If they sign JT, Bozak, Komarov, JVR, Gardiner are all gone

well komarov jvr and bozak are already probably gone

ya the 3 ufas were gone this year anyway. And i don't think there is a leaf fan out there that likes gardiner(I like him but after game 7 i can understand the hate). Behind RIelly the D is gonna be a question mark anyway. Dermott looks good, Zaitzev is a big question mark, Liljegren is looking great but won't be ready for another year, and the rest is veterans. So ya, Gardiner is gone too but it may or may not be a big deal

Any team in the NHL would be improved dramatically if they landed JT, but it's not what the Leafs need. If they are willing to shell out 10m+, they might as well go out and try to get John Carlson and save some money in the process

I disagree. The penguins didn't need phil vessel when they got him but he helped win that tam a cup. I know he isn't the main reason but I'm not sure they could have won back 2 back without him. I know Tavares isnt the biggest need for the leafs but he is by far the best player on the market and the leafs do have little depth at center behind Auston and Kadri. SO he isn't a right handed shot d man but the leafs second biggest need is center

The pens found a new level to their game once they got Kessel. That HBK line was lethal and carried them to the 1st cup. This year, when he plays with Malkin, both players are on another level, and they showcased that in the SCF against Nashville, I don't think Pittsburgh wins either cup without him. As for the leafs Center depth, it's not an issue, they have the two dynamos in Matthews and Kadri which is one of the better 1-2 punches in the NHL and they could even put Nylander at the 3C. The Leafs 2nd biggest need, assuming JVR packs up will be LW. Aside from Marleau, they won't have anything great going offensively at LW and if they put Nylander at the 3C spot, RW becomes an issue too since they don't have an offensive mastermind behind Marner.

LW is solid. Hyman, while not a crazy threat offensively he's got a good all around game. Andres Johnsson has looked great in the minors and great in the NHL, and Carl Grundstrum has looked good too and will compete for the 4th line job. Wingers aren't nearly as important as center. Nylander isn't going to be a center under babcock, and he will stay on Matthews wing. What great centers can too is they can make bad wingers good and good wingers great. Tavares has never had exceptional wingers but they put up good numbers and they play well. Putting a guy like johns son on tavares wing and any of Kapanen, Brown or even Marner would be a great first line and could be the leafs second line Would cause matchup nightmares

I dunno. The more I think about it, if someone like JT wants to come here...you find a way to make it work.

I've held to the concept that, like most hometown guys...you either dream of playing for the leafs and, now that they are finally on an upwards trajectory, would 100% sign here....or due to all the distractions related to playing close to home (family/friends bugging for tickets/appearances, media, etc.) you have 0% interest in signing here.

We know all of JT's closest friends have been pushing him to sign here in free agency. What we don't know is if how he feels about dealing with the circus that playing here would entail.

The Leafs need help at C and RHD. Over paying to fill one of those holes almost certainly means not being able to fill the other with top end talent and still get the big 3 RFA's signed. That being said, the Leafs don't really have any awful contracts....so if you can get JT...you get him..and you make room elsewhere.

Hyman doesn't quite fit the run and gun style of the Leafs, Grundstrom is a question mark, Johnsson also since there's a big gap between the NHL and AHL and there's a chance he doesn't do too well in his first full year in the NHL, so I'd say an LW acquisition could be very important for the team. And JT had Anders Lee and Josh Bailey on his wing this year, I'd say those two are pretty good

Thats what i was thinking too. If tavares wants to come to tornot, you do everything you can to get him here and hope he doesn't want way to much money that goes on the books(Could do the thing they did with the tams offer and give him a huge sponsorship to canadian tire to get him money that doesn't go on the books.) If he likes toronto, it isn't only because he grew up a leafs fan ut because he wants to win. If he really wants in toronto maybe he takes a small pay cit. Not saying that will happen but hopefully it does

It's safe to say that JT will command north of 10mil, why shouldn't the Leafs go out and get John Carlson for about 2.5-3.5 mil less, with those savings, they can either sign a Riley Nash or Jay Beagle or go out and make a trade for someone like Victor Rask

JT has been on the island for like 8 years and I'm pretty sure this is the first year he had those 2 wingers on his line. And Hyman is Babcocks favorite player on the team so if the coach thinks he fits, he probably fits. Johnsson is a question Mark, but he looked great in the playoffs and in the regular season so i bet he plays good enough to be a third line guy with either Nazem Kadri or John Tavares as his center

John Carlson is going to be the most overpaid free agent this year. He is a great offensive player, and he killed some penalties and played heavy minutes in the playoffs but The orlov niskinan pair was the pair that played against the other teams top lines. I don't think he is the d man the leafs need, and he is gonna get at least 8.5 mil on the open market unless he stays with the caps. This isn't what he is worth, but teams are gonna get into a bidding war for him because he is the only d man on the market

He and Kempny were hands down the best d-pair for the caps in the playoffs. He's an RHD and would make the Leafs cup contenders overnight, and he might not reach 8.5mil, he could settle for something in the range of 7-8 mil, and for some teams like the Leafs, it's a gamble worth taking. If you sign him great, if he plays like he did this year, even better, but if he slows down, take another year to see, if it's the same, ship him off to another team and get a ransom in return

he looked the best in the playoffs because he played against the opposing teams second and third line guys. He got half his points on the power play this year and has never played against other teams top lines. The leafs need a guy they know they can rely on as a defensive player

It's easy to say 'go out and sign Player X'...but that doesn't mean that player will sign with you. That applies to both JT and Carlson and every free agent. There's been nothing to suggest Carlson will leave Washington or, if he does, that Toronto is a place he'd consider. So, in theory, it makes sense to use cap dollars on either a Carlson...or wait for the next batch of free agents (Karlsson, Doughty, Ellis, etc.),,,but you can't count on the fact that any will make it to free agency, or, if they do, that they want to come to Toronto.

That's the premise behind my post...that if a high profile guy like JT is willing to commit...you sign him. Of course if the negotiating window opens and JT and Carlson both are interested in coming to Toronto and the LA Kings call and say they are rebuilding and want to ship Doughty here...then...sure...you sit back and decide which option is best to invest your cap dollars.

thats very true. If a great player wants to sign with your team, you don't say no and try for the net great player, you take him in with open arms

We've seen it just last year when we thought Stamkos was a possibility. A lot of people were looking at this year and saying they'd rather have JT over Stamkos...so don't sign Stamkos....but if you have a chance at Stamkos...you don't defer and risk losing both.

Even when the Leafs signed Babcock to coach. I heard so many people saying 'the leafs aren't a contender yet...we need Babcock next year, not this year'....

It's rare for one of the top players or coaches in the game to come available....so timing doesn't matter...if you can get them today...you go get them today

Which is why I say again that signing JT may not be the blockbuster move that the Leafs should look for. They clearly have a need at the RHD spot and if you have a shot at EK or Drew but wait one more year than why not? JT is more of a want rather than a need, a top 2 (top 4 minimum) RHD is a need

you are proving his point. If you don't go after JT, you can only go after 2 superstars. If you go after JT, you ave a shot at 3

So I guess we were on the same track all along??????? And there's no possible way without trading away important pieces that they can afford all of them

They would have to Lose Gardiner, and maybe another piece, but no one from the young core.

So if Tavares' agent calls and tells Dubas that his client is ready to commit to 7 years in Toronto for $10,750,000. You hope they say 'no thanks' and gamble that EK or Doughty are options next year? I think that's just too much risk. Especially because you could then look to move another asset (Kadri, Nylander, etc.) to trade for more reasonably priced d-help.

The opposite logic could apply...if you can trade for a top end RHD that's going to command $10m+...you could move other assets to bring in a C.

I disagree with you here. The Leafs don't currently have the space to re-sign Matthers, Marner and Nylander...sign JT as a UFA this off-season...and then go and add another big profile player next off-season.

You'd be looking at moving a Nylander based package to bring in a d-man on a good contract (D. Hamilton, Parayko, Ristolainen, etc.)

The only tough year will be the year where Matthews and Marner contracts first come in. After that, Patty comes off the books and the cap goes up every year. So i don't think they need to lose nylander