Team: 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Oct. 19, 2021

Published: Oct. 19, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I always say that the Leafs big 3 is worth their salary when they are able to play at their best, and I maintain that belief. Obvious the issue is they're not at their best consistently, or when the team needs them most, but that falls on the players and not so much on the general manager.

What I will say is that the Leafs front office made a mistake financially when it comes to paying their top winger. For me, the foundation of a contending team should consist of 2 elite centers, 1 solid two-way 3C, 4 solid defencemen and a starting goalie. Everything else can be filled out sparingly because the core of the team should be strong enough to carry the team to results.

No team should be paying a winger 11 million dollars unless he is the star player on a team with no elite centers. A good winger on a team with 2 elite centers like Toronto should get around 5-6 million maximum. That's ultimately where Toronto went wrong. They could've had Kapanen, Hyman, Brown and Nylander as their wingers and saved plenty of money for a legitimate 3C and 4D. Now they are stuck in a situation in which they have to pay league 1-2 million and hope guys can play over their head in that role.

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