A little bit curious why you seem to be pushing Toronto II so hard.
I think if Toronto II always existed, it would be fine. They would survive and have a niche market built up over time, their own identity. I don’t think the economics make sense to start in 2020.
Frame it another way. Boston is a marquee franchise in MLB. They have a rabid fan base in New England and around the world. Does it make financial sense for MLB to stick another franchise in that market? Who would it be serving?
Do you really think an NHL property is going to be worth $7.5 billion in 20 years time?
Pushing so hard? I have no interest in a second Toronto II team. You, however, as a Leafs fan, seem really insecure about a second team in the market (maybe because if they won a Cup before you did....?). I'm not talking trash on you and your team with that. I'm simply making an educated guess.
I'm a Mets fan. We're the red-headed step-child to the Yankees. Everyone knows it. No one really cares about it. My life as a Mets fan doesn't revolve around "catching up" to the Yankees, because that will never happen. We could win 20 championships in a row, and Yankees fans will still say "You're still at 22, we're at 27."
It doesn't make sense for a second MLB team in Boston, because the massive Red Sox fan base -- as you correctly point out - is made up of the 15 million people in New England (And all the New Englanders who left the area and remain Sox fans). Boston itself is probably too small for two teams, and while New England is certainly a big enough region for two teams, it really doesn't have a another top 40 population center that would be a good place for a team: Providence or Hartford.
And baseball has way more untapped areas than New England. The situation you describe would be better illustrated in California:
Bay Area: San Francisco/Oakland (12 US metro area) has 2 teams. Their TV footprint also includes 26 Sacramento (NBA/MLS), 35 San Jose (NHL/MLS/AHL/A+), 54 Fresno (AAA), 77 Stockton (AHL/A+), Modesto (A+).
Southern California: Los Angeles (2 metro area) has 2 teams. Their TV footprint includes Inland Empire. Inland Empire (Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino) has 4.9 million people and is the #13 metro area in the US. They have an AHL team and a A+ baseball team. SOME LEAGUE SHOULD PUT A TEAM IN INLAND EMPIRE.
Also, MLB has untapped markets in Montreal, Portland, Nashville, Vancouver, San Antonio/Austin, Charlotte, etc.
My point here is that: I don't have a personal attachment to any potential expansion market, besides missing the Expos and Nordiques a little bit. I'm not "pushing GTA2" as an NHL market because I really want it to happen. I'm arguing with you because you're saying dumb things: It doesn't make economic sense to have a second team in GTA? That's crazy talk.
The NHL would be better with teams in Hamilton and GTA2. Actually making it happen would be the hard part, because there's only one way to do it: A Rogers/Bell MLSE divorce settlement.