No chance that Tavares takes a 1 year deal. Tavares is going to easily be a guy that gets 6-8 years on his next contract. He doesn't want to play in another contract season. He wants to lock up the big bucks for as long as possible. There is no benefit for him taking a 1-year deal. Sure, he gets paid this season, but then what? He wants big money, long term. Based on what Jamie Benn got a year ago, he's going to be looking at around $9.5M for 7-8 years...at least.

i don't understand the need to pay glendenning for 3 more years if you want to clear as much off the books to sign MNM and Johnny T

Someone has to play 4th line centre and 1.8 million isn't very much

This would actually be more like a 9 year deal. He would get max salary in year 1 while Matthews and Marner are still on entry level deals. Then after January 1st Lou signs him and Matthews to his 8 year 10 million dollar deals. Marner at 3 years 6 million.

with this roster it obviously is because you only have 12 mil in cap which won't be enough to resign Matthews and Marner, not to mention Kappanen and filling the holes that Gardiner and Hainsy leave

It would actually be 17 million in cap space because the 1 year deal Tavares gets goes down to 10 million. Also, whatever the cap increases to.

its gonna be a tight squeeze