But why would Anaheim do that trade? They don't need cap space or another young forward and LHD....

Budget team who is already paying for a buy out and Kesler on LTIR. Eaves contract might be too much for the Ducks ownership to handle

I'm not sure they will get Mitch for 9,850,000 but you still have 1,000,000 in CAP space to play with. I like this

So, you're making Eaves retire? I haven't seen or heard any rumors that he is retiring before the start of the season. He is working out and training. Acquiring Eaves hurts the leafs more than helps at this point until it is known he plans to retire before or during the season.
One year at $3.1 isn't going to kill them.

He is done! No way he can come back from that injury

Even at retained value I can't see any team, let alone the Sharks, give back any real assets for Ceci.

Harpur and Gauthier makes $725k and $675k respectively. That means you save $25K and lose $25k to replace them with league minimum players. IE, you save no cap moving them. Toronto does get a 4th and a 5th though.

Cap savings weren’t bc of Harper and Goat. They were dump players and the savings are from placing Eaves on LTIR along with Horton and Clarkson. It’s a matter of WHEN the leafs use LTIR to exploit a slight “loophole” in the CBA. I am assuming Marner holds out until Dec 1st, Leafs bring Hortons 5.3 along with Clarksons 5.250 and Eaves 3.150 to exceed the cap in the offseason by 13.7 million allowing them to match any offer sheet. Along with they can bring two of the player into the season in order to create cap room for Marner if he holds out late into the season. The leafs may need to make even more room than I did here to fit Marners “inflated” cap hit if he holds out.

My bias tells me that as well, however Wilson is obviously in contention mode and teams typically “bulk” up for the playoffs and Ceci still carries that weight. Wilson may see Ceci as a cheap asset for a run at the Cup and Heed as a player he will likely loose and who isn’t all that valuable. Toronto gains Heed who has positive possession metrics in a depth role in SJ and a half season to see what he can do.

I outlined my rationale above whatcha think now?

I haven't taken a deep dive into the LTIR numbers, but I' don't believe the Leafs requires anymore LTIR to cover a mid-season signing for Marner. That's within reason obviously, there's no way they match a 13.7M offersheet anyways so no need to be prepared for that kind of contract.

So yeah, no reason to take on Eaves. If they Ducks want Harpur & Goat for a 4th and a 5th I consider it.

There actually is a reason tho. As I outlined, everyday Marner doesn’t sign his cap hit this year will inflate. Which means even if he signs a 9.850 contract on Dec 1st (which is a good deal for him imo) his cap hit for 2019-20 will inflate to over 10.5. Meaning the leafs will have to create space

The only reason aquiring Horton was benificial is that we couldn't hit the ceiling without the LTIR and thus wouldn't be able to use it to its greatest benifit. We have ~$9.8M to sign him now, if we take full advantage of LTIR, and no number of additional LTIR contracts is going to change that.