Quoting: IceamiGO
Holy smokes bud, chill out.
Let's assume the cap is at $82.5 million next year (after spending all day telling people not to spread unreliable information, you just throw that one out there, but ok...). You're correct, the Leafs would have about $38 million in cap space. After signing Matthews and Marner half of that will be gone... $19 million left. Now you still have to sign Nylander, Kapanen, Johnsson and Lindholm. Let's be conservative and say $12 million for the four-pack of Scandinavians... $7 million in cap space remaining. So far the Leafs have 10 forwards, 4 defensemen and 1 goalie under contract. You need to roster at least 3 more forwards, 3 more defensemen, and a back-up goalie for less than $7 million (if the cap rises to $82.5M like we assumed). Doable? for sure. But then you can kiss Gardiner goodbye. Hainsey too if he wants anything over $2 million on a one-year deal. So then your blueline looks something like this:
Rielly / Zaitsev
Dermott / Ozhiganov
Rosen / Liljegren
Holl
That's right. I don't expect gards or hainsey to come back. Don't want hainsey. Dermott is the real deal, and babs is transitioning him to riellys right. Both Sandin and Liljegren look really good, and zaitzev has been fine. He is not, and wasn't supposed to be a points guy, but a more defensively sound pick carrying defenseman, which he is. I expect that next year the lines look like
Rielly-Dermott
Ozhiganov-zaitzev
Rosen -Liljegren
Maybe Sandin can make the team, who knows. The point is that it is all well and doable, but I think Dubas is trying hard to get everyone to good contracts so that he can keep gards, or at least get someone in Ufa, not that it is likely.
And I know one what you are thinking about oz-zaitzev.
Don't believe the negative hype around him,he is actually fine. I think part of his problem is the system, as his biggest flaws seem to be encouraged by the play structure (stretch passes and such, he is a puck carrier). Either way he is still a decent but overpaid 2nd pairing guy that if fully developed might turn out to not be overpaid. With ox on the left, he and zaitzev played together in the khl before we stole zaitzev, and they were killing it. The idea is to rekindle that magic until the Marleau deal is off the books and we can replace him/move oz down in the lineup.
Just look at my 1st acgm on my profile. Some things have changed since I made that but we have more than enough cap space to account for it. Changes I would make include paying nyalnder and Marner more, maybe add 340k to Matthews contract and carrick is gone but you get the idea. That's also with a 81.5 cap.
Just ignore spelling, am on mobile and autocorrect doesn't like hockey talk