opportunity. Not hard to see why Leafs moved on from Bertuzzi. Domi also signed for significantly less money. At $5.5 M Bert is an overpay, but Chicago will have to overpay for a while.
- winsix

It’s not an overpay. By the time his contract is up the cap will be around a little more than $100 mill. Cap hits will finally start feeling like far less of a deal within a year or two.

Don’t get me wrong, glad they’re planning on spending the $ on D and not Bertuzzi this year but I’m willing to bet more teams outside of Chicago would have given him the kind of $ he landed.

Tax advantages and disadvantages affect every business in the world. Why would the NHL be any different? How would you fix it? Account for state, federal and local taxes and end up with 32 different cap systems that potentially change every year?
- Canada Cup

That and players are paid by game and its location. Also why someone like Matthews only makes $775K a year and gets the rest as a bonus today (July 1st) while living in Arizona at 39.5%.

Ok that’s not how it works.

A player pays the tax for where the game is…so the leaf players only pay the 37% federal tax rate for a game in Florida and only pay the 53.53% rate for the games in Ontario.

A lot of players go to non Canadian cities for the privacy, the take home cash is the take home cash and that’s more important than a cap hit to them.
- Dozzer

?? They make more money in no tax states. That's been written about a lot. Sure there can be other factors, but there is a reason those teams are able to get constant lower cap hits to retain their top players.

That and players are paid by game and its location. Also why someone like Matthews only makes $775K a year and gets the rest as a bonus today (July 1st) while living in Arizona at 39.5%.
- Dozzer

There is more to it then that. Also, teams play 50% of their games at home.

?? They make more money in no tax states. That's been written about a lot. Sure there can be other factors, but there is a reason those teams are able to get constant lower cap hits to retain their top players.
- Archaic

Oh of course… a player only would care about the take home, and the league doesn’t care about Canadian teams, they sell win or lose.

There is more to it then that. Also, teams play 50% of their games at home.
- Archaic

Not much more. He only earns $775K while in Canada. Meaning he only earns a little more than $406K here in Ontario. Far less taxes being paid by him or he would cost more.

Ok that’s not how it works.

A player pays the tax for where the game is…so the leaf players only pay the 37% federal tax rate for a game in Florida and only pay the 53.53% rate for the games in Ontario.

A lot of players go to non Canadian cities for the privacy, the take home cash is the take home cash and that’s more important than a cap hit to them.
- Dozzer

It's a solid summary. The NHL season is approximately 180 days in length. You have 41 home games and 41 away games, but during the NHL season you are presumed to be at home except when you are actually travelling - which is less than half the time. It's not exactly 180 - 41, but's certainly closer to 110/70.

Signing bonuses are paid out to your principal residence (which is funny because Canadian tax law says it's a place you "ordinarily inhabit"; in my late 20s my principal residence was apparently Hurricanes at Bloor & Ossington) - so in Matthews' case, he has no state tax applied to his bonus on July 1 due to living in Arizona.

It's the crux of JT's issue with CRA - he claims on July 1, 2018 when he received his $15.25m signing bonus from the Leafs his principal residence was still NY - a place he had resided for nearly a decade - and CRA is claiming that since he was _going_ to be playing in Canada he owes them the taxes. I'm not a tax lawyer, but I am pretty sure JT's position is correct legally - but CRA always finds a way to get theirs.

A guy like Marner has his bonuses paid out and he resides in Ontario so he has the 53% tax application - but he can shelter and defer some of that money to retirement as a way to stave off some of the heavier tax implications - but regardless of that, whatever remains from his payouts will be taxed at the Ontario rate.

Nylander's a more a curious case because I don't know too much about international tax laws and how they're governed by other tax implications. I am fairly certain that Sweden's tax rate including their state taxes is pretty close to our 53%, but again, I'm not sure how all that crap works with international players.

There are still definite advantages to playing in a market with no state tax because you can declare residency there and gain benefit on your signing bonuses on July 1.

Tax advantages and disadvantages affect every business in the world. Why would the NHL be any different? How would you fix it? Account for state, federal and local taxes and end up with 32 different cap systems that potentially change every year?
- Canada Cup

Regular businesses don't have a cap on how much pretax money you can spend on attracting talent. Pretty obvious distinction. If you are going to make a cap on how much teams can alot , you should definitely make it fair for all teams. Or make it a luxury tax like most other major sports leagues

It's a solid summary. The NHL season is approximately 180 days in length. You have 41 home games and 41 away games, but during the NHL season you are presumed to be at home except when you are actually travelling - which is less than half the time. It's not exactly 180 - 41, but's certainly closer to 110/70.

Signing bonuses are paid out to your principal residence (which is funny because Canadian tax law says it's a place you "ordinarily inhabit"; in my late 20s my principal residence was apparently Hurricanes at Bloor & Ossington) - so in Matthews' case, he has no state tax applied to his bonus on July 1 due to living in Arizona.

It's the crux of JT's issue with CRA - he claims on July 1, 2018 when he received his $15.25m signing bonus from the Leafs his principal residence was still NY - a place he had resided for nearly a decade - and CRA is claiming that since he was _going_ to be playing in Canada he owes them the taxes. I'm not a tax lawyer, but I am pretty sure JT's position is correct legally - but CRA always finds a way to get theirs.

A guy like Marner has his bonuses paid out and he resides in Ontario so he has the 53% tax application - but he can shelter and defer some of that money to retirement as a way to stave off some of the heavier tax implications - but regardless of that, whatever remains from his payouts will be taxed at the Ontario rate.

Nylander's a more a curious case because I don't know too much about international tax laws and how they're governed by other tax implications. I am fairly certain that Sweden's tax rate including their state taxes is pretty close to our 53%, but again, I'm not sure how all that crap works with international players.

There are still definite advantages to playing in a market with no state tax because you can declare residency there and gain benefit on your signing bonuses on July 1.
- Monkeypunk

Oh I agree with this, all I’m trying to say it that the accountants working for the players know every little in and out when it comes to what the players get to bring home.

I didn’t realize that was JT’s issue for that year either, thank you for that info 👍

As for Europeans I’m like you, not sure how it all pans out for them but I’m assuming a lot like Canada.