"HOW DO YOU FIT THEM ALL IN". You can't. Don't see how HoSang...who is average AHLer at best plays in the NHL or even Gusev. Leafs have to go with a 22 man roster with a 7th Dman, so cap wise a Mikheyev might be gone, even though he is good value at 1.6m

For augment's sake if Gusev or Ho-Sang are not signed IMO you could see:
Ritchie Matthews Marner
Kerfoot Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev Kampf Kase
Bunting Engvall Spezza
Simmonds as the scratch, he is the hardest one to figure out. For what I have seen most think he is a lock to be one of the 12 forwards. If that is the case then:

Bunting Matthews Marner
Ritiche Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev Kerfoot Kase
Simmonds Kampf Spezza

But honetsly so many options unless a trade happens or Kase is not ready to start the year and is placed on LTIR. Looking forward to how this shakes out and camp starting.

Kerfoot is not a shutdown center, stop playing him as one.

All of this completely ignores Robertson, who I think should be given a shot at top 6 minutes. The only real reason he will likely start in the minors is cap reasons, which sucks.
Both Engvall and Mikey are good depth players for their contracts. Both also seemed to get better last year too so I think both could still see some upside. With healthy roster the Leafs might have no choice but to start the year with a 21 man roster and try to accrue cap but that would force someone on waivers and could potentially be lost for nothing. For how hard Mikey sktates and plays, if he could ever figure out how to finish semi-consistently, he could easily hang with either of the top 2 lines.

You cant.

Its simple, you are 2.1 over the cap with just 6 dmen. So 2.8 over the cap with 7 dmen. You need to move Mikheyev and Engvall for nothing and thats your team under the cap with a 23 man roster

In the simplest terms, over a compressed schedule full season, you need a 23 man roster. So trade Mikheyev for nothing = essentially means your extras can be brooks and simmonds.

1 of: Gusev doesn;t make the club or Ribertson does and you move engvall for nothing (when I say nothing I mean a 4th or lower). Ho Sang wont make it

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander
Ritchie-Spezza-Kase
Robertson/Gusev-Kampf-Simmonds
Brooks and 1 of Gabriel/Robertson/Gusev

Then your 6 dmen are set with either liljegren or mennel as 7th

Dont get me wrong, Mikheyev and Engvakll are probably better options but at 1.25 and 1.645mil, leafs cant ice a 21 skater club and theyll need to

if you move him you are toast on the PK he logs big min. who would you replace him with?

Hardly toast, though I like Mikheyev on the PK, and really at his best he's a mini Hyman. Kampf is seeing lots of PK minutes.
I didn't understand the Leafs logic in signing both Kase and Ritchie.

i was looking at moving MIK as are most people but he logged the second most min of any forward on the PK second to Marner.

from what i see, kase might just be ltir and heal him over the season and he is an RFA at the end of the year and they can keep his rights and see where he goes. the ritchie i see as a good signing he throws hits, Muzzin last season had 101 and Ritchie had 102. i think he will fit well with matthews and marner as the hyman replacement to an extent he is going to offer another shot option or pass option.

Mikheyev gone or dont sign ho-sang