My Take

are you saying that even if you trade johnsson and zaitsev your still 4m over the cap?

Looks like it! Somebody smarter than me, aka leafs management team, will figure it out. Mabye Mitch takes 9 and Matthews 10.

First the positives: They bolstered their lineup/defence without having to give up anything significant or on their roster. I was looking forward to seeing Grundstrom on the Leafs next year but he was never going to be anything more than a third line player. Durzi is a good prospect but really nothing special; there are a lot of very talented prospects projected to be available in the late first round of the draft, notably defensemen, but they've addressed that anyway with the trade. Gardiner is clearly gone next year, and I hate to see Hainsey go but he's probably gone as well. Either Brown, Hyman, or Johnsson is gone next year, I think its probably going to be Brown and maybe Johnsson. I think Dubas is very calculated and has really thought this through with media speculation that Matthews will be signed next month and Marner soon to follow. I think he'll make it work, and they haven't taken too much away in terms of the future. Great trade. Still a left heavy defence.

Yes very left heavy defence and with a very right heavy offence. Can’t help but think that it will be a right handed winger that leaves. Could really be one or two of many brown kapanen zaitsev nylander Or maybe even muzzin in the off season.

Flip Horton on to LTIR and you’re good