That is what it will take and anyone who thinks any team can win without their best players carrying them to victory is just silly. Yeah you need some guys to step up and have some moments but in the end, Pittsburgh didn't win 3 cups without Crosby being Crosby for 4 rounds of playoff hockey. No matter who they bring in, TO goes no where without the stars making it happen.

Cap percentage is the number to look at, not cap number. Also Willy is just hands down better than Johnny Hockey.

In general what were seeing rn from Willy is contract year Willy

Got a feeling the actual guy is the one we have seen past 2 seasons averaging 80 points

Complete with other factors I just dont see how hes worth 11m. Hes got no awards or come top 3 in any votes.

I just have a feeling were gonna give him 11m and its gonna backfire on us as if he drops back to 80 points thats gonna be rough. But then again losing him for nothing also rough

Rather go with the actual player comparisons than cap % comparisons as those are what get teams into trouble. The smart one's use similar cap as others signed (Svechnikov and Coutourier). One could have got more but settled for the same.


So yea like Gaudreau would go to say here's 10.5m x 8 years u want it take if not good luck. Cause I seriously doubt any competitive team gonna throw 11m+ at Willy and hes gonna end up like Gaudreau making less. As 1 point difference should not = over 11m lul

As who knows maybe we can convince Guentzel to leave the old folks home or Reinhardt to leave FLA

Keep seeing Dante Fabbro's name pop up in trades and to me idk there be to much risk there

As how much of his success has come from Josi who he has been primarily paired with

If NSH is only asking for a 3rd and Timmins do it. More hell nah

With 11.25mil? You can get a good top pairing guy and a forward to kind of replace Willy with that kind of money. Yes I think that’s a better way to spend that money. Willys an amazing player don’t get me wrong, but he’s not so amazing that he deserves over 11mil. I wouldn’t give him a penny over 10 to be honest.

In general there is wiggle room even with 11.25m but man I wont like the over 10m cap hit

Should be 10.5m x 8 years in my eyes and if im Brad I push for it. He wants to be a Leaf take the deal

Brad should have pushed for a 9.85m x 8 year deal in the summer when Willy was asking for 10m but hey what can u do. As if Willy regressed this season would still look bad

Almost feels like there wasnt a situation to win without risk lul

Anyways its a wait and see rn

10.5 would still not be great in my eyes but not as bad as 11.25. I think Willys probably going to come back down to earth a little here so no rush to lock him up in my eyes

To me 10.5m is fine considering its what Gaudreau and Tkachuck were originally offered in CGY before both ended up with less due to different circumstances

Basically would look like Patty Kane's old deal

Willy should avg 80-90 points maybe 100 so that should be fine

I mean I wouldn’t be really mad or anything if he got 10.5 so I kind of agree with you but it’s more then I think he should probably get (“fair” value for him is probably 10)

What top pair defenceman are you getting right now in FA with Willy's money?

Willy is still going to get better. His consistency can still get better than it is. He's worth what he gets. No question. My whole point is, he could have been signed in the off season but Treliving thought he could play hardball and shave more off the deal that was ever going to happen. Will's agent wasn't going to be easy to deal with and taking a strong position in the off season was going to push negotiations into the season where Willy unsurprisingly has gone nuts. Going mid to high 9's in the off season may have got this done already and no one would be complaining if Willy was already signed to a 9.7 million deal. Even 10 no one would be upset but we'll see now. Any dollar over 10 is Treliving's fault

Yea but at the same time his agent is the guy who negotiated with Brad about Gaudreau. If Brad says 10m hes gonna go well u offered my other client 10.5m when he had 115 points

Either way if he goes to that im fine with it as what were seeing from Willy is his prime rn. Sure he may regress back to 80-90 points next season but as long as hes getting 40-50 goals no complaints lul.


Just pls no Pasta money lul.

The cap percentage is the number to look at. Not the cap total. He can get pasta money but it will be less of a percentage. This is not hard to understand, I don't get why so many people just refuse to even try to understand.

Obviously no defensemen on the market are going to be given all of “Willys money”. But there’s a few decent ones out there

Noah Hanafin is the one that jumps out, but Pesce and Tanev are also out there

Is Hanafin as impactful as will is? Do you think having Pesce and Bertuzzi will have the same impact as Will does? Tanev? Come on

I go total cap not % as if we go by that Gaudreau ended up with less on his new team

I go by actual player comparable and we see other teams do that to often with their deals. A guy will sign for x amount than the following year we see another whose comparable sign for the same or slight more/less

In the end Nylander making Pasta money when Pasta is better is just a hard no for me. Pasta is the better player and even if try to justify with percentages doesnt work as Pasta be better

So if Willy ends up at 11.25m thats to much for him as hes not = to Pasta nor should he be paid the same

Hanafin and Domi/Bertuzzi (Pesce and Bertuzzi would probably come in cheaper than 11.25 combined)? Yes I would rather that over Willy. We have to be thinking about team need here. Do we need more scoring? No we do not. Do we need defense? Yes definitely (not necessarily defensemen, could be a goalie as well)

Domi + a Dman yes but Bertuzzi would probs make it around the same

But yea if they got Hanafin 7.5m x 7 years and Domi 3.15m x 6 years = 10.65m

Bertuzzi I have a feeling is gonna probs sign a 2 year deal or a medium deal in the 5-5.5m range so if we did that would = 12.5m

Now if we did Bertuzzi + Pesce would probs = the same as 11.25m Willy as Pesce I feel gonna = 6.25m

Its tricky rn

The one thing I would say is there are two other good wings out there in FA. Its very risky but maybe Reinhardt or Guentzel would come in less

Like if u let Willy go but got Guentzel on a 9.75m x 6 year deal would people be mad?

As to me Domi and Bertuzzi were brought in not so much for regular season but playoffs especially Bertuzzi

For instance last year

Domi 3 goals 10 assists last playoffs and Bertuzzi 5 goals and assists

It’s only less of a % (and barely) at the time of signing. I’d argue that them making the same % of the cap for the next 7 years is the much more vital point here.

As the cap rises, comparables change. Percentage doesn't

Gaudreau is a bit of an outlier as far as the contract he got. I think it surprised everyone when he left Calgary and signed what many thought was a below market value contract in Columbus.

Either way...if you slot Willy's talent and potential ahead of Johnny but behind Pasta....you don't pick a dollar amount that's in between...you pick a cap % that's in between and apply that to the 87.7m cap ceiling that will be in effect next year.

How much u want to bet Gaudreau hating his choice rn

10.5m was sitting there (basically what Hubbey got) and u went no then ended up with less

Heck he turned down 10m x 7 years with NJ

That guy just made 0 sense

And honestly I feel if Willy went to FA same would happen unless he went to a bottom feeder who may go **** it

But yea if im Brad I know you dont want to lose em but still dont give in. Go to him with 10.5m x 8 years and have it very front loaded. If he wants to be here. There's the deal. Cause yea while hes good 11.25m or heck maybe even more for him feels to big of a pill to swallow

I really think the number will be close to that $10.5. I haven't seen the $11m+ thrown out there by anyone credible...just guys who like fishing for clicks.

And Johnny probably doesn't hate his decision as much as Klingberg...but I still respect guys who go out and bet on themselves.

Back to will...if you take the average % of cap hit from Johnny and Pasta...and apply that to the upcoming $87.7 cap ceiling next year, you get an AAV of about $11.1m

Same logic applied with Matthews who slotted in between McKinnon and McDavid for a % point of view

CJ is one of the most credible there is and said he figures north of 11. Still have a hard time believing it myself though.

Not saying right or wrong but besides Kypreos (pinch of salt)

CJ has said it and hes pretty spot on

Pierre Lebrun has said it and hes pretty good

Friedman weighted in

But this also could end up like Morgan Rielly. Reports were he could get 9m open market and if he signed in Toronto it would be 8 years 8.5m if he took a discount. We heard nothing besides little talks

2 weeks later 7.5m x 8 years which now just looks great when we look at other guys making 9.25m when they shouldnt

I hope Willy goes for 10-10.5m but I really would not be surprised if they give him Pasta money or at least very close to it at this point