No point in having an expensive left wing with Matthews and Marner. Teams that struggle with the cap (Penguins, Blackhawks) have to put cheaper players with good players because those good players are making them better. Matthews and Marner don’t need a good left winger but Nylander or Kadri might.

Not sure why everyone has Nylander as a Center... I think he is better suited on the wing, less work more energy to rip rope.

Your contact value are good thou based on current play. Talk is AM34 is going to get $13.5M based on % of the cap... unbelievable. At one point in the off season the thought was they could get 34, 16, and 29 for $20M now they can't get two of them for that...

I put Nylander as a Centre because that is where Babcock has said he wants him once acclimatized to NHL.

I think Leaf Fans and others are not being very realistic when they think the Leafs can rid themselves of Marleau easily in the third year of his contract. He left his home in San Jose for to get a three year deal and get a chance at a Cup. So for him just to waive his NMC for year three, especially if the Leafs are Cup contenders to me seems unlikely to me. And being a plus 35 signing he can't be bought. My opinion Marleau stays and Gardiner has to leave as UFA.
Agree with you, that Leafs are hoping Nylander can be a good centre. Leafs have lots of wingers, but if they have to fill that 2C position with a UFA, it will be expensive.

We’re all assuming Marleau is gone because that’s what Bobby Mac et al have been saying. This is a 2 year contract paid over 3 years. He'll get his bonus July 1 of year 3, then either become “injured” and go to Robidas Island, or be traded to a floor team and retire. Obviously may not happen, but when the insiders that are almost never wrong on things like that say it, I believe it.

I like to think of the 3rd year of Marleau's contract as a thanks for playing the other two, we are going to

a) trade you to Ari or Vegas to get them to the floor of the cap. He will never play, basically retired so he can live were ever he likes
b) "hope" he "fails" his physical then put it on LTR. I'm assuming he wont be a jagr
c) well, if he doesn't go for a or b, he will be riding the bus with the marlies... fun for a 40 year old.

Its only business.

I just hope they make a deep playoff run before all this happens... or right its only 2 year away...

If could stay under cap in 18/19, get rid of Martin and get a reasonably priced LW instead of the 5mil I put in? Guess who is UFA? Doughty. Save 1.5 mil from Martin gone, 3 million from cheaper LW, and no 5 million overage? 9.5 million to give somebody.