Speculation: John Tavares' Pending Unrestricted Free Agency

[IPS]

if Mess is correct, and no team can afford 4 premium big salary players under the go forward caps, a lot of teams are going to be broken up.

It's all speculation until the contracts are signed.

If the big 3 are willing to give bargains (which you 100% cannot count on), then we can afford Tavares. If they want to get paid, then we most likely can't.

 

[IPS]

In other words, you have no idea....

Even if AM does not receive less ice time, how happy will he be to play 2C/4C instead of playing 1C. Who would be his linemates?

LOL what are you even saying here?

Has it limited Malkin in any way to be playing "2c" to Crosby for over a decade in Pittsburgh?

Never once did it limit his potential or restrict is ice-time.

What about Patty Kane in Chicago, was he a "2nd line winger" behind Hossa all those years?

It's you who has no idea if you think lines need to be uselessly labelled.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Matthews + Tavares + Marner + Nylander taking up approximately 1/2 a teams salary cap on 4 forwards alone, leaving 50% free space (~$40 mil) for 9 forwards + 7 dmen + 2 goalies to fill out your 22 man roster is not Cup competitive and very top heavy forward wise.

Therefor JT would need to offer a significant hometown discount and leave millions of lost wages on the table, (not going to happen) and Leafs would also need to trade one of Marner/Nylander (not part of the Shanaplan) both those also unlikely so that reduces the pursuit of Tavares even less likely.

Don't get me wrong I'd take Tavares in a heartbeat on the Leafs even if it guaranteed one of Marner/Nylander needed to be dealt to accommodate his cap hit, because it would give the Leafs one of the top 5 centre groups in the NHL and strength down the middle.

But the realist in me suggests one would need to be an extreme optimist to set the realistic odds very high of this all happening.

I set pipe dream odds of < 5% with an error rate of minus 4% leaving only 1% remote possibility of a green horn rookie GM pulling this all off.

Suffice to say I disagree with most of this and you're approaching this completely wrong IMHO. If I could bet on Tavares signing with the Leafs at odds of 19-1, I would most definitely do so.

 

[Drytoast]

It's all speculation until the contracts are signed.

If the big 3 are willing to give bargains (which you 100% cannot count on), then we can afford Tavares. If they want to get paid, then we most likely can't.

Assume always that they wont.

 

[ACC1224]

In other words, you have no idea....

Even if AM does not receive less ice time, how happy will he be to play 2C/4C instead of playing 1C. Who would be his linemates?

Why not try and put a little thought into this yourself instead of this passive aggressive trolling?

 

[Funk21]

1. If we have to pay 12 for AM and JT we have zero chance at signing both;
2. Numbers for WN should be 6.25-6.75 long term if comparing to Ehlers or Pasta;
3. Marner will be tricky as he may want to bet on himself and could be anywhere between 7-8
4. If we sign JT, WN can move to CTR on the third line we have a very valuable asset in Kadri that could land us a top RHD with an add;
5. There is a very good possibility that Johnsson, and Kapanen can be given 2/3 year Bridge deals for just over league min to keep costs controlled
6. Trade Gardiner if possible instead of trading Kadri (obviously value is worth less) Gardiner plus for Myers Extended.

Team looks something like this:

Hyman Matthews Marner
Marleau JT Kapanen
Johnsson Nylander Brown
Grundstrom Lindholm

Reilly 1RHD
Gardiner Zaitsev
Dermott Oziganov/Holl

Andersen
Pickard/Sparks

 

[Nineteen67]

LOL what are you even saying here?

Has it limited Malkin in any way to be playing "2c" to Crosby for over a decade in Pittsburgh?

Never once did it limit his potential or restrict is ice-time.

What about Patty Kane in Chicago, was he a "2nd line winger" behind Hossa all those years?

It's you who has no idea if you think lines need to be uselessly labelled.

No, other than for some strange reason he didn’t make the NHL top 100.

 

[nturn06]

Why not try and put a little thought into this yourself instead of this passive aggressive trolling?

OK, I was gonna pass, but since you insist, can you please post your projected lines for the next season, if Toronto signs JT.

Keep in mind that AM was probably not happy about his usage this season. I am not saying that what was reported is true, the press blown the issue out of proportions, but I think it is pretty clear that he was not too happy.

No matter how you look at this, you either have to give AM weaker teammates or convince JT to sign in Toronto at a discount AND play second wheel to AM..

 

[Nineteen67]

Rumours suggest JT will be receiving multiple offers and those numbers might 7 years at $14-15 mil per.

Matthews taking the Eichel deal also doesn't seem realistic now that he changed agents who negotiated the Connor McDavid deal.

TSN insiders are suggesting in Mitch Marner is not going to get +$3 mil less than Matthews when all is said and done.

I hope he gets 14 or 15 million from an Eastern Conf team.

 

[Nineteen67]

OK, I was gonna pass, but since you insist, can you please post your projected lines for the next season, if Toronto signs JT.

Keep in mind that AM was probably not happy about his usage this season. I am not saying that what was reported is true, the press blown the issue out of proportions, but I think it is pretty clear that he was not too happy.

No matter how you look at this, you either have to give AM weaker teammates or convince JT to sign in Toronto at a discount AND play second wheel to AM..

Well you could tell him he’s going to start play with Marleau and Marner. Finding skilled wingers is the least of the problems.

 

[IPS]

OK, I was gonna pass, but since you insist, can you please post your projected lines for the next season, if Toronto signs JT.

Keep in mind that AM was probably not happy about his usage this season. I am not saying that what was reported is true, the press blown the issue out of proportions, but I think it is pretty clear that he was not too happy.

No matter how you look at this, you either have to give AM weaker teammates or convince JT to sign in Toronto at a discount AND play second wheel to AM..

No really - what are you trying to get at with all of this?

In what world is having a Crosby/Malkin or Backstrom/Kuznetsov detrimental because "one of them has to be a 2nd line C"? AM's disappointment with his usage was 99% based on lack of PP time/linemates.

And in what f***ing world does AM need to be given worse line mates? Have you not seen how stacked our winger group is? You can give Mattthews his exact same linemates from last year and stick Tavares with a couple scrubs like Marleau and Marner. Nobody's playing second wheel to anybody.

I don't know why I bit but jesus christ...

 

[ACC1224]

OK, I was gonna pass, but since you insist, can you please post your projected lines for the next season, if Toronto signs JT.

Keep in mind that AM was probably not happy about his usage this season. I am not saying that what was reported is true, the press blown the issue out of proportions, but I think it is pretty clear that he was not too happy.

No matter how you look at this, you either have to give AM weaker teammates or convince JT to sign in Toronto at a discount AND play second wheel to AM..

Hyman Matthews Nylander
Marleau Tavares Marner

There will be lots of ice for everyone, no one will be second wheel.

Only thing Teams will need to convince Tavares of is their desire to win.

 

[frizzer1]

Hyman Matthews Nylander
Marleau Tavares Marner

n.

Hyman doesn't have the skill ,level to play on that line...I mean, really!!
Marleau will be 39 and likely will not be much of a factor...

so good luck with that..

 

[Liminality]

Hyman doesn't have the skill ,level to play on that line...I mean, really!!
Marleau will be 39 and likely will not be much of a factor...

so good luck with that..

Hyman has shown he can play with the top guys and Marleau put up the most even strength points he's had since 2013-14. He's not done yet.

 

[Liferleafer]

Hyman has shown he can play with the top guys and Marleau put up the most even strength points he's had since 2013-14. He's not done yet.

Hyman lends some grit to that line, but i would prefer a more skilled winger there.

 

[Drytoast]

Hyman lends some grit to that line, but i would prefer a more skilled winger there.

You just watched Vegas with a team of workers who were cast offs from every other team...WORK their way to a SCF.

On the other side of the argument. Hyman's numbers improved from his rookie season. I honestly believe he will continue to imporve this 3rd season.

Oh and plus he's a work horse at BOTH ends of the ice.

 

[SprDaVE]

McKenzie said the Leafs will definitely go after Tavares if he makes it to the free agency period. No big surprise but...

"I've been lead to believe that the Leafs have creative proposals to present to Tavares if he reaches free agency"

“… But I’ve been led to believe that the Leafs have been putting together something in the way of something that could be presented to Tavares if he gets – if he gets – to free agency. And it’s a big if.”

 

[Mess]

if Mess is correct, and no team can afford 4 premium big salary players under the go forward caps, a lot of teams are going to be broken up. What's Tampa going to do with Kucherov, Hedman, Point, Stamkos?

Hedman is a #1Dman and so that's different than 4 X forwards eating up 1/2 your cap.

Every team would love a #1Dman even if they were making $8-10 mil.

If Leafs could have Tavares or Doughty they would want to give the $$ to Drew instead to improve the D as opposed to adding another high priced forward.

 

[SprDaVE]

Some people are saying the Leafs could offer a 1 year 17 million contract (max), and then sign him for 8 years with around a 10M cap hit in January.

That would be really creative.

 

[Mess]

Some people are saying the Leafs could offer a 1 year 17 million contract (max), and then sign him for 8 years with around a 10M cap hit in January.

That would be really creative.

CBA says 20% of cap max for any one player so @ $80 mil ceiling that is capped at $16 (including bonuses) .

I've myself suggested a 1 year deal and then a 8 year extension here on these boards as the Leafs best opportunity to sign JT because Matthews/Marner don't kick in for another season.

 

[1specter]

Some people are saying the Leafs could offer a 1 year 17 million contract (max), and then sign him for 8 years with around a 10M cap hit in January.

That would be really creative.

Would be interesting how the league responds to that. They/other teams could cry cap circumvention, but at the same time, Tavares is taking a huge risk by signing only a 1 yr deal, cause if he gets injured or something goes wrong next year he could screw himself out of money that would've otherwise been guaranteed had he simply signed a 7 yr deal. So you can argue it's not really circumventing the cap when those dollars aren't actually guaranteed until he actually plays out the year and is healthy/successful.

 

[SprDaVE]

Would be interesting how the league responds to that. They/other teams could cry cap circumvention, but at the same time, Tavares is taking a huge risk by signing only a 1 yr deal, cause if he gets injured or something goes wrong next year he could screw himself out of money that would've otherwise been guaranteed had he simply signed a 7 yr deal. So you can argue it's not really circumventing the cap when those dollars aren't actually guaranteed until he actually plays out the year and is healthy/successful.

Not sure it violates any CBA rules. The NHL put a rule in place that you can't extend someone for 8 years before January... so the Leafs would follow that rule. There's really nothing stopping them.

 

[1specter]

Not sure it violates any CBA rules. The NHL put a rule in place that you can't extend someone for 8 years before January... so the Leafs would follow that rule. There's really nothing stopping them.

Yeah, makes sense. Btw, where did you see people talking about that (the 1+8 yr deal specifically)? Was it McKenzie himself or just random Twitter speculation on what the creative proposals could be?

 

[SprDaVE]

Yeah, makes sense. Btw, where did you see people talking about that (the 1+8 yr deal specifically)? Was it McKenzie himself or just random Twitter speculation on what the creative proposals could be?

Just speculation from twitter after the McKenzie quote and looking at the Leafs massive amount of cap space next season.

Some could see it as cap circumvention though, so the Leafs would have to be careful not to show any signs of cap circumvention. It would 100% have to be a wink wink nudge nudge kind of thing and nothing could be agreed upon beforehand...

It's unlikely but not impossible.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I want Dubas to prove me wrong but I am worried he doesn't have the guts to do anything significant be it at forward or on D.

I hope proves me wrong because this team still needs 1 big piece