Yes, some will stay, some wont.

I think you are going to start seeing a shift though. more players are going to test the market to see what is out there.
- ImThatGuy

If you examine all those UFA there's good reasons they are where they are.
Heck, Panarin never had any interest in being in Columbus. He came to the NHl to play in Chicago.

If you examine all those UFA there's good reasons they are where they are.
Heck, Panarin never had any interest in being in Columbus. He came to the NHl to play in Chicago.
- RogerRoeper

Players have 0 choice of where they are drafted and don't get a choice of where they can openly sign for 7 Years minimum.

I see that changing in the next CBA.
5 years NHL experience, no age limit.
the college loop hole will be closed.
Compliance buyouts.
buyout cap numbers.
Salary structure.


Again, another NHL lockout is just around the corner.

Players have 0 choice of where they are drafted and don't get a choice of where they can openly sign for 7 Years minimum.

I see that changing in the next CBA.
5 years NHL experience, no age limit.
the college loop hole will be closed.
Compliance buyouts.
buyout cap numbers.
Salary structure.


Again, another NHL lockout is just around the corner.
- ImThatGuy

College loop hole being closed will definitely be important to the owners. Give to get though
It'll be interesting. Could be a 2 year lockout. The only one who profits from a lockout is Ek. Just think how much crap he'll make up and all the clicks he'll get from bored hockey fans. It'll be 2005 again.

BTW, is the idiot coach going to play Matthews the same minutes other stars do when he's getting a 11.6 million cap hit?

Brian Boyle to Preds for a second round pick. You nailed another one Ek.

The Leafs did nothing wrong here. What was Dubas supposed to do? Not sign him? Trade him? Of course not. It's just the latest example of "If my team does it then it's great but if any other team does it then it's terrible." Cheer for the laundry, point the finger, we're all hypocrites. It's blown up only because it's the Leafs. I still recall the Red Wings being vilified back in 1997/98 for matching Carolina's offer sheet for Sergei Fedorov. How DARE they keep one of their best players! The vulgarity of it!
- gergeswillems

This x 1000

The Leafs did nothing wrong here. What was Dubas supposed to do? Not sign him? Trade him? Of course not. It's just the latest example of "If my team does it then it's great but if any other team does it then it's terrible." Cheer for the laundry, point the finger, we're all hypocrites. It's blown up only because it's the Leafs. I still recall the Red Wings being vilified back in 1997/98 for matching Carolina's offer sheet for Sergei Fedorov. How DARE they keep one of their best players! The vulgarity of it!
- gergeswillems

This x 1000

Yet Doughty and Seguin signed with their teams. If they are offered great deals they stay.
- RogerRoeper

That was a point I didn't state.

Typically, it's the team that walks away from the players salary demands...not the player walking away from the team to seek the same money elsewhere.

Pretty obvious that Matthews loves Toronto and wants to be here - but money is money and he, like most people in the world, aren't going to take less money to play in Toronto.

If I were an NHLer and Toronto offered me substantially less than I could get elsewhere, I would walk too. It's a business. Don't think for a second that hockey teams don't make decisions that put the team first.

Something is going to happen.

Either the cap is going to have to rise a lot over the next few years, or players demands are going to have to start coming down.

You are going to have every 21-22 YO that comes in with any kind of production asking for 7MM +.

the current cap structure cannot handle that.

Either way, i see another lockout coming.
- ImThatGuy

I agree. Something has to change.
The system is broken - you can't rely on GM's to govern themselves accordingly.

I agree. Something has to change.
The system is broken - you can't rely on GM's to govern themselves accordingly.
- Cooshie

Keep the cap

Abolish the draft

Open free agency for everyone...

but no guaranteed contracts

That was a point I didn't state.

Typically, it's the team that walks away from the players salary demands...not the player walking away from the team to seek the same money elsewhere.

Pretty obvious that Matthews loves Toronto and wants to be here - but money is money and he, like most people in the world, aren't going to take less money to play in Toronto.

If I were an NHLer and Toronto offered me substantially less than I could get elsewhere, I would walk too. It's a business. Don't think for a second that hockey teams don't make decisions that put the team first.
- Cooshie

The common theme is if offered a great deal a year before you be UFA, vast majority of times players sign it. Tavares seems to be the only one.

BTW, is the idiot coach going to play Matthews the same minutes other stars do when he's getting a 11.6 million cap hit?
- RogerRoeper

Are you going to ask this a few times every day now?

Are you going to ask this a few times every day now?
- LeafGuy89

Yes. Babcock is a moron.

I agree. Something has to change.
The system is broken - you can't rely on GM's to govern themselves accordingly.
- Cooshie

They continue to prove that theory right.

Keep the cap

Abolish the draft

Open free agency for everyone...

but no guaranteed contracts


- Aetherial

first one is idiotic but the last one I love..just like an NFL, would be great for the fans if a contract could be terminated in the summer, no guarantee, then nobody can sit on a long term contract..

consistency, durability, leadership quality, experience etc etc. And remember who Tavares played with in NY.

I mean, how's paying for a promise of performance working out for us with Nylander?

Again, I have no issue with players wanting to get a billion dollars. I would want too. They are "pro" athletes. They all play for money.

It's the GM who is quite willingly enabling them. 11.7M is a fine number if we are talking 6-7 years. But at 5? Jeez. And Matthews acts as if he took a haircut for the team. It's that hypocrisy that makes me puke.
- gamerdoc

THIS is exactly right. And when I echoed the same sentiment I had Leaf butt-hurt fans jumping down my throat like I was wishing death to the Leafs.
The Leafs are an extremely talented young team, but the Nylander, Matthews, and (yet to come) Marner contracts are going to severely hinder them. It is not a shot against the Leafs, it is just a Cap-Hell fact any team with 3-4 superstars has to contend with.
The Leaf fans who think going forward with 7 million Nylander, 11 Tavarez, 11.5 Matthews, 10+ Marner is not going to have Cap issues filling in the remaining 15-17 players....please, have a clue!

THIS is exactly right. And when I echoed the same sentiment I had Leaf butt-hurt fans jumping down my throat like I was wishing death to the Leafs.
The Leafs are an extremely talented young team, but the Nylander, Matthews, and (yet to come) Marner contracts are going to severely hinder them. It is not a shot against the Leafs, it is just a Cap-Hell fact any team with 3-4 superstars has to contend with.
The Leaf fans who think going forward with 7 million Nylander, 11 Tavarez, 11.5 Matthews, 10+ Marner is not going to have Cap issues filling in the remaining 15-17 players....please, have a clue!
- hawk35