Équipe: 2020-21 Maple Leafs de Toronto

Date de création initiale: 17 nov. 2020

Publié: 18 nov. 2020

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

Roster reflects imaginary 2018-19 and 2019-20 ish roster if Tavares wasn't signed. Would like people to chime in

For the revisionists who say that the Tavares signing was a mistake because you could've used that money elsewhere, this is what you're looking at for 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Obviously theres moving parts, Zaitsev could've still been moved, Marleau could've still been moved. But I would like to hear people's thoughts on what better options there could've been. Sure, there lots of cap space, but take a look at the FA's in 18 and 19 and tell me who you would've signed. Tyler Myers? Calvin De Haan? Gardiner? If you want those guys, money still has to be moved, and you’re likely locking yourself into a long term deal that’s worse than Tavares’s deal (see every 18-19 UFA signing).

You could've waited it out 2 years and signed Pietro, but you would've sucked for 2 years likely.

If you wanted to go the trade route, who are you moving? Moving Kadri without signing Tavares leaves you pretty weak up the middle. What can be moved? What are you getting back? There's also always the argument that the big 3 rfa's would've been cheaper. Who's to say they wouldn't be more expensive with a more prominent role on the team. Even so, all this cap space, but nothing to do with it really.

Tavares is expensive and obviously not a perfect contract, but I do not understand what people who try to rewrite history and say they should've done otherwise think they should've done. With how much their older players (Bozak, Marleau, JVR) declined, I really think TO would have been a much worse team otherwise. Bringing Tavares made a lot of other pieces more expendable, and I guarantee all 31 teams would've signed Tavares if given the opportunity.

Thoughts?

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