Tavares $12.5 million both Carlson and Bailey $7 million Nylander and Marner $7 million that will be have of the $80 million salary cap tied up in 5 players good luck with that. Nylander isn't signing for no $2.6 million try adding at least another $4 million on to it.

The Leafs would have to gamble by giving Marner and Nylander bridges. Nylander needs his this year and Marner has another year to go on his rookie deal. Lots of teams do it. Of course, there's a risk that another team might tender an offer sheet, but how often does that happen? Pretty rarely. Worst comes to worst, you trade one for a haul of prospects. And if someone is stupid enough to try a hostile takeover and offesr $7M to either, that's 4 first-round picks. By the time the bridge contracts are up, the cap will be higher and Marleau, Hainsey, Martin, Hyman and Brown will have expired. Both should be able to make a whole lot of money, especially if they have 1-2 Stanley Cup rings by then.

Leafs would be better off just signing Tavares and not signing Carlson and Bailey as a UFA and keeping Matthews. Though I don't disagree with a bridge deal, that 2.6m for Nylander is not ideal. Leafs would have to go higher than 2.6m, cause other teams would offer money, much more.
And what don't people understand about Horton's contract and his LTIR. It's the reason the rich Leafs could dump Clarkson for Horton. Horton's contract is uninsured, Starting next year the Leafs are out of pocket 10.5m. Arizona isn't going to pay that for a minor draft pick.
And if Tavares really want to "come home" sure looks like the Leafs aren't getting a hometown discount at 12.5m.

I guarantee any deal where Leafs trade Matthews away is not a good trade. Even if Tavares was a better player for example, he is much older and won't be as good for as long as Matthews will be.

I think its a fair assessment that right now Matthews is at the very least just as good as Tavares. So why are would the Leafs bother doing this?

Nope haven't considered, and won't.

I agree, but a lot of Toronto fans are very quick to say JT is "coming home." For the longest time, I said it was impossible, and it is without trading Matthews. But it's an interesting option if there's any reason to think Matthews would rather be in the U.S. It's still not possible without using bridge contracts and risking the RFA offer sheets. But GMs are such clubby wimps that no one is going to actually do it. We all think they will, but they won't.

So, for the record, if I were Toronto, I'd actually look at next year as the first of the dynasty, so this year trade away JVR and get a good goalie prospect and a first rounder to add a few players who can grow up in the winning system. (And, yes, I am principally a Habs fan, so I am eating my liver right now)

As much as I would like to see JT in a Leaf uniform, this trade could never happen. Shanny and Lou would be run out of town.

hahahaha nylander 2,600,000

How f***ing high were you when you came up with this? The rights to a player whose contract is expiring do not cost you a 20 year old star player. If the point of this is that they could trade Matthews and replace him with JT fine. But you would get a kings ransom for Matthews not the rights to a 27 year old ufa.