Crazy as this sounds: $13.5M probably isn't enough. I think the Leafs match (still puts them deep into cap hell - which I'm fine with). Has to be even more ridiculous of a number IMO, say $15M.

The thing with offersheets.. player would need to sign that offersheet, which both Matthews and Marner wont do. Sorry. But that is quite good offersheet tho. Likely Leafs match.

You guys do know Matthews has to actually agree to it right? You can offer 15 and he can still reject. Theres no way he would go play for the Islanders lmao

Sure, because turning down about $28M extra happens every day

Edit: and at the end of the day, even if Matthews doesn't ever sign an offersheet, if he has $15M on the table it's supreme negotiating power with Toronto. Drive the price up.

Why not? Matthews is making a huge amount of money, playing on a decent team, in NYC for only 7 years...He will be 28 and be able to sign anywhere else after making loads of money.

If Toronto matches it, they will not be able to sign Marner. I think TML would rather keep Marner and the 4 picks then Matthews.

You guys didn't read the "Unrealistic" part in the title did you?

And also, I'm tired of hearing the excuse that a player wouldn't accept it. You just had Nylander sit out 2 months to get paid what he's worth. Matthews has been over a PPG player his career and also scores at a crazy rate. Why wouldn't he ask for McDavid money (which Toronto can't pay). It's not like Barzy/Lee/Bailey/Beau/Leddy (Future of Dobson/Whalstrom/Bellows) is a ****ty supporting cast.

People outside of Toronto: "Aghhhhh WHY DOES THE MEDIA ALWAYS ONLY EVER TALK ABOUT TORONNNA??????? THERE'S OTHER TEAMS OUT THEREEEEEE!!!"

Also people outside of Toronto: "Hoooohummmm, I think we should offer sheet everyone on the Leafs!"

You guys bring this on yourselves because truthfully, you want to be Toronto.

^ Exactly the point

Orrrrrr, you guys have a generation talent that could be had with an offer sheet because the team could face a mountain of cap issues. Emphasis on the word could here.

1. I don't think Matthews signs an offer sheet unless it's another contending team...but none of us can know for sure what his motivations are.
2. If contract negotiations drag out with the leafs, he absolutely could turn to an offer sheet just to force their hand
3. I'm not sure if there's an offer sheet amount the Leafs wouldn't match
4. My hunch is that the leafs will make whatever other moves necessary to fit both Matthews and Marner under contract, regardless of offer sheet amounts
5. My hunch is that the leafs won't let contract negotiations drag past the point where an offer sheet is possible. If Matthews demands 8x$13m the leafs sign him

Sorry, that probably made me seem like a Leafs fan. I'm not.

But yes, I understand the rational. The same could be said of Barzal, Boeser, Laine, and the large number of other young, star caliber players out there that are going to be RFA's over the next couple of years.

I personally think that NHL GM's should be much more willing to use offer sheets, but until the old boys club is gone (Which it seems it never will be), there will just be too much vitriol against anyone who dares to use it. You really think that if you go out and do this that 30 other GM's are going to be comfortable dealing with you again anytime soon? Ask the Oilers how the Penner sheet went...

Barzal/Boeser no. Laine/Matthews yes strictly because of Cap Issues. But I get your point about the other GM, but thats why there's (soon to be) 30 others to work with, and most wind up losing their job in the long run anyway.
Cups trump future deals IMO.

Very true. Flags fly forever.

4 first rounders and that cap space taken up would be a lot to swallow though. Cap ceiling teams are able to be cap ceiling teams because of the ELC guys that come up and are able to contribute. You could probably trade a couple of those picks in some sort of package and get yourself a solid top line center though, and save yourself a lot of hurt in the long run.

Hate to break it to you guys, but Leafs are losing one of Matthews/Marner next year. Maybe not to the Isles, but one of them is gone via offersheet next year. Leafs fans suddenly think money doesn't talk in the NHL just because JT chose the Leafs over the Isles and now they expect Matthews/Marner to do the same just because they are Leafs? That's absurd!

While the Leafs may open the vault for Matthews (which they should) they can't and won't do the same for Marner, which means he will be next years Nylander. If the Leafs low-ball Marner because they can't sign both Matthews and Marner to 10+ mil per season deals, some team out there will be willing to spend 10-12 mil on Marner to convince him to sign an Offer Sheet. No team was willing to go that much for Nylander this year, which is the only reason he didn't get an offer sheet.

The irony in all this is that because they "stole" Tavares away from the Isles... Leafs fans, next season, are going to find out exactly how Isles fans felt this past offseason! lol

Oh and against the argument that GMs won't offer sheet for fear or retaliation from other GMs... there has already been speculation that Lou will offer sheet one of them next year, with many saying they would be shocked if he didn't...

AND - Lets not forget TOR has 2 high profile RFAs next year, not just one... If a team offersheets Matthews and he accepts to force TOR hand and they choose to pay him instead of lose him and it puts them in "cap hell" as everyone is calling it... it means Marner knows the Leafs CAN NOT meet his demands. If a team then turns around and offers Marner a deal that exceeds what TOR can offer, you can be sure he's accepting... TOR is in big trouble next year with Matthews AND Marner being RFAs at the same time... and the only ones who haven't realized it yet are Leafs fans.

Sorry to break it to you.. but they are not losing them lol. Are Jets losing Laine because anybody would offersheet him? Rantanen?? Oh I would guess so.. geez stop with these ridiculous offersheets. They are not happening. Rantanen has higher chance of offersheet and it is not happening lol

Come on, seriously? The Laine and Rantanen situations are NOT the same as TOR. If Laine and/or Rantanen are given offer sheets, WPG and COL have the ability to match and lose pieces elsewhere to make the CAP work. TOR is in a unique situation where they have 2 high profile RFAs hitting the market at the SAME TIME. Not only that, but both Matthews and Marner are having their best seasons of their careers this year. Both are going to command more than 10mil per season... The Leafs CAN NOT afford to sign both to deals like that... it's simple math buddy. Anyone who doesn't see that the Leafs are in SERIOUS trouble this coming offseason is simply delusional!

And to argue that Matthews and Marner will take significantly less money to stay with the Leafs, just because it's TOR and who would want to leave... is even more so delusional.

Teams are salivating at the mess TOR put itself in when they signed JT, and as I said, TOR fans are going to feel the sting this coming offseason NYI fans felt last offseason.

WPG has very small amount of cap space so this also fits TOR. Because most of the leagues fans hate Leafs, doesnt mean teams want to do offersheet them. Offersheet was lastly signed few years ago.. for a reason.. offersheets suck.

Yes, but in both scenarios both teams only have ONE RFA they need to sign to a big deal, Laine for WPG and Rantanen for COL. Signing one player to fit into a nasty CAP situation is a lot easier than signing TWO like TOR has to do. Also, in recent years, there hasn't been a player that's been worth an Offer Sheet. EDM locked up Draisaitl and McDavid before getting to that point, as did most other teams. The Nylander situation may be a case for your argument, but I also don't believe teams were willing to give up 3 or 4 1st rounders for Nylander, but Matthews and even Marner are different stories.

Looking at team salaries on CapFriendly; WPG has about 25m; COL about 30m and TOR about 22m in free cap space going into next season (assuming CAP is about 82m). WPG and COL can easily sign Laine and Rantanen for about 10m a piece and still have money to fill other holes in their lineup. TOR will be paying Matthews and Marner 20-22m combined next year (anyone who thinks both won't get 10m or more after the years they are having is insane). How are they filling the rest of their lineup out?

I understand Leafs fans don't want to lose either of them, and that's completely understandable, but to be blind to the fact that one of them may have to go is just ridiculous. As I've said before, this situation has never happened in the Offer Sheet era (one team having 2 high profile RFAs at the same time and a dire CAP situation as well), so all I'm saying is, don't be surprised if a team makes a play for one of TOR stars next offseason.

And, one last point, a team like the Islanders, who with JT are a playoff team and therefore a top 15 team in the league might view Matthews or Marner as a way to push themselves into top 10 status and feel that 4 late 1st round picks are worth giving up... especially if they can recoup some of those by trading away guys like Eberle, Nelson and Leddy.