You have 3 million on the bench that doesn't need to be there.

3M doesn't need to be there and if Marner 10.5M it's gonna be a 8 Year deal.

Actually, NHL teams must have a 23 man roster to start the season. So one player must be sent down. But there's no getting around having 23 players on the opening night roster.

I still think that the Leafs need to do a Brooks Orpik type deal with Marleau. It makes too much sense. free up at least $4 Mil in Cap hit maybe more. For those not familiar with that deal Washington Traded Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer for a 2nd round pick. Colorado then bought out Brooks Orpik (and his $5.5 mil cap hit) and he resigned for $1 mil. Maybe They could do Marleau and a 3rd or 4th to a team for a 7th or something like that?

What team would do that for a 3rd? The Caps gave up a solid goalie. Leafs would have to do the same.

A team struggling to get to the cap floor? I mean the Red Wings moved down only 4 spots in the NHL Draft AND GOT A 2ND ROUNDER for Pavel Datsyuk.

The actual Caps trade was probably Grubauer for a 2nd and the cap dump was added on in the end. A decent backup/potential starter has been going for that the past 10 years.

So which team and which player/prospect are you sending?

You don't NEED to send a player is what I am saying. That Datsyuk trade was the 16th pick for the 20th pick and a 2nd rounder. Datsyuk was added to get to the cap floor. Each team gains vaule from it. The Colorado trade was Philipp Grubauer for a 2nd, again the Brooks Orpik thing had mutual value. So my actual trade of a third for a 7th was actual a bad trade for the Leafs. But to give you an example I would say Marleau and Toronto's 3rd to New Jersey (who only have $48 mil committed in Salary next year) and their 4th round pick. If that's too conspicuous maybe Connor Brown and Marleau to NJ for like a 3rd or something? I'm not sure what Brown's value is and I would prefer to keep him. This is a mutually beneficial trade for both teams. It means that New Jersey or Colorado or Arizona or any team in a not strong market can get to the cap floor with only spending like $800,000 or less in ACTUAL money.

Bob McKenzie said teams do not have to have 23 players, that is the Max. You must have the minimum 18.