After re-signing Bracco, Mikheyev, Schmatz&Harper, only $5 and a bit left for D& backup G.
If they believe in their young D, maybe adding a solid backup could be enough?

What Else They Gonna Do?

Well to start, don't overpay AHL and borderline NHL dmen 1.5M. Then don't take your random gamble on Bracco becoming immensly impactful as a 4th line player behind Marner, Nylander, and Kapanen. And then don't spend $3M on a backup.

Tada, at least another 3.5M available bringing our cap to ~77M. With the increase to ~83.5M that'll leave us with ~6.5M in cap

Well it won't be that. If "aging" minor leaguers Harpur and Schmaltz aren't NHLers now, they never will. Bracco, doubt if makes the NHL. Dermot deserves more and maybe the Leafs offer more $$ and more term. Backup goalies usual don't cost 3m.
Don't know why folks such a aversion to trading a forward with cap for futures and use that gained cap space to acquire NHL Dmen.

Fair nuff&well said.
Still a squeeze for 5 D men, even with $8.5 mill.
Shall see..-~

Did you bother to see if your 1.5 million dollar dmen even played a game for TO this year? This was a poor troll job.

If those are the top-6 D, with those contracts for next year, fire Dubas, Shanahan and everybody. That is pathetic, two of those guys are not NHL players and two are prospects.

Agreed!
Just seeing what the leaves are up against.
Brand name D will be few..-~

Holl will cost 1.5 tops and he's been a good player this season, all they need to do is pickup 1 more guy since Liljegren and Sandin are both going to be ready next year. Hell they probably are already.

So the d core will look like

Rielly - Holl
Dermot - Liljegren
Sandin - and someone.

Not specifically in that order. Its got two young rookies but also has 3 top 4 defenders from this season. That isn't a problem.

I'd love to see a Shattenkirk or Hamonic on that top pair with Reilly.

Not Shattenkirk, but Hamonic could be an option for the right price and term, I just think someone dummy GM will offer him 6+ and too many years.

Yeah who knows. You want an experienced guy though who can play lots of minutes. Shatty can do that. Pietrangelo is probably too expensive, Hamonic I would hope is more in the price range but might be too expensive. I'd even be willing to go with a Chris Tanev or a similar type of reclamation project to help our depth there.

Shattenkirk hasn't been able to handle tough minutes ever. He's an offensive dman who's not been very good for a few seasons now. I'd rather give some of the young guys more opportunity.

Rielly - UFA
Dermott - Holl
Sandin - Lijegren