I think Ennis will want at least 1.5 and Gudas 2.5. Maybe scrap the Ennis signing and sign Gudas only? Also Spezza will take league min. and that extra 100k could prove vital lol.

Gudas is going to get paid way too much by some idiot GM. Like Gudbrandson getting 4 million because he's big and mean, Gudas will get more. And I would never want to see the Leafs doing that.

Obviously if the bid for Gudas goes up that high the Leafs can just settle and let Sandin or Lehtonen play. If he comes in around 2 mil I would do it.

If Gudas asks for more than 2.5, I would just put Sandin or Lehtonen in the lineup. I chose to sign Ennis but I could have chosen people like Vesey, Sheary, Fast, or Leivo who would all play a similar role and around the same price range. Also, I would be able to afford it in this case because in reality, I think the leafs would only carry 21 skaters to save the money, whereas I have them carrying 22 with Barabanov as the 13th forward which in my mind is unnecessary for this year. So, if he is out of the lineup, then I'll have an extra 1 mil to bolster a 4th line spot in exchange for Ennis

Its a foregone conclusion. Lehtonen didn't sign to sit in the press box or go to the farm, he's going to be in the lineup and I think could end up playing with Rielly. Sandin and Dermott will be the bottom pair.

The wildcard will be Liljegren who I think is going to make the team at some point in the next season or two and could develop into exactly what this team needs for Rielly.

He still has to earn his spot. You also have no idea what he's gonna be coming from the KHL? Will he be a top4 worthy guy or will he not even make the team? We don't know, which is why it's safer to build a team around the latter notion, but if he is better, great- your defence is even better and even deeper

Why waste assets by assuming guys you have or just acquired aren't going to be good enough. Lehtonen is the best defenseman outside the NHL. Zaitsev wasn't nearly as good but he is an NHLer