Drop the Kessel signing and Clifford can GTFO. Promote some younger Marlies. Holmberg, McMann, Steeves, SDA (long shot). There are a lot of better options internally and at cheaper cap hits. Spend the savings on Kampf re-signing.

One thing I would love to see, assuming he has an outstanding camp, is Knies as the 2nd line C with JT on LW. JT can take faceoffs and fall back to LW while Knies gets accustomed to the NHL.

Where to start
1) Knies is a winger
2) Samsonov contract is trash
3) Trade a top pair shutdown D for a 2nd
4) Meier has a QO of 10 mill, it's not likely he'll make under that
5) Murray and Samsonov are about even in performance this year. Why is 1 being bought out at 4.6 and the other being signed to a 7x8
6) why give that contract to Kessel when you can re-sign Holmberg

Since when is Samsonov a $7,000,000 Goalie.

Timo Meier will get a better return than that from the Devils, His QO is $10,000,000 so i doubt you get him any cheaper than 8 x $9,000,000.

Doubt Michael Bunting gets anymore than a 8 x $4,000,000 deal he gets more term for less AAV.

And the odds of Phil kessel coming back to Toronto is 0%

$7M for Samsonov might be the definition of insanity. I also think the d-core can look better than needing Mete to play every night

Leafs are not trading their best defender in Brodie and Sammy aint making that much lul

Dubas not exactly the king of the home town discount