Leafs offer sheet Lawson Crouse for $2m and send a 3rd round pick as compensation....then match the offer sheet on Kapanen because that deal is more than fair over 5yrs

Thanks for the comment.

Interesting view- what's your reasoning that Crouse would agree to sign with Toronto? He's pretty comfortable in ARI and is set to play a top 9 role next year with his progression. I'm not certain he would crack their line up or fits with how TOR plays, give their current roster. Their 4th line is more skilled than the average 4th line. Not saying that he couldn't play there, but it might be a stretch that they would pay him 2 million with their current cap situation. I would argue that TOR would be more likely to spend that kind money on someone internal, who has already proven that they play well within Babcock's system and has earned a spot in his good-graces.

You could use the same argument that I made about Crouse for Kapanen. He may not have any desire to sign a offer sheet with ARI or leave TOR. But he would play a very big role and may get even more opportunity on all 1st ST units in ARI. It's a bit of a stretch to think he would leave, but that opportunity as well as the money that TOR couldn't offer him, could be enough to sway his decision.

What are your thoughts? Thanks again.

Toronto matches

I think Toronto would sign Kapanen to that contract right now if they could. It would further the cap crunch, but there are options to move out contracts to create some space. Kapanen would have a 5 year run at the playoffs signing that contract with the Leafs while playing with Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander, etc. As well, the compensation is just too low so matching is an easy decision, Kapanen is worth much more than a 2nd so giving him up for that and cap space wouldn't make sense right now.

I am doubtful there will be any offer sheets. I think the top guys that will cost 4 first rounders will be too rich for most GM's to gamble on. And I think the guys in that $4m range...the compensation of a 2nd rounder is too low...and for a guy like kapanen (or crouse for that matter)...there would be more than 1 GM willing to offer a trade valued higher than the offer sheet compensation...because they don't want to have to compete with everyone else to be the one team to get a particular player signed to an offer sheet.

I could see the leafs being interested in Crouse though...from a trade point of view. Someone they can get signed to a reasonable AAV and is a big body they lack...I can see Dubas wanting a skilled guy with size vs a traditional gritty guy that maybe can't keep up as well....assuming that some forward depth end up being moved to free up cap.

In fact, depending on what each player it likely to sign an extension for...I could see a Kapanen-Crouse based trade making sense if more was added from Arizona's side.