This is probably the best 2019/2020 post I've seen by a TOR fan. Well done! The only thing I would say is lock Matthews up long term for another $500K at $11.5M.

Nice job though!

Well I just noticed you overshot the cap so correction on my original comment. $83.5M will at best be the cap. In this case, easy solution is to keep Johnson and Ferland out of the trade, so easy fix.

Brown is one of our main penalty killers and is very trusted by Babs. He plays a great cycle game and can score when given the chance. Giving up a budding prospect like Bracco and Johnnson is horrible asset management. Especially when you are planning to do a deep playoff run. Depth is key in the playoffs and keep Johnnson and Brown is very important to that. Move Rosen, Bracco, Zaitsev and two other picks if you have too. Dont take away from your roster before a supposed deep run.

Assume for the sake of argument that Pesce is worth no more than three of the five elements in your proposed trade. Why are we paying anything to acquire a guy we can sign in the off-season?

You're almost a million over an $83M cap ceiling and have two more players to sign. How are you going to do that?

Thanks, and yeah 85M might be overshot, just most hopeful scenario I guess.




Still have some really solid PKers in Hyman, Kap, Marner has looked good etc. I hate to lose Brownie, he's a good hard working Toronto boy, but as more skilled players come into the lineup that bring more tools, it's all about moving his contract out if he's going to be reduced to the 4th line, especially with his next contract assuming he's going to need a pay raise, gotta unfortunately move out assets to address other needs. As I said, Bracco is a great prospect but when you think about it... if Marner, Kap and Nylander end up getting locked up for the long haul, that leaves no room for Bracco, as he brings the same type of game Marner and Nylander do... like I said, these pieces have to be used to address other needs unfortunately. Sure losing Johnsson and Brown shakes the current roster up a bit in the middle of a playoff run but I feel like they aren't significant enough pieces to affect it that much, these guys stepping in and other guys stepping into roles for the last 20 or so games would get comfortable and do some damage in the playoffs.



You always have to pay something for a player even as a rental if you're wanting to go all in on a playoff run, so yeah sure... they could just wait and sign Ferland in the off season but having him join the team and make an impact for this run would possibly lead to a cup... if not, it gives us the chance to sign him after he likely enjoys playing for the Leafs and wants to sign with them. People view Zaitsevs contract as in the other team is kind of taking on a burden of a player so he's almost seen as a negative in the deal. So to acquire Pesce who's exactly what we need and then a rental in Ferland… I feel like Johnsson, Bracco, Brown, and a 2nd is an accurate price tag taking into account that them taking Zaitsev off our hands is also helping us out but maybe has a better fit in Carolina. He might just need a different system.


To the second question... Umm yeah I know there's still two roster spots and the cap is likely over the limit, definitely was just a rough estimate with some other tinkering needed I'm sure. But for the most part I just wanted to set it up so most of the core was good to go for the future after the next season... with Marleau and Muzzin coming off the books to free up 10M plus the Horton contract gone.. with some upcoming deals like Dermott and whatever else... they have the room.