Dubas’s plan doesn’t involve overpaying rfa’s and not carrying any healthy scratches.

Another thing to keep in mind is a condensed schedule would lead to higher daily cap hits. Rendering the leafs normal operation of moving players up and down less effective in managing cap.

Vets cant be sent down, (well they can, but cant come back (waivers) ) and there isn't any youth nearly as good as they are.

Its a pretty thin lineup that has no cap space for even a 1 game injury. Its also a much older lineup, even before the Thornton signing. Less speed. and I have no idea who plays PK. Truly, its almost historical that you have some 3rd/4th liners who play PK, but in this lineup? Kerfoot, Mikheyev, Engvall? I don't see 2 way players on those 3rd/4th lines. This is a thin, older lineup designed to exhaust itself long before the playoffs. With Spezza, Thornton and Simmonds its almost guaranteed they wont play an entire season, even shortened.

All of which leads to the fact that another move has to be made.

Ive seen a lot of these 18 skater lineups for the Leafs, (because its the only way they stay under cap), and its just so unrealistic. There are rules that just don't allow you to carry players that don't count against the cap

Dubas himself said he has no problem carrying a 20 player roster if need be. And it's not that they would carry players without them counting against the cap, it's that sending players up and down is much easier when your AHL affiliate (Marlies) play in the same city. As long as the transaction is made before the pre-game roster reports are given in, the player can make it to the game, no flights needed.

The waiver wire is also why I kept all the vets in the official lineup while sending down the kids. The kids can go up and down without issue.

As for making other moves, I'm only basing myself on what Dubas himself said about the roster. He said Mik and Dermott would be signed and then that's pretty much it, no more transactions. Weather you say they need to make other moves or not really doesn't matter when the actual GM of the team said otherwise.

As "overpayment" are you refering to my pretend numbers for Dermott and Mikheyev? Mik has an arbitration meeting tomorow....Dubas isn't picking his cap hit. Team offered 1 while player countered with 2.7. Arbitration result will meet half-way as it usually does.

Dermott's closest comparison is Holl who signed for 2x3 last year.

Kyle Dubas in an interview with the Toronto Star:

On the weekend, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said he was confident the Mikheyev arbitration would work out favourably.
“Whether we have to go with a 20 men on the roster to start (instead of 23), or sending guys down to play for the Marlies rather than sitting out for us … it doesn’t appear that we’ll need to move anybody else out,” Dubas said on a conference call. “We’ve got the arbitration case with Mikheyev on Wednesday and then subsequently we’ll get Travis’s situation rectified and taken care of. But, at this point, we don’t anticipate having to move anybody out.”

I don’t see anywhere in there him saying yeah we are going to give Dermott more than Mikheyev.... even though he has no arb rights or leverage.

You’re completely missing the point here. The point is both will be signed and included in the roster. The roster is what it is regardless of the cents involved.

Also ironic that you said my estimate of Mik salary is an overpayment and only hours after he signed for almost exactly what I said he would.

I was actually pointing toward Dermott, but pretty good call on Mikheyev. I fuligured he would come in around 1.5m +/-

My point is that dubas would like the option to run the roster he wants. And most likely have a spare.