Glad this is cleared up but frankly I think all the talk about the Leafs being hamstrung by young guys growing salaries is over-blown.
I look at it this way...
1. With bonuses, Nylander was making 1.6 million. Lupul's 5.2 million coming off the books can cover that, putting him in Johnny Gaudreau salary range. I don't see him getting more than that unless he is the second coming of Connor McDavid this year, note that is hyperbole.
2. Ditto for Marner on money with bonuses currently and a pay hike of similar proportions. With Cowen and Gleason coming off the books, that a $2 mil savings. Assuming the cap grows as it has by about $2 million a year, that $4 million toward his raise, and replace Fehr with Altonen and save another million. That"s Marner done, next...
3. Auston Mathews currently comes in at about $3.8 million when you add in bonuses, so he needs about another $7 million to get him done. Take $2 million from the subsequent year cap hike and make the 3rd year of Marleau disappear and that's done. I suspect the Leafs have a way to do that in mind or they never would have signed him for the 3rd year, knowing Mathews would have to be re-upped then.
They could also let some of their UFAs walk, but maybe they can hang on to at least two of them. I think Bozak and Komarov have to resign for pretty much the same dollars if they want to remain in Leafland. They are essentially both 3rd liners though playing on different lines. Kadri is our second best centre. Bozak is just playing with two top 6 wingers. JVR is another story, if he puts up similar numbers, he'll be entitled to a decent raise, probably in the Marleau range. The Leafs could easily let Bozak walk to accommodate this or just trade him for picks. Then shift, I think (contrary to popular opinion) Marner to centre and insert another right winger, Kapanen, Bracco into the lineup, with Brownie probably moving up a notch.
Hainsey later comes off the books at $3 million just in time for a nice raise for Jake Gardiner, and a cheaper young alternative (Liljegren, Rosen, Dermott) slips in the line-up.
This scenario is built on a few assumptions: cap continues to rise at same rate as recent years, Leafs know they'll be able to ditch 3rd year of Marleau contract, and the don't go out and make a deal for a high costs player without shedding an equivalent amount of salary.
I do think it's all very realistic and the "cap crunch" is more of an over-hyped media thread, though I still agree the Leafs have to manage it carefully. But I don't see things as being as desperate as being portrayed out there.
