Tavares

Toronto won't eat that Staal contract when Tavares expires in a year. He's also still producing. The picks and prospect don't mean much when they are in win-now mode.

They also won't sell a very productive 2RD for a late 2nd

These trades make no sense for the Leafs. Retaining 5.5 on Tavares and taking on bad contracts screws them. How would they be able to replace him with no cap space? And affordable RD that can play then you're in your windows, they don't dump those for futures.

Neither contract is bad, and I thought the idea of adding two proven clutch playoff scorers would interest Toronto. It provides a cheaper, replacement 3C for the Leafs whose better at everything a 3C should be doing, and adds another defensively brilliant winger that can play top six minutes, and has done in his career. Tavares' deal itself sucks, but getting out from under half of it for the year and having the assets provided to go and get a RD to fill the void was the logic.

So the Leafs trade a 1B/2C for an old, replaceable 3/4C and no cap space? They aren't "out from under" anything if they gain 0 cap space. Make it make sense.

Tavares isn't a 2C right now. He's struggling, he's a 2B/3C. Staal is a 3C, making a quarter of the cap hit, and better at everything the leafs need. They get out from under half of the deal, and get two clutch playoff pieces to help with the postseason.