If the cap goes up to $80-82 million next year, should we go after Tavares if he hits UFA?

[AppsSyl]

If the cap goes up to $80-82 million next year, should we go after Tavares if he hits UFA?
I know our greatest need is on the blueline, but adding Tavares down the middle with Matthews and Kadri, allows Willy to stay on the wing and Marner to likely pair up with Tavares. Who do you put your match up line against? One of those lines is going to have a field day against secondary competition each night.
Personally with a cap increase of that much I would love to sign Tavares and it would not cripple our cap situation.

Click to read more...

 

[Legion34]

Well it depends on what we could get the big 3 to sign for. If they stay in the 25 million range and Tavares signs for 10 then have at it

Hyman. Matthews nylander (20)
Kapanen. Tavares. Marner. (17)
Brown. Kadri. Xxxxxxx (7.5)
Martin. Xxxx. Xxxxx. 2.25

Zaitsev. Rielly (9.5)
Xxxxx. Xxxx
Dermott. Lily. (2)

Xxxx.

Goalies are 7. That would leave plenty for 2 top 4 d and spare parts.

If this bumps up the percentages on the big 3 than we still won’t have room

 

[bobermay]

Yes, if he takes a bit of a discount...

I honestly don't think Marner/Nylander/Matthews will get as much as some anticipate...

Matthews: 10.5x8
Tavares*: 9x8
Nylander: 6x6
Marner: 6x6

Marleau 6.25
Kadri 4.5
Hyman 2.5
Brown 2.1
Soshnikov 1
Leivo 0.925
Kapanen 0.863
Gauthier 0.7

Rielly 5
Zaitsev 405
Gardiner 4.05
Hainsey: 3
Borgman: 0.925

Andersen 5

Kessel 1.2

= 74 mil (2019/2010 since Marner and Matthews won't get paid until then)... and 8 + mil for for another Dman + backup + 3 extras.... Al

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Tavares-Marner
Soshnikov-Kadri-Brown
Leivo-Gauthier-Kapanen

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Well it depends on what we could get the big 3 to sign for. If they stay in the 25 million range and Tavares signs for 10 then have at it

Hyman. Matthews nylander (20)
Kapanen. Tavares. Marner. (17)
Brown. Kadri. Xxxxxxx (7.5)
Martin. Xxxx. Xxxxx. 2.25

Zaitsev. Rielly (9.5)
Xxxxx. Xxxx
Dermott. Lily. (2)

Xxxx.

Goalies are 7. That would leave plenty for 2 top 4 d and spare parts.

If this bumps up the percentages on the big 3 than we still won’t have room

Where did Gardiner and Hainsey go? They are signed to next season.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I like Marner but there is no way he makes more than 4 mil a season.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Yes, go for it if he's willing to do $9 million. Figure out the cap later. There is always a solution.

 

[AppsSyl]

I like Marner but there is no way he makes more than 4 mil a season.

LOL! Are you serious? There is no way he is under $6 million if the contract is 6 years or more. I am guessing $7 million.

 

[AppsSyl]

Yes, go for it if he's willing to do $9 million. Figure out the cap later. There is always a solution.

$9 million is the number I was thinking as well. He would be getting paid still, but taking a bit of a discount from what he may be able to get, to have a shot at winning here.

 

[stymie]

 

[Mr Hockey]

LOL! Are you serious? There is no way he is under $6 million if the contract is 6 years or more. I am guessing $7 million.

He was on track for that kind of money before he was injured last year, he is pretty much unnoticed at 5 vs 5 this season on a sheltered line with veterans, Apps

 

[BayStreetBully]

$9 million is the number I was thinking as well. He would be getting paid still, but taking a bit of a discount from what he may be able to get, to have a shot at winning here.

I know Tavares is a UFA and all, and he can get more from the open market if all he wants is money, but I would remain firm in negotiations. I loved Lou's ability to sign Stevens and Brodeur to great contracts in NJ, yet at the same time walk away from Mogilny and Holik when he felt the number got too high.

Tavares should decide whether he's willing to take a "discount" of, say, $9 million (still $63 million total over 7 years) to play in Toronto, or whether he wants to make $11 million elsewhere, which is cool too. If Tavares won't sign a team-friendly deal, we can try again with hometown boys Doughty and Seguin the following year. (Actually, trying for Doughty the following year is a 'must', regardless of what happens with Tavares)

 

[34]

YES. 1000%

 

[firstemperor]

I've been saying for a while that if you can move furniture around (and ideally, we won't even have to do it within the next year or two) for an elite, empty wallet asset as good as Tavares, you go for it.

He's a superstar in this league at the most premium position.

 

[Legion34]

Where did Gardiner and Hainsey go? They are signed to next season.

Irrrelevant. The big raises don’t come up until their contracts expire

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Yes (at a reasonable price of course).

Especially if the cap gets to 82M.

Would lead to a very scary and well-rounded top 6.

 

[MR4]

Very tempting if it's under 10M. Wish the 2018 and 2019 UFAs were switched around so we could take our shot at a priority position (RHD -Doughty/Karlsson/OEL/McDonagh) before a luxury position (C - Tavares)

 

[firstemperor]

Very tempting if it's under 10M. Wish the 2018 and 2019 UFAs were switched around so we could take our shot at a priority position (RHD -Doughty/Karlsson/OEL/McDonagh) before a luxury position (C - Tavares)

To me, as unlikely as they all are, Tavares is a better shot than any of the other 4. Don't really want to put all your eggs in one basketball regardless...we can explore upgrading the D in that class when the time comes (moving Marleau's deal and Gardiner's deal expiring would go a long ways to it).

I think it would be stupid to pass up on the opportunity to get an elite, empty wallet asset at the hardest commodity to fill in the league (#1C).....I mean if you asked people if we needed Marleau before last off-season- everyone would have said it would be even less necessary. Tavares is on another plane completely.

If you get Tavares as an empty wallet and cap implications truly are an issue, you find a way to dump deals to clear space- because in a trade, he'd command far more actual assets. It's not like he's a 38 year old winger like Marleau is, the guy is 27 and in his prime. These opportunities don't come up much in hockey, guys like Tavares and Stamkos are the first of the recent cohort (of superstar caliber players) to hit UFA post-cap.

 

[hullsy47]

If the cap goes up to $80-82 million next year, should we go after Tavares if he hits UFA?
I know our greatest need is on the blueline, but adding Tavares down the middle with Matthews and Kadri, allows Willy to stay on the wing and Marner to likely pair up with Tavares. Who do you put your match up line against? One of those lines is going to have a field day against secondary competition each night.
Personally with a cap increase of that much I would love to sign Tavares and it would not cripple our cap situation.

if JT wants the leafs the leafs fit him in ...he knows it ,we know it .hed be our second bet player .

 

[Nithoniniel]

The thing is that if the cap goes up significantly, our extensions will go up as well. Best thing for us would be if the cap took a big leap after we signed our big three long-term.

 

[Terrible GM]

I'd sign him to a 1 year deal. Max we can afford under the cap. I doubt he will leave NYI, but if he wants a shot at winning any time soon then he becomes a UFA

 

[MR4]

The thing is that if the cap goes up significantly, our extensions will go up as well. Best thing for us would be if the cap took a big leap after we signed our big three long-term.

Yeah, I really was dissapointed hearing about this now when we likely will sign all our Big 3 to contracts this offseason. Hopefully Lou can avoid this being a factor to increase their salaries significantly.

I'd sign him to a 1 year deal. Max we can afford under the cap. I doubt he will leave NYI, but if he wants a shot at winning any time soon then he becomes a UFA

Shame we can't do a totally illegal handshake deal in paying JT 14M for 1 year while we have our 3 kids on ELC, then having a 8* 9M contract lined up for 86M total, instead of him getting like 8* 10M from Islanders with probably a maximum 5M cap hit in the season after the contract for 85M total over the same 9 years.

Oh, how our rich team got screwed over in the CBA removing our ability to buy whatever we want at whatever price with whatever circumventing contract

 

[Warden of the North]

No. Defensemen.

 

[BlueBaron]

I think you are looking for discount at 9 Mil. I do not see him signing for less than 10.5 and 11 would not shock me. The Islanders will offer him huge money to stay and I have to think the Hab are ready to pounce with 8 mil in Cap in the bank already.

I'm torn on this one. I do see the appeal of the uber 1-2-3 punch but part of me is wary of being that tight against the Cap going forward and another part would rather see that money go to D. Will that type of D ever be available? I guess probably not.

That said we never get our guy in free agency so I would not get my hopes up.

 

[613Leafer]

If we sign Tavares, I think we should turn around and flip one of our forwards not named Matthews for help on the blueline, though it would have to be for a defenceman of similar age. Matthews + Tavares + 2/3 of Nylander/Kadri/Marner is easily a forward core you can win a Cup with.

And then if we're willing to trade one of Nylander/Kadri/Marner, I think we could very realistically add a substantial player on the blueline, making the blueline SC calibre as well.

If Tavares is willing to sign here, it's a free elite asset, aside from capspace. It would give us the flexibility to trade a very valuable forward for help on the blueline, and not even downgrade at all up front overall.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

No. Defensemen.

if you can get better at any position you do it.