you need to trade for dumbas RFA rights or give Minnesota compensation for signing him as an RFA

Tavares won't sign for 5 years, and considering how leafs fans and management treated kessel and phaneuf, he won't sign with Toronto. And Dumba will probably stay in minny or get traded. No team lets a top 4 defenseman walk away in free agency

Price is the goat. Gee, as a Toronto area resident I would say Kessel especially was treated with kid gloves by the management, fans and media considering his long stretches of poor play. Phaneuf might have been treated more a little more harsher, but totally realistically. Tavares or any player doesn't want to evaluated on his play, maybe he should play in Arizona.
No team lets top 4 Dman in free agency? Shattenkirk?, Is Hainsey a top 4? , looks like Markov

The post: Rychel on the second line. He will trouble being an NHLer. Yes Dumba would require compensation likely two NHLers. Kapanen playing centre? Where to find the money to sign Marner, Matthews, maybe Kapanen and Gardiner if money is spent/wasted on Tavares.

I live in Toronto. And if a player plays bad for some stretches, u dont blast him on the media, and literally chase him out. Another reason Tavares wont play in Toronto is the media. You guys eat up ur superstars. Again I'll go back to Kessel or even your ex-captain Phaneuf. Media really does matter. Also, how are u going to afford Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares. Tavares is no less then 10m, Matthews will prob be 12, Nylander and Marner will be 8. Good luck trying to win. Shattenkirk was a rental, before that the blues did trade him, for a decent return. Hainsey is not a top 4 defensemen, and Markov's asking price is scaring teams away.
I do agree with ur last post. no money to sign ur top 3, if u drop it on tavares

Sorry to be disagreeable but I don't think the media blasted Kessel or Phaneuf. Most of their criticism was on social media not by the very forgiving Toronto TV/radio/press media. I don't buy it that isn't the reason why Tavares won't play in Toronto. His play may not be worth of next contract to the Leafs. He has declining numbers and does any team want to pay too much for a player's forward play till the 2023 instead of value that he had in 2014. I'll agree with you that Tavares might get 10m but there are few teams that afford him. And for convenience and fan base appeasement I guess the Isles will be JTs next team. Just no logical reason why it would be the Leafs.

Well you know where I stand regarding the media Palhal. But media is a huge reason players avoid toronto. Also, he is really underrated, and he doesn't have the greatest line mates either, yet he is an elite center. he is only 26, and has a really bright future ahead of him. if the isles don't solve their arena issue, and surround him with more talent (eberle was a good move), he will be moved. he wants to win now.

Tavares won't sign in Toronto because Toronto won't go after him. There's no need to. But Price is the Goat, I'll agree with Palhal in saying it wasn't mishandling by management and such that big FA's stay away, it's because Toronto was heavily criticised by fans, not the media or bad management. Fans jumped onto the hate waggon if the team was losing and criticised the best players, and we never really had reputable management before a year or two ago. Now we have a great coach that players love, a good management above and great trainers to help them, players have shown interest in playing in Toronto, as recently as Shattenkirk at the TD saying he was open to coming to Toronto, and multiple other players who love what the team has.

Tavares is good, but I will agree and say that he wants to win, and although Toronto is priming to become a winner, they have no room for him on their roster, and he'd want to be a 1C, not a 2C

I think Toronto is a step above Montreal in terms of media/social media treatment of its players. To be sure, I didn't like this episode when a journalist used Kessel as a scapegoat (don't remember which one; they shouldn't do that), or the time when he was lambasted by people for irrelevant things like the places he liked to eat. But the team was going nowhere, so that was the real root of the problem. I don't think Tavares would be the target of discontent with such a lineup, and a winning team.

In Montreal, the mayor went to social media to blame a player, which is probably far worse. Not to mention how the fans boo their team at the first lost after 10 straight wins...

As for this team, Dumba is closer to the bottom than the top of the league in terms of possession statistics. Not what the Leafs need.

And next year how are you going to free up $15 million + for Matthews and Marner?

Matt Dumba Offer Sheet Compensation :

1st round pick and 3rd round pick (all TOR)