Quoting: MitchJr
I responded to another user, before your response so 🤷🏻. Tavares is still a very good nhl player but not worth his cap hit - we agree. To a team like Hawks - where cap doesn’t matter, he would be a great addition - similar idea to (but even better than) overpaying Foligno or Perry. Especially when you consider his actual salary is significantly less than cap hit.
But he’s most likely not waiving to go to Chicago and there is no chance Leafs retain, so moot point.
Murphy is in no way worth a 1st, Leafs can simply sign better or comparable player in FA
Murphy is easily worth what is likely to be a late 1st two years from now, and there are protections that can be included for that. Especially if there is retention involved. This has long been a consensus between fans here on CF.
As for JT, I think there is a chance that, if they sit down with him and have a frank conversation about him, his contract and his future. They could convince him to waive the last year of his contract so they can make the changes they need to make and for the opportunity to play with a young budding star and then come back and retire as a Leaf on a discount contract. If he doesn't waive and help the team out, I could see that souring their relationship and them moving on from him entirely. Then he would have to make the choice to either retire or move to a new team anyway. Which is a decision I think he would like to avoid, with his family being so established in TOR.
Should TOR blame him for not waiving? No. They signed him, it's a contractual obligation that he has every right to uphold and stay put. You can't blame any player for exercising their clause firmly. But, for the good of TOR's future and if he wants to finish his career there while strategically helping them, it might be a smart move.