Haha Toronto accepts

Honestly if a team offers a variation of this for Marner, they should 100% take it. A young future RHD and a Marner replacement in the top 6 who’s locked long term to a good deal

No thanks.

The organization will figure things out. No-one expected a flat cap for multiple seasons but, they have the brainpower in place to adjust accordingly.

What you have here isn't good for the Leafs or the direction they have chosen and I think you are off on signing numbers anyways.

That’s exactly what the Leafs should be pursuing. In 2 years, this team will be ridiculous and won’t be super tight on cap. Maybe instead of Demelo sign a guy for 2 years at 4-4.5 mill and you’ll be able to afford Rielly, Andersen

No chance they accept that. None.

Nope. They have chosen their path.

This isn't it.

Tavares, Matthews, Marner and Nylander all stay. Book it.

The changes will be from the middle tier of forwards. Book that too.

They will run with what they have for this year and next with some subtractions for cap reasons from the forward group. They will re-sign their RFA's accordingly.

This "big trade" garbage is a myth that will only exist on sites like this one.

The same will be true for most of the other teams as well. No-one will be taking on massive contracts or huge SB's. Book that too.

You’re never going to win with 4 forwards taking more than half the cap

Like I said... This is the path that they have chosen and... who says they can't? You? Pfft. What the **** do you know?

When all of those contracts expire, get back to me. Until then... This is they way it is.

No disrespect here, just telling it the way that it is.

And that’s precisely the issue with the Leafs, they’re so stubborn with their big four it isn’t normal that 4 forwards take 38 ish millions of cap space, unless their names are Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon and Matthews

Dude... It is what it is.

I have never said that I support this approach. It just happens to be the reality.

I have accepted that.

I could be stubbornness. Or... it could be a laser focused belief in something that no-one else sees.

I just don't know.

You're right to say that the Leafs will stick to the plan until the end, and never trade the top 4.

But I think the OP's argument makes a lot of sense.

The reasoning is sound, but I wouldn't go with the exact players you suggested, just because I don't know Soderstrom enough to say. If it were Seider instead, i.e. someone we are confident will be in the NHL fast and will be able to fill the hole on the right side of the defense, then the offer would be tempting.

Don't know why you think Keller is a good deal at 7.125m. Makes Marner deal look fantastic.