I think you have proved, you can't keep the "core" players. Gardiner has to go for cap reasons, and Marner and Matthews are going to get more $$$$...and I hope for longer term.

So Marner and Matthews take 3 year bridge deals, Not happening no way is Nylander getting 6 years and Marner and Matthews taking 3 year bridge deals when both are tons better then Nylander. Even if they agreed to it Marner would command far more then $7.5 million per and Matthews $8.5 million per Try adding at least $2 million more on each.

I did not say this is what will happen. This is what it will take to keep everyone. You never know what players are thinking. Tavares left money on the table to come to a cup contender. Kadri signed at a discount his last contract to stay in Toronto. Both Marner and Mathews have lots of time to still make the big bucks.

The most likely thing to happen is Nylander is traded after the 8.3 million singing bonus pd on July 1, 2019 leaving 24.7 million owing over the remaining 5 years for the new team. A low budget team trying to get to the cap floor gets a salary cap of 6.9 mil for a salary of 5 mil per year.

Gardiner seems a reasonable signing. I doubt Matthews signs a bridge, but Marner might. Sign at 3x7 maybe, then when the cap is way higher they can sign him to 8x11. Maybe even just a 1 year deal to get past the Marleau and Brown hump.

You can keep Matthews and Marner, you just need to save elsewhere, like not signing Gardiner and shaving salary in places like connor brown.

The big thing will be can they get one or both to sign before they become RFAs on July 1st.