Not really

Marner is not getting 11 mill for 8 years, let alone 5. My best guess would probably be around 10. Trading Zaitsev and his contract would clear 4 and a half mill and literally anyone would do better than him

It's not like your saying it's $6M.its a difference of $1M! Johnsson is even on this roster!
Hainsey are Gard have to be signed as well.
What's gonna give?

"Literally anyone would be better than him." So who the **** is going to take Zaitsev from you? If he sucks, sounds like you're stuck with his bad contract... Or you're overpaying someone to take him off your hands, and something tells me Dubas has too much of a complex to allow that to happen... So, enjoy?

Marner is not taking anything less than Matthews. If anyone thinks otherwise they are living in a fantasy world. Marner has been more productive and has been key to Tavares' great season. Zaitsev contract is an albatross and is not tradeable, therefore any expectation that this can be moved is not realistic.

Based on current situation Leafs will lose Gardiner, Hainsey and Johanssen and the only actually tradable person that will alleviate cap issues and potential improve the team better is Nylander. The only other option is to hope that Sandin and Lillejgren are ready to step up and be impactful. If not its a 1st round exit for a team with zero defence.

The Leafs need to trade about 7m in cap to be cap compliant. Hardly cap hell. Cap hell is when you have too many bad contract that can't be traded or having too much money in retained contracts.
Don't know why you think the will lose Gardiner and Hainsey. They are UFAs, so they aren't the Leafs to lose. Leafs expected to not have those players as players coming off their ELC get more money..
Zaitsev and his 4,5m contract is hardly an albatross, He plays heavy minutes including the PK. Gee most teams have a 4.5m Dman in their middle pairing. So while the Leafs may pay Marner more than Matthews, why should they? Is Marner deserving to be paid the second highest player in the league? So unless an offer sheet is forthcoming, what leverage does Marner have to be paid that much?

I think the lose here is they will want to sign for more than they make currently. NZ is a yr too long and mill too much, not horrible but when you consider what this teams players will get paid next year that addl $ is important. The reason for paying marner was explained above. The Leafs will have to do something this off season