Edited May 12 at 8:06 a.m.
Quoting: DeclanLovesHockey
I love sabres fans they can be hilarious at times
Quoting: kous
if the Leaf's move JT they do it without retention to a team with lots of cap. After July 1st his actual salary is only $910K He would be easy to move
salary cheap but cap heavy
Quoting: palhal
Doesn't help the Leafs at all. They retain 5.5m and then they have to spend at 5.5m to replace Tavares. Why would Tavares waive?
Well Tavares has all the cards; the Leafs have practically none.
1. He can't be bought out
2. They can't waive him due to the NMC
3. They can't bench him since it will just eat a roster spot and 11mil cap space
4. Tavares isn't going to just waive his NMC to help the Leafs banish him to some faraway land
If he says, Buffalo is my only choice (due to his time spent in the city as a kid due to his uncle) the Leafs can either keep him or do what they must to trade him to Buffalo which would require 50% retention and is almost certainly not giving you much of anything in return.
Perhaps he has another target but it would be much of the same story.