If Burns = Matthews, then your saying Lebanc = Liljegrin?
that'd be the day

Oof we don’t want 23 mil in 2 players for the next 5 years

Toronto would want seth jones for matthews not brent burns turning 32 i think

I'm not equating Liljegren with LeBanc...if you go back and look at Doug Wilson's original summer plan for last year, he offered Tavares $13million to be a #1 C for the foreseeable future. Sharks would have had Tavares and Burns as #1C and #1D and no money for EK65. Pavs wouldn't have been re-signed in either case because there was never going to be enough money to sign him after the other contracts kicked in.
EK65's new contract is lower than what Tavares would have received. Now look at it from Toronto's perspective: You can't keep Marner if he gets an offer sheet greater than $9.6million; unless you trade someone else. You also have only 1 Dman signed for 2020-21 season and you'd be cash strapped that year too to be able to upgrade. So, a) who do you trade to keep Marner and b) how do you get a D that can get you past Round 1? Or, alternatively, you keep Tavares, Marner, Nylander and add Burns and a Lebanc to replace Kadri's scoring so that you now have 2 top D signed for 2020-21. From the Sharks perspective, you keep Doug's perspective of having a young #1C and a #1D (who is younger than Burns) ...Sharks are closer to replacing Lebanc with Chekovich, Chmelevski, or Blichfield in a couple of years than they are with replacing a Pavelski type of #1C. If Doug's assessment of Ferraro and/or Merkley is correct, then in a couple of years you have a replacement for Burns as well ...and you wont lose them in the Seattle expansion draft..

NO.

?????? What?? You say the Leaf only have one Dman signed for 2020/21? Don't RFA and ELC Liljegern and Sandin count. Plus the the 10.75m in expiring contracts from three UFA Dmen get other players
Gee look at that San Jose roster.....there are 11 expiring contracts. Sharks are have worse cap issues next year. And even this roster isn't cap compliant if going with 23 man roster
Can't see the Leafs trading Matthews for Burns. And Lebanc....he's nice but the Leafs have winger prospects expected to be good and not as expensive next year.
Yep the Leafs are somewhat cap strapped due to top heavy forwards, but the Sharks cap strapped having three Dmen in there 30s make 26.5m....All three have NMCs which sorta kills Burns being traded.