Armchair GM 2018-2019

[louisstamos]

de Haan signed in Carolina. 4 year deal

Can someone explain to me again why we had to give Zaitsev a 7-year deal?

Ask Lou.

Lou's an idiot.

Hey!  C'mon!

...oh, you were referring to other Lou.

 

[Zee]

de Haan signed in Carolina. 4 year deal

Can someone explain to me again why we had to give Zaitsev a 7-year deal?

Ask Lou.

Lou's an idiot.

Hey!  C'mon!

...oh, you were referring to other Lou.

;D

 

[CarltonTheBear]

de Haan signed in Carolina. 4 year deal

Carolina's Defense:
Slavin-Pesce
De Haan-Hamilton
?-TvR
?-Faulk

Man, with a defence corps like that the Hurricanes could probably make a pretty legitimate run in the playoffs if only they get above-average goalten... haha sorry I couldn't finish that sentence with a straight face.

 

[Frank E]

Faulk isn't a bottom pairing guy, right?

You have to figure they're going to do something with a d-man there.

 

[herman]

de Haan signed in Carolina. 4 year deal

Carolina's Defense:
Slavin-Pesce
De Haan-Hamilton
?-TvR
?-Faulk

Man, with a defence corps like that the Hurricanes could probably make a pretty legitimate run in the playoffs if only they get above-average goalten... haha sorry I couldn't finish that sentence with a straight face.

They can?t get scored on if the other team can?t shoot at the net.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

They can?t get scored on if the other team can?t shoot at the net.

Nah, they'd find a way.

 

[princedpw]

de Haan signed in Carolina. 4 year deal

Carolina's Defense:
Slavin-Pesce
De Haan-Hamilton
?-TvR
?-Faulk

So Gardiner Hainsey+Nielsen for Faulk+?

I?ve been looking at the leafs cap sheet here:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/mapleleafs

It suggests:

Projected cap hit:  $63,320,833

But that does not appear to include the bonus overage from last year (or does it? I wasn?t quite sure).  Assuming it doesn?t and the leafs want to keep this year?s performance bonuses on this year?s cap then we need to add:

Overage:  $2,550,000
This year?s bonus?s:  $3,700,000

So that leaves us at:  ~$69,500,000

If Nylander signs at $7,000,000:  ~76,500,000
For 10 useable forwards (not including Horton), 6D, 2 goalies.
We need to sign a minimum of 3 more forwards and 1 more D.  If they average 700K, we are at

~79,300,000

Which, I think, is too close to the limit ? injuries will happen and to bring up players while avoiding LTIR, we are going to need at least 1million space.

I fear I?ve made a mistake (the bonus overages from last year?) because other people don?t seem to put us this close to the edge.  If we are here, I don?t see how we could add Faulk or anyone at all without trading out a larger salary... help?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I fear I?ve made a mistake (the bonus overages from last year?) because other people don?t seem to put us this close to the edge.  If we are here, I don?t see how we could add Faulk or anyone at all without trading out a larger salary... help?

Capfriendly's $63.3mil figure includes the $2.55mil overage from last season, so you've counted that twice.

 

[Coco-puffs]

Here is the cap sheet from Cap Friendly, which includes 9 forwards (plus Horton's full cap hit), 6 defensemen, 2 goalies, plus Kessel's salary retention and last years bonus overage:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/mapleleafs

I covered the scenario's for filling out the rest of the roster with in house guys yesterday, starting at $63.3M in Cap hit already accounted for as per above.

https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1014224661427650560

So, subtract another $3.7M from that immediately, as we really don't want to carry over any bonus money into 2019-2020 when the extensions for Matthews and Marner kick in.  That leaves just shy of $12.5M left to resign Nylander and Johnsson and fill out the rest of the roster with guys like Jooris, Lindholm, Moore, Borgman, Rosen etc.  (1-2 D, 2-3 F) who are on contracts under 1M. 

So, if you fill in 4 guys at approx. 1M, you've got $8.5M left to re-sign Nylander and Johnsson which should be do-able.  Any additions beyond that need to come with some salary subtracted, or we are heading into carrying over bonus money into next season.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So we're pretty much looking at about $1mil in cap space left over as things stand right now.

I really wonder what the Leafs plan was if they actually got de Haan to sign.

 

[Coco-puffs]

I really wonder what the Leafs plan was if they actually got de Haan to sign.

Ideally, move Zaitsev.  Most likely, move Gardiner.

 

[Zee]

Wonder how the right side of the defense will shape up. Those rumors of de Haan would only address a left spot, which is why I figured they would move on from Gardiner because 1) he's in the final year of his deal and will want a big raise 2) he's a left shot D 3) they've not moving Rielly or Dermott if de Haan was signed

The right side right now is : Hainsey, Zaitsev, Carrick/Holl/Ozhiganov ?  Something has to give, I don't think Dubas starts the year with that right side.

 

[Frank E]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

 

[Zee]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

I know it's extremely shady, but could the Leafs still trade Horton to a team that wants to get to the cap floor and not use LTIR?  Basically have Horton on your payroll to reach the floor.

 

[Coco-puffs]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

Correct.  Don't forget, they also had Lupul's contract to LTIR the last few seasons.  So, it made no sense to have 10M+ in dead cap space just to avoid bonus overages going into the following season.  So they just LTIR'd both.

Once they are in LTIR, any bonuses the guys on rookie contracts get, has to be carried over.  If there is nobody on LTIR, then whatever cap space they have left at the end of the season can be used to cover the bonuses.  If there is any left, it still carries over. 

However, in 2019-2020 they cannot afford bonus overages with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander on their next contracts without subtracting a good player. 

So this season, their best bet is to avoid LTIR altogether and eat the bonuses under this years cap sheet- which means staying 3.7M below the cap.  And having Horton still eat 5.3M of cap space as well (ie, not on LTIR).

 

[Frank E]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

I know it's extremely shady, but could the Leafs still trade Horton to a team that wants to get to the cap floor and not use LTIR?  Basically have Horton on your payroll to reach the floor.

Nobody seems to have any trouble hitting the floor any more, but even that were the case, there are far more palatable options than a guy that can't even play hockey for you.

Also, you can't pay for someone whose cap hit is with another team.

 

[louisstamos]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

I know it's extremely shady, but could the Leafs still trade Horton to a team that wants to get to the cap floor and not use LTIR?  Basically have Horton on your payroll to reach the floor.

Only 3 teams haven't hit the floor yet - the Rangers, Devils and Jets.  And the Jets are going to spend it on someone, that's for sure.

You can still trade Horton to a team with tons of cap space, but it's probably costing an decent asset to do so.

 

[rdowdall]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

I know it's extremely shady, but could the Leafs still trade Horton to a team that wants to get to the cap floor and not use LTIR?  Basically have Horton on your payroll to reach the floor.

They could, but said team would be paying a player not to play.  Part of the problem with Horton's contract is that it is not insured.  So a team trying to get to the floor may not like this scenario.

 

[Kin]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

I know it's extremely shady, but could the Leafs still trade Horton to a team that wants to get to the cap floor and not use LTIR?  Basically have Horton on your payroll to reach the floor.

Isn't the thing about the Horton deal, the whole reason we were able to move Clarkson for him, that the deal isn't insured? So any team acquiring it actually has to pay him out of pocket?

If so itd be pretty tough for other teams to just absorb it the way MLSE can.

 

[Zee]

I think I ask this every year, but what they've normally done is push Horton's cap hit into LTIR on day - 1 of the season, correct?

But this affects the others' bonus $$ not being able to be kept in the 18-19 cap?  (this is more of a question)

Correct.  Don't forget, they also had Lupul's contract to LTIR the last few seasons.  So, it made no sense to have 10M+ in dead cap space just to avoid bonus overages going into the following season.  So they just LTIR'd both.

Once they are in LTIR, any bonuses the guys on rookie contracts get, has to be carried over.  If there is nobody on LTIR, then whatever cap space they have left at the end of the season can be used to cover the bonuses.  If there is any left, it still carries over. 

However, in 2019-2020 they cannot afford bonus overages with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander on their next contracts without subtracting a good player. 

So this season, their best bet is to avoid LTIR altogether and eat the bonuses under this years cap sheet- which means staying 3.7M below the cap.  And having Horton still eat 5.3M of cap space as well (ie, not on LTIR).

Thankfully they have Pridham and Gilman to figure this crap out.