The cap era reality

Johnsson doesn't get a 1st in any reality

He might. But both Kapanen and Johnsson does not deserve 4 million cap hit.

no way Johnsson is a product of his line mates. Kap is a better all around player and deserves close to 4 million.

Toronto's problem is that they rushed their rebuild. They had a great cap situation before signing Tavares. As good as Tavares is his contract put them in cap trouble. It also didn't help that they signed Marleau to a long term deal, which ends after they were going to have to resign Nylander, Matthews and Marner. Kadri is on one of the best contracts in the league but they or going to have to move him because they won't be able to fit under the cap.

Rushed the rebuild? What nonsense. Signing Tavares did not put the Leafs in cap trouble. Overpaying Matthews and Nylander did. The good/great play of Marner, Johnsson and Kapanen made their next contracts more $$$$ than the Leafs expected will put them over the cap. But you can't criticize the team or their players for being "too good". What do you want these players not playing to their potential?
The big advantage of signing Tavares as a UFA is that you good him for free. Let's imagine Nylander had been playing to his 7m contract. And the Leaf had to shed 7m in cap
The Leafs would have got at least 2 first rounders for Nylander. So really the "trade off" was Tavares and two first rounders for Nylander. Leaf fans would have taken that any day of the week.
It's really the Marleau contract that sore point for the Leafs cap this summer. A declining player with NMC and a big cap. Certainly not Tavares.
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