Salary Cap: Leafs’ core moving forward

[MorriPage]

Hey guys, I was thinking this through the other day. The prevailing mentality seems to be to lock up a core of 5-7 key players and then continually build and prune around them as necessary. Assuming that’s the general consensus on how to build a perennial contender, what does everyone think this team looks like moving forward as far as contracts? I’m not a big salary cap junkie so I’ll leave the number crunching up to others more intelligent than myself but my thinking is that it’s pretty unarguable as to who the Leafs’ core 5-7 guys would be. In no particular order:

1. Auston Matthews
2. William Nylander
3. Mitch Marner
4. Frederik Andersen
5. Morgan Rielly
6. Nikita Zaitsev
7. Jake Gardiner
8. Timothy Liljegren (assuming he pans out as expected, and then you probably have a decision to make somewhere among the defence)

What does everyone think? Thoughts, opinions, different list than mine? I’m also curious as to what people think the team’s salary cap situation would look like with that setup (or whatever setup you envision).

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[StevenB]

IMO I’d add kadri to that list. Signed at a steal of a contract, a team would have to overpay by a lot to get him

 

[firstemperor]

Definitely need to put Kadri there......a maybe on Brown, only because I'm not sure we can fit him and we have too many ELC wingers....and Dermott perhaps, especially if your putting Liljegren there.

You can probably put an asterisk on Rielly, Gardiner. I don't think it's out of the question one of those two might get upgraded/sent out some point.

If Zaitsev sustains his play for the season + playoffs...he's going to leapfrog both Rielly, Gardiner IMO.

 

[MorriPage]

Ok let me amend the list then:

1. Matthews
2. Nylander
3. Marner
4. Andersen
5. Zaitsev
6. Kadri
*7. Gardiner
*8. Rielly
9. Liljegren

I’m holding off on putting guys like Brown or Dermott for now. Mainly guys that I can predict with virtual certainty will be here for the long haul (i.e. the next decade or so and will be major franchise cornerstones). Having said that, what do you guys think the cap looks like with the core guys locked up? Term, cap hit, etc.

 

[Rare Jewel]

I'd agree Kadri is definitely a part of the core. If I had to take one out (or question) from that list it would likely be Gardiner due to him only having one more year left (after this). I do like him but I feel he could be one of the cap casualties down the line. Luckily though we have Dermott and Liljegren not far from ready.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Kadri is absolutely a core player for this team. He's on a great contract. When you're close to the cap you appreciate guys like him who should be making much more. The Blackhawks would be in serious trouble had they not locked in Keith for so cheap.

 

[Apotheosis]

Gardiner is gone after his contract I would think. He's played above his contract worth and we won't have the cap space to give him 7+. Dermott is his internal replacement. Liljegren and Dermott will be integral to competing while still being on ELC's. If we can get the big 3 signed for under 28 million combined, we're riding high.

 

[MJ65]

I am not sure why people under estimate Kadri all the time - what else he has to do for people to understand his value

 

[MorriPage]

Tremendous oversight on my part. Inexcusable.

 

[Nylanderthal]

xx-Matthews-Marner
xx-Nylander-Kapanen
xx-Kadri-Brown
xx-Goat/Aaltonen-Hyman

Rielly-xx (Liljegren?)
xx(Dermott?)-Zaitsev
??-??

Andersen
xx

Thats what you have going forward pretty well pencilled in long term, Bolded would be what you consider the "Core" currently, and you hope young guys like Liljegren and Dermott on the back end and Kapanen up front help solidify that core long term.

 

[Buds17]

Good list. I'd add Kadri because he is signed long-term. I'd probably also remove Gardiner. Since a number of our D hopefuls aren't here yet or haven't been here long enough, he could very well stick around until his current contract runs out. For a few reasons - best one being that our depth pans out by then - I can see why we might not be signing him to his next deal.

 

[zeke]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

 

[ACC1224]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

You're going no where if your goalie isn't part of your core.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Add in Kadri. Signed to a great team friendly deal.

I'd only pencil in Gardiner as a core piece cause he's a UFA after next year. He's a good but not great Dman. Definitely not someone we should feel the need to sign at all costs with Dermott (left D) and Liljegren (offensive D) probably able to backfill a lot of what Gardiner brings to the table as soon as Year 1 of any extension.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

I disagree. Nothing in the pipeline to replace him at this moment. Acquiring another average to above average starter will cost you more assets. He is an important piece.

 

[MJ65]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

Who would you replace him with - He is not the greatest but only option for us

 

[bobermay]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

Why do you feel this way?

Freddy has been our best goaltender since Belfour, and wins a lot of games! I'd argue that next to Matthews, Andersen is our MVP.

 

[zeke]

You're going no where if your goalie isn't part of your core.

eh, PIT and CHI won with multiple different goalies.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

I wouldn't hate you.
i wouldn't say Andy is part of the core either.
to be fair, I wouldn't say Naz is either - if the reason is simply due to his contract. Or Jake. (they are great supporting cast - but i don't think the are "core" )

the word "cord" means. if you had to blow up the team today, who is it that you keep? who can be replaced internally, or via trade (even if you have to pay a touch more in cap dollars). ia good chunk of our team imo can be changed a touch and i don't think it would make a significant change as long as the talent is there. This doesn't mean that I hate them or don't think they are great there, just as it is for me.

 

[Mugzy97]

It's probably better to break it down into tiers:
Unmovable/Guaranteed core:
Matthews C
Nylander RW/C
Marner RW

Core piece but movable at an extreme cost:
Kadri C
Rielly LD
Gardiner LD
Andersen G
Zaitsev RD
Liljegren RD
Dermott LD
Kapanen RW

Would love to keep as a core piece but replaceable "grinder" type:
Hyman LW/RW
Brown RW


Which leaves you with this as our current "core pieces":

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
X - Nylander - Kapanen
X - Kadri - Brown
X - X - X

Rielly - Liljegren
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - X

Andersen
X

We are really well off for our future. Even if we had to move on from Gardiner, hopefully Dermott could take his place in the top 4. We could definitely use some top 6 LW talent in our core though.

 

[ToneDog]

I know I'll get hated on this because omigod iluvzreims, but looking at those core pieces, the guy that's most expendable for me is Andersen.

Anybody not named Matthews is expendable for the right price.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Anybody not named Matthews is expendable for the right price.

If Gretzky can be traded, even Matthews can be traded at the right price

My core is Matthews, Nylander, Marner in a tier of their own
Then Kadri, Rielly, Andersen, Zaitsev in the 2nd tier

Gardiner's gone after next season. Expect Liljegren to replace him

 

[ACC1224]

eh, PIT and CHI won with multiple different goalies.

those goalies were still core players. If Andersen were moved his replacement would be a core player.

 

[zeke]

eh, for me, "fairly easily replaceable" isn't "core".

 

[bobermay]

Not sure if both Gardiner and Rielly are in our long-term plans... and if that is the case, I'd suspect Rielly is the player we'd hold onto.

Gardiner will be a UFA after next season, and will need to be re-upped the same time as Matthews and Marner... I wouldn't be surprised to see us letting Gardiner go VIA trade or FA, and let our depth guys fill the void.

Its hard to predict where our prospects will be in 2 years time, but we likely won't need Gardiner by 2019/2020... We will still have most of:
Rielly
Zaitsev
Liljegren
Dermott
Borgman
Rosen
Carrick
Rasanen
Neilsen
Gordeev*
Mattinen*
Middleton*
+ any free agent we pick up between now and then.
* May or may not get a contract...

Actually, Doughty is a FA the same time as Gardiner... wouldn't this be amazing

Rielly-Doughty
Dermott-Zaitsev
Borgman-Liljegren