I dont hate Gardiner for Myers trade but i have no opinion on it just yet. But I would say that cap management in Tampa is pretty great. They have 18 million signed in 2 players but those players wont decline likely until they are 35-36 yr old and guys like Marleau hadnt declined that much and he is almost 40. I would say that the deal Tampa made with Kuch and Stammer puts them in SC conversation for atleast 8-10 more years with how they are managing other assets like blueline and wing positions.

Marleau is a freak of nature, time just hasn't touched him yet. Perry started declining massively at 31 and he's a 3rd liner now making 9 million a season. Get Nylander signed to an 8 year deal now. Otherwise in 2-3 years he'll be commanding an extra 3-4 million of cap space than he should.

As for the defence, I was just playing around. Likely nothing will happen on that front. I just like tinkering sometimes.

In my opinion, the Kucherov signing should mean more to Leaf fans when it comes to Matthews than it would for Nylander. I don't think Nylander's current value is $7 million, it may not even be at $6 million, actually, but with all long-term contracts, each side takes a risk. I have no problem with a bridge deal or a long-term extension, but I think from a financial perspective, it always makes more sense to sign a player long term if the value is more "fair" than "not fair". As such, I have no issue with the $7 million on the basis that the salary cap will continue to rise, hopefully, but my gut feeling is that Nylander will sign in the $6 million range. Based on the signing this morning, I think Matthews should get $9 million AAV, though I suspect he will get around $10 million AAV. Marner is a bit of a wild card to be honest, not sure where he falls, somewhere in between I'd imagine.

what would be the point of having myers when the remaining 40 minutes are manned by holl, carrick, ozhiganov. better keep zaitsev.

loganollivier has just given the reason why nylander might just want a bridge deal and not sign long term

Matthews is a centre and a generational talent. He may score 50+ goals this year. He's getting 11.5 next year. Marner will now likely get closer to 9 million than he would have but Nylander is definitely over 6 million. Inflation and the Elhers signing will push his average up slightly past 6 million. Add whatever it takes to get him to 8 years and you're golden. The best part of giving 8 year deals to these kids is the core will be locked up for the next 7 years at a fixed rate. It makes it very easy to plan other contracts out since we know how long we have without star contract fluctuations.

Matthews will not get more than Tavares, at least not on this upcoming contract.

Only if you're an idiot and can't understand simple economics. Long term cost certainty is a tool that a lot of GM's just don't seem to understand, getting Nylander on a bridge deal will do the following. It'll give the Leafs some marginal cap relief, (He's getting Elhers deal at a minimum, he was drafted right after Nylander, has scored less points for game than Nylander but has almost identical point totals the last 2 years) so a bridge deal would be a 6 or 7 year deal at 6 million. Why not just get him a little bit more money to sign the extra 2 years? Then you have so much more time before you have to start planning for big contracts.

Why not? He'll likely outscore him, is the best 5v5 goal scorer in hockey and is likely already a better player than Tavares.

lots of idiots signing bridge deals like stamkos and kucherov signed bridge deals and before striking in even reaching in their third contacts, i'm assuming that kucherrov is signing for more than 4.7m. i'm just saying nylander might follow that path too. trouba doing with jets a hometown example. guess you just can't understand (so who's the idiot) that nylander has options too as a rfa and doesn't have to sign long term

I have no doubt Matthews will outscore Tavares this season, but it's not just about goals. It's about experience, leadership, some of those more intangible qualities that cannot be measured, or are harder to measure than goals. You through in this Kucherov signing (and yes, I realize TB has no income tax), who, at present, is a more elite offensive player than Matthews, and I think Matthews falls at $10 million. Now, that is my outlook if they are trying to get an extension signed over this summer. I am sure things will change if the extension is signed next season/offseason.

Of course Nylander could say, "Hey I'll do you a favour and sign a 3 year 5 million dollar deal and then we'll talk". That would set him up for a monster 8 year deal he could sign at 25 years old. If he scores near, at or above a point a game, which I feel he'll have no trouble doing, he will command more than 10 million a season. So all we are doing is saving 2 million for 3 years and then spending 3 million more per year for the next 8 years after that.

And before you say what if he doesn't score at above a point a game. Well he's going to improve at least by 10 points a season and then he's getting paid 7 million for 8 years to be a 70 point top line winger who can fill in at centre and take faceoffs on the strong side. That's still a great deal.

The only downside to getting him locked in for 8 years is that it will make next year a little more difficult but its definitely doable and makes the future that much brighter and more managable.

He's better than Eichel, and he's a generational talent. The best player on the team will get the most money and Matthews it the best player on Toronto and very well could be a top 3 centre in the east this season. Pay him star money.

There's absolutely no reason for Matthews to get more than what Jack Eichel got last year. 8 years at 10M$ AAV is extremely fair and exactly what he should get. Drop that generationnal talent BS, this is reserved for Crosby and McJesus. Matthews isn't even close to these guys and will never be. He's a superstar, 100%, but nothing more.

I'd consider $10 million star money. Just for the record, there was a time, long long ago, when fans of the Ottawa Senators were calling Alexander Daigle a generational talent haha. You also need to consider the fact that if Matthews truly wants to win with group here, he will need to take a team-friendlier type deal. By no means would that be any sort of discount, but I really feel as though $10 million AAV will be the number. Let's see what happens with it all as I do expect an extension to be announced in the next month.

just saying both sides have options could or bad. plus without a long term deal, a very successful nylander is closer being UFA. if I was the Leafs, I would want to lock up him long term, the worse scenario there is a cap issue in the future and then a good player like nylander on a reasonable salary and still with term still could be traded for a good value

Please, blind Leafs fan, explain to us how in the hell he's better than Eichel...go

He has scored more even strength goals than those two in the last 2 seasons. He creates more high percentage scoring chances than anyone but Crosby, has won the Calder and scored 40 goals as a rookie. He may be a shade under Crosby and McDavid but he's better than Eichel, has scored more and has done with with rookies as linemates in his first year and with 2 second year players in year 2. If a team wants to play hardball with a guy like that, you're chasing him out the door and you should be fired. Give him a fair market value deal which is likely 11.5 or maybe he signs for just 11 to match Tavares.

A lot of people would rather pay their stars less, so we can spend more on other players. Nonsense to that, if you want to play on this team then you fit in to our budget not the other way around. Look at the Ennis signing, he likely could have gotten a lot more than league minimum but if he somehow finds some chemistry with Matthews, Tavares or Kadri, maybe he can score some goals and get a big contract next year. Thats the kind of stuff that the Leafs will do to add secondary scoring.

Is this really a question? How many facts would you like?

Yzerman's handling of Kucherov is flat out brilliant. 3 year elc, 3 year bridge, and an 8 year extension which means 14 years of player control. Rather than the 8 year extension coming out of the ELC, he essentially gave him an 11 year extension at 8.2M. And Kucherov is one of the absolute best wingers and players on the planet.

Even if there is decline, which there will be for every player, he squeezed the best years out of Kucherov for well below market value.

And let's be fair to Nylander here. Comparing him to Kucherov might be a little early.

Tenure still means something.

His attitude.

Kucherov scored 18 points in 52 games in his rookie season before scoring 65 in year 2 and 66 in year 3. Nylander scored 13 in 22 in his first season before back to back 61 point seasons. He also had terrible luck in the first half of the season where the puck just wasn't going in, if you look at his advanced stats, he should have scored closer to 70 points and closer to 28-30 goals. So are they that different?

Nylander when he decides to skate hard, is a dominant player, I've watched times were opposing teams just can't keep the puck away from him. Of course he does often seem to disappear for a while but that is a correctable problem. When you look at the pure skill level of the Leafs forwards, Nylander isn't below Marner, Tavares and Matthews, he's right there and is the best skater of the 4. If he puts it all together and gets time playing against 3rd liners at home, he could easily be a point a game player this year. He may not score 40 goals and add 45 assists like Kucherov did in his 4th season but Nylander is playing with one of the best goal scorers in the League in Matthews and may also have Marleau on that line. (Apparently babs wants Hymen with Tavares) It wouldn't at all surprise me if the Nylander scored 80+ points with 30-35 goals. If he does that this season, then all of a sudden that 8 year 7 million dollar deal seems like a steal. Short term headache or long term cap hell?

Every single one you can think of. If you compare both players with advanced statistics in each and EVERY single categories, you're left with two very similar player with one having the edge in some categories and the other having the edge on the other categories.

You're comparing line mates of Matthews to what Eichel has accomplish...are you KINDDING me?!? Eichel has been playing on bottom 3 NHl team for his entire 3 seasons...he played the last two years with Reinhart (rookie/2nd year rookie) who, until late january, had only 17pts or something! He plays with all kind of different line-mate because BUF sucks so no stability and you're comparing him with Matthews who plays with an incredibly talented and skilled winger in Nylander? AND AM is playing on a top 10 NHL team (top 15 last season) and a top5 goal scoring team while Eichel plays on the worst goal scoring NHL team for the part 2-3 seasons. With all that said, AM was able to accomplish .91 pts a game during his first 2 seasons while Eichel did. 80 pts a game. I can't believe how blind Leafs fans are!! I know you guys sucked for more than 50 years and now you FINALLY have a good team and you're going nuts about it, but Geez...get a grip on reality PLEASE!

Only if you're old school. Its a business, I'm not paying people for what they used to do, I am paying them for what they will be doing while I'm paying them. Value is everything in the cap world.

I'm not putting Nylander down. Kucherov was 3rd in league scoring last year. That is a high bar to set and of course we all want Nylander to get there.
I like the bridge because it means more prime years at better cost control. I'm a fan of the 7 or 8 year deal now as well, it really is win/win when you're dealing with quality players.
6M over 7 years is perfect or a 3 year bridge at 4M knowing you have to pay him 8 x 8 later.