Quoting: Clears4
Leafs can easily match 10.5M lol
Go take a look at what the Leafs payroll is for next season. Right now, with a 79.5m cap they have 6m in CAP space, assuming the CAP goes up to 83m (which has widely been speculated) that gives the Leafs 10m in CAP space for next season. Including Marner they have 10 free agents (5 RFA and 5 UFA)... So, how exactly are they paying Marner 10.5/11m and signing their other 9 FAs?
There is a reason TOR has, reportedly, been trying to get Marner to sign at a discount between 8 and 9m (before talks broke off) and there is a reason Marner (who has publicly stated he will NOT sign for a discount to stay in TOR) shut down talks until after the season (Leafs lowballing him). Next season TOR is gonna find themselves in another Nylander situation or they are gonna see Marner walking off to another team... they just can't feasibly sign Marner to a Tavares/Matthews level deal and still have a team.
Quoting: Hawkisles
I wouldn't bother trying to offer sheet Marner, as fun as that would be. Think of how much we could do with four 1st round picks.
I think you'd have to retain a bit of salary or offer more in picks and prospects for Ottawa to take on Ladd's contract, though I think this is more realistic than most Ladd contract dump posts I've seen.
I don't know if Montreal is the team that would give up a 1st for Leddy, but he's still a Top 4 defenseman with crazy speed and has a past of producing great offensive numbers. I think you're right, there's a team out there that would give up picks for him. Even if we don't use the cap space, I'd still rather shed Leddy at this point, especially if we get good picks for him. He clearly isn't a fit for Trotz' game, and I'm confident he'd do well on a more run and gun team. I think it's time to see what Aho and Toews are made of. Both have good extended showings in the the NHL and AHL.
While Marner would cost us 4 1st rounders, in terms of talent I don't think it would hurt the Isles all that much. With the young talent we already have in the system (Ho-Sang, Dal Colle, Bellows, Wahlstrom, Koivula, Dobson, Wilde, Toews, Aho, Wotherspoon, Soderstrom, Sorokin, etc) I think we can afford to give up four, potentially late to very late round picks for a guy who is on pace to put up close to 100 points this year and who is still only 21-22 years old and could form a formidable duo with Barzal for many years to come. I mean, just think of where this team could be this year with a Marner type on the roster??
So, in this specific case, I can see giving up the 4 1st's (even though it would be painful) to get a proven point guy on the roster now... not 3-4-5 years from now. The Marner thing could also be a backup option if the Isles miss out on signing one of Panarin/Duchene during FA as well... assuming some other team doesn't offer sheet him as well.
As for the Ladd thing, I was going off the premise that OTT needed to acquire salary to stay above the CAP floor for next season so the return would not need to be so drastic... however, having said that, the 3rd rounder could be bumped up to a 2nd coming from the Isles, with OTT supplying a 5th instead of a 4th if that makes it work any better.
Montreal was just a place holder, since it was reported they were interested in Leddy earlier in the season... but any team needing a Top 4 D would work here as well. My point exactly on the "we need to see what Toews and Aho are made of" idea. Toews has looked really good so far and Aho looked good as well last year and in training camp, plus having Hickey as an extra defensemen would mean we have someone we know is capable of stepping in if one of Toews/Aho struggles at any point next year.
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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