SalarySwishSalarySwish
Forums/Armchair-GM

The Play

Created by: BriGuy
Team: 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs
Initial Creation Date: Jun. 1, 2024
Published: Jun. 2, 2024
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Description
Based on a roster construction for 2025-26, for which JT is moved on, McCabe re-signs at 4x$5, Knies 3x$4, Woll (or another 1A G) 4x$4 and Cowan is a regular.

THE GOALS:
1. REVAMP THE DEFENSE
2. CULTURE RESET

Overspend a little to fully revamp the D this year. You’re never guaranteed a good crop of FAs and next year's RHD list is shaping up to be quite weak.

THE ISSUES:
1. The Leafs seem to have a hard time attracting marquee FAs
2. Big FA signings are often mistakes and contracts often don't age well

Plan: Overpay a little to attract 2 of the top FAs available, without getting into really undesirable contracts. The current window, as-is, is the next 4 years; if contracts age poorly, so be it. Try to get it done without spending assets to acquire similar profiled (age & contract) Dmen.

My bonafide Top 4 UFAs available:
Tier 1A - Skjei (LHD), Montour
Tier 1B - Roy, Pesce, Tanev, DeMelo
Tier 2 (ok as #4s, great #5-6) - Chatfield, Carrier, Zadorov (LHD)

HOWEVER, if the Leafs CANNOT sign at least 1 (if not 2) Top 4 UFAs, the trade route might have to be explored (Would something along the lines of Pulock & Theodore be the most attainable trade-wise?)

My trade targets:
- Weegar (NTC, 30yo, 7x$6.250, will cost a kings ransom to acquire, would be my #1 target RHD stud)
- Pulock (NTC, 29yo, 6x$6.150, not sure how his game has been lately or his cost to acquire, could be fit?)
- Parayko (NTC, 31yo, 6x$6.5, not sure he's interested to waive NTC for TO, will cost a decent amount to acquire)
- Andersson (will cost a kings ransom to acquire)
- Theodore (1 year remaining at $5.2, will need to be re-signed at near 8x$8. Not the end of the world, but more cap planning will be required between this year & next, wont be cheap to acquire)
- Other targets, which I don't consider bonafide #1-3 this team is looking for: Durzi, Marino, Chychrun, Chabot, Schneider (if the pro scouts see him developing into a stud)

NOTES:
1. Bertuzzi is signed here (rumors of his camp & the Leafs talking), but if it's not him at 5-6M, other Top Line Wingers:
Tier 1: Toffoli, Marchessault, Duchene, DeBrusk
Tier 2: Perron, Duclair, Teravainen, Arvidsson, Joshua, Domi

2. Cowan starts the year with the big club. If/when he gets sent back to London, Holmberg joins the 3rd line and Knies moves up. (Also possible one of Grebyonkin, Minten or Steeves or even Tverberg, Quillan or Hirvonen make the team out of camp, or get the callup when Cowan is sent down).

3. I don't see a world where the Leafs are offered much in terms of solid players that fit their biggest needs (Top 4 RHD & 2/3 C) for Marner. I believe it will be a mix of young players, slight contract dumps, picks and/or prospects, which the Leafs would then use to acquire their actual targets/upgrades from the roster I have created.
*Cody Glass might be a bit of a long shot to provide the impact needed for this team at 3C, but I could also see him being flipped with extra assets to acquire a guy like Morgan Frost instead, who would play 2/3C and should become 2C next year.

4. If the Leafs spend more on the 1B goalie (ie. Brossoit @ $2.5M), most likely will need to downgrade one of the D (ie. Chatfield to Edmundson/Lyubushkin, Roy or Skjei to Tanev/Chatfield/Carrier, Walker, etc)
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
2$1,150,000
3$2,250,000
UFAYEARSCAP HIT
2$1,750,000
4$5,500,000
3$3,750,000
1$825,000
7$7,750,000
6$6,250,000
Trades
1.
TOR
  1. Evangelista, Luke
  2. Glass, Cody
  3. 2024 2nd round pick (TBL)
  4. 2025 1st round pick (TBL)
  5. 2025 3rd round pick (COL)
2.
TOR
  1. 2024 7th round pick (NYI)
3.
TOR
  1. Kunin, Luke [RFA Rights]
4.
TOR
  1. 2025 2nd round pick (NYI)
NYI
  1. Liljegren, Timothy [RFA Rights]
5.
TOR
    Package involving one or two of: Bjorkatrand, Burakovski, Gourde, Schwartz or Tanev retained, Borgen or Oleksiak, and picks and/or prospects.
    SEA
      Marner SEA option
      6.
      TOR
        Package involving some of Hayton, Schmaltz, maybe Crouse, Maccelli or Durzi, plus picks and/or prospects
        UTA
          Marner UTA option
          DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
          2024
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TBL
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the NSH
          Logo of the VAN
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the OTT
          Logo of the NYI
          2025
          Logo of the TBL
          Logo of the NYI
          Logo of the COL
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          2026
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          Logo of the TOR
          ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
          23$87,700,000$87,618,834$0$82,500$81,166
          Left WingCentreRight Wing
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $5,500,000$5,500,000
          LW, RW
          UFA
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $13,250,000$13,250,000
          C
          NMC
          UFA - 4
          Logo of the Nashville Predators
          $797,500$797,500 (Performance Bonus$82,500$82K)
          RW
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $904,667$904,667
          LW, C
          RFA - 3
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $11,000,000$11,000,000
          C, LW
          NMC
          UFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $11,500,000$11,500,000
          RW
          NMC
          UFA - 8
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $925,000$925,000
          LW, RW
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Nashville Predators
          $2,500,000$2,500,000
          C, RW
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $1,350,000$1,350,000
          RW, LW
          UFA - 2
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $1,150,000$1,150,000
          LW, C
          RFA
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $2,400,000$2,400,000
          C
          M-NTC
          UFA - 3
          $2,250,000$2,250,000
          RW, C
          RFA
          Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $7,500,000$7,500,000
          LD
          NMC
          UFA - 6
          $6,250,000$6,250,000
          RD
          UFA
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $766,667$766,667
          G
          RFA - 1
          $7,750,000$7,750,000
          LD
          UFA
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $2,000,000$2,000,000
          LD/RD
          M-NTC
          UFA - 1
          $1,750,000$1,750,000
          G
          UFA
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $1,350,000$1,350,000
          LD
          UFA - 3
          $3,750,000$3,750,000
          RD
          UFA - 3
          ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $800,000$800,000
          C, LW
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $1,350,000$1,350,000
          RW
          UFA - 2
          $825,000$825,000
          RD
          UFA
          Taxi Squad
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $816,667$816,667 ($0$0$0$0)
          C, LW
          RFA - 3
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $875,000$875,000 ($0$0$0$0)
          RW
          RFA - 2
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $851,667$851,667 ($0$0$0$0)
          RW, C
          RFA - 2
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $875,000$875,000 ($0$0$0$0)
          C
          RFA - 2
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $856,667$856,667 ($0$0$0$0)
          LW
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $875,000$875,000 ($0$0$0$0)
          LD
          RFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $775,000$775,000 ($0$0$0$0)
          LD
          UFA - 1
          Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
          $843,333$843,333 ($0$0$0$0)
          G
          RFA - 1

          Embed Code

          • To display this team on another website or blog, add this iFrame to the appropriate page
          • Customize the height attribute in the iFrame code below to fit your website appropriately. Minimum recommended: 400px.

          Text-Embed

          Click to Highlight
          Jun. 2 at 8:55 a.m.
          #1
          Rip
          Avatar of the user
          Joined: Dec. 2022
          Posts: 12,371
          Likes: 3,250
          Paying Skjei, a lefty who is a 2nd pair defenceman at best, more than Rielly is absolutely insane.
           
          Reply
          To create a post please Login or Register
          Question:
          Options:
          Add Option
          Submit Poll