Team: 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Mar. 16, 2022

Published: Mar. 16, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Three trades to more easily show fair costs for good players. The cost for Manson shows it's not going to take a ransom for Lindholm (aka adding Knies to that package). However good players obviously cost assets and as long as the Leafs hang on to Knies and only spend one 1st, it's fine. I assume Amirov has minimal value at the moment.

Lines explanation:
First line is Auston and friends, you can't leave him alone, so he's gonna draw top defensive matchups. Mitch or no Mitch, he's gonna be dangerous.
Second line adds Marner to help JT and then Kase is a volume shooter and energy guy playing with two very smart players that can get him the puck to shoot from open ice.
Third line is depth scoring that doesn't handle much defensive work, Kerfoot can handle it alright to cover for the other two. Swap wingers around if you like. Think of it like the Pens HBK line, if you match your top D guys against Matthews and Tavares you're gonna leave Nylander and co to feast on bottom six competition.
Fourth line only plays shutdown minutes and can do that at an elite level.
Double shift Marner and Nylander beside Matthews to start periods or after a penalty kill, or when down a goal, to help balance out minutes.

Defense pairs:
Shuffle them around depending on health and preferred sides, there's enough good players to be able to tolerate one injury and on a healthy night, one legitimate NHLer is going to be in the press box.

Goalie: Campbell will turn it around somewhat, Stolarz is a fine backup, Kallgren is also an option if he can keep it up. Can send Sandin to the AHL to make cap room for Kallgren, or waive Simmonds since it's unlikely he's taken anyway.

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