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Forums :: Blog World :: Mike Augello: Is Robertson’s bid to make Leafs roster realistic?
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Zezel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: God Leafs Satan The Oneness, ON
Joined: 02.28.2011

Jul 23 @ 9:18 AM ET
Sasquatch would be good. And turns into Seattle Assquatch so easily.

Hard to do a good 'Squatch logo though. I bet that part is gonna be brutal and they'll redesign the jersey after a while. Strong chance of a brutal expansion jersey coming up.
Leafs43
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: ON
Joined: 06.16.2010

Jul 23 @ 9:25 AM ET
Write up of Pietrangelo possibly joining the Leafs next year in the Athletic this morning.

Yes please.


Question 1: Do you see any way the Leafs would be interested in signing UFA Alex Pietrangelo? And if so, would they be willing to trade one of the core players for draft picks or other assets to fit him in? They would have to I am certain.

I wrote in-depth on Pietrangelo as a potential fit for the Leafs in December, back when Toronto was headed for a playoff miss. A lot has obviously changed since then.

One of the biggest shifts? Jake Muzzin’s new contract, which eats a lot of the cap space that could have potentially gone to another top-four defenceman.

That brings us to the first thing we have to consider with a player like this: the salary cap fit. It’s not unreasonable to assume that with the flat cap that Pietrangelo may be a little bit cheaper, so I’m going to assume an $8.5 million cap hit for our purposes. (I do not see a premier UFA defenceman taking a significantly bigger haircut than that. Teams are almost certainly going to squeeze their depth players and RFAs in order to continue to pay stars in this flat-cap environment.)

How can the Leafs possibly fit that salary in next year? Would one of their stars on a big ticket have to go to accommodate that number?

I tried at first to simply move out some lesser salaries, with Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen’s combined $6.6 million the first to go, but even with a minimum 20-player roster, that wasn’t enough. This lineup remains nearly $2.5 million over the cap:

Is it impossible to fit Pietrangelo in without trading one of the big four forwards? No. You could, for example, trade away Andersen or Kerfoot and still get there.

Realistically, however, the Leafs would be significantly hindering their depth by going that top heavy. And that could get even worse in future years, as Toronto’s cap situation tightens up and more players need new contracts.

Pietrangelo is a very good defenceman. One of the best in the league. But he turned 30 in January and you’d be looking at a seven-year deal to sign him as a UFA. Moving a younger star forward for an aging defenceman doesn’t strike me as the right move.

That said, the alternative for the Leafs right now is to go very young and cheap on the blue line. This playoff is going to give us an indication of how ready players like Travis Dermott and Justin Holl are to be top-four type blueliners in high-pressure situations. If they play well, that is an endorsement of the young and cheap plan.

If they struggle? Maybe the Leafs will rethink how heavily they’ve invested in their forwards and more about allocating some of their spend to a high-end defenceman.

Pietrangelo certainly feels like a long shot given how big his contract will be, however.
TheMussel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.24.2013

Jul 23 @ 9:32 AM ET
Sasquatch would be good. And turns into Seattle Assquatch so easily.

Hard to do a good 'Squatch logo though. I bet that part is gonna be brutal and they'll redesign the jersey after a while. Strong chance of a brutal expansion jersey coming up.

- Zezel


What about the Seattle Sleeplesses
mr.sir
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Joined: 01.18.2015

Jul 23 @ 9:37 AM ET
Write up of Pietrangelo possibly joining the Leafs next year in the Athletic this morning.

Yes please.


Question 1: Do you see any way the Leafs would be interested in signing UFA Alex Pietrangelo? And if so, would they be willing to trade one of the core players for draft picks or other assets to fit him in? They would have to I am certain.

I wrote in-depth on Pietrangelo as a potential fit for the Leafs in December, back when Toronto was headed for a playoff miss. A lot has obviously changed since then.

One of the biggest shifts? Jake Muzzin’s new contract, which eats a lot of the cap space that could have potentially gone to another top-four defenceman.

That brings us to the first thing we have to consider with a player like this: the salary cap fit. It’s not unreasonable to assume that with the flat cap that Pietrangelo may be a little bit cheaper, so I’m going to assume an $8.5 million cap hit for our purposes. (I do not see a premier UFA defenceman taking a significantly bigger haircut than that. Teams are almost certainly going to squeeze their depth players and RFAs in order to continue to pay stars in this flat-cap environment.)

How can the Leafs possibly fit that salary in next year? Would one of their stars on a big ticket have to go to accommodate that number?

I tried at first to simply move out some lesser salaries, with Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen’s combined $6.6 million the first to go, but even with a minimum 20-player roster, that wasn’t enough. This lineup remains nearly $2.5 million over the cap:

Is it impossible to fit Pietrangelo in without trading one of the big four forwards? No. You could, for example, trade away Andersen or Kerfoot and still get there.

Realistically, however, the Leafs would be significantly hindering their depth by going that top heavy. And that could get even worse in future years, as Toronto’s cap situation tightens up and more players need new contracts.

Pietrangelo is a very good defenceman. One of the best in the league. But he turned 30 in January and you’d be looking at a seven-year deal to sign him as a UFA. Moving a younger star forward for an aging defenceman doesn’t strike me as the right move.

That said, the alternative for the Leafs right now is to go very young and cheap on the blue line. This playoff is going to give us an indication of how ready players like Travis Dermott and Justin Holl are to be top-four type blueliners in high-pressure situations. If they play well, that is an endorsement of the young and cheap plan.

If they struggle? Maybe the Leafs will rethink how heavily they’ve invested in their forwards and more about allocating some of their spend to a high-end defenceman.

Pietrangelo certainly feels like a long shot given how big his contract will be, however.

- Leafs43

So you are saying that Dumba for Kerfoot, Bracco and Holl is a better option
mr.sir
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Joined: 01.18.2015

Jul 23 @ 9:37 AM ET
What about the Seattle Sleeplesses
- TheMussel

Seattle Battle
Leafs43
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: ON
Joined: 06.16.2010

Jul 23 @ 9:40 AM ET
So you are saying that Dumba for Kerfoot, Bracco and Holl is a better option
- mr.sir


Well ya.

And Mcdavid for Kerfoot, Muzzin and Nylander would also be a better option.

But that's not going to happen.

TheMussel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.24.2013

Jul 23 @ 9:41 AM ET
Seattle Battle
- mr.sir


What's a battle?
TheMussel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.24.2013

Jul 23 @ 9:43 AM ET
Anybody else a bit disappointed that development of the Toronto watefront has basically meant building ugly ass condos instead of creating greenspace?
RogerRoeper
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 03.27.2007

Jul 23 @ 9:50 AM ET
Anybody else a bit disappointed that development of the Toronto watefront has basically meant building ugly ass condos instead of creating greenspace?
- TheMussel


It pisses me off. I live in Pickering and thankfully they just killed a major condo project by the waterfront here. It use to be you could drive on the Gardiner and see an amazing view of Lake Ontario. Now it's just Condos
mr.sir
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Joined: 01.18.2015

Jul 23 @ 9:50 AM ET
What's a battle?
- TheMussel

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 23 @ 9:56 AM ET
Seattle Battle
- mr.sir

Seattle Venti Flat Mocha Frappuccinos
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 23 @ 9:57 AM ET
Anybody else a bit disappointed that development of the Toronto watefront has basically meant building ugly ass condos instead of creating greenspace?
- TheMussel

I've lived most of my life in Toronto, and I have to be reminded that the city borders Lake Ontario.
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 23 @ 10:01 AM ET
Write up of Pietrangelo possibly joining the Leafs next year in the Athletic this morning.

Yes please.


Question 1: Do you see any way the Leafs would be interested in signing UFA Alex Pietrangelo? And if so, would they be willing to trade one of the core players for draft picks or other assets to fit him in? They would have to I am certain.

I wrote in-depth on Pietrangelo as a potential fit for the Leafs in December, back when Toronto was headed for a playoff miss. A lot has obviously changed since then.

One of the biggest shifts? Jake Muzzin’s new contract, which eats a lot of the cap space that could have potentially gone to another top-four defenceman.

That brings us to the first thing we have to consider with a player like this: the salary cap fit. It’s not unreasonable to assume that with the flat cap that Pietrangelo may be a little bit cheaper, so I’m going to assume an $8.5 million cap hit for our purposes. (I do not see a premier UFA defenceman taking a significantly bigger haircut than that. Teams are almost certainly going to squeeze their depth players and RFAs in order to continue to pay stars in this flat-cap environment.)

How can the Leafs possibly fit that salary in next year? Would one of their stars on a big ticket have to go to accommodate that number?

I tried at first to simply move out some lesser salaries, with Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen’s combined $6.6 million the first to go, but even with a minimum 20-player roster, that wasn’t enough. This lineup remains nearly $2.5 million over the cap:

Is it impossible to fit Pietrangelo in without trading one of the big four forwards? No. You could, for example, trade away Andersen or Kerfoot and still get there.

Realistically, however, the Leafs would be significantly hindering their depth by going that top heavy. And that could get even worse in future years, as Toronto’s cap situation tightens up and more players need new contracts.

Pietrangelo is a very good defenceman. One of the best in the league. But he turned 30 in January and you’d be looking at a seven-year deal to sign him as a UFA. Moving a younger star forward for an aging defenceman doesn’t strike me as the right move.

That said, the alternative for the Leafs right now is to go very young and cheap on the blue line. This playoff is going to give us an indication of how ready players like Travis Dermott and Justin Holl are to be top-four type blueliners in high-pressure situations. If they play well, that is an endorsement of the young and cheap plan.

If they struggle? Maybe the Leafs will rethink how heavily they’ve invested in their forwards and more about allocating some of their spend to a high-end defenceman.

Pietrangelo certainly feels like a long shot given how big his contract will be, however.

- Leafs43

Contracts will be interesting in the age of COVID.

Will teams make seven-year offers?

Will players want to go shorter in hopes the cap goes up in three years?

I have no idea, and I suspect nobody does.

November will be interesting.
mr.sir
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Joined: 01.18.2015

Jul 23 @ 10:02 AM ET
Seattle Venti Flat Mocha Frappuccinos
- Atomic Wedgie

Seattle Battle
Seattle Sockeyes
Seattle Battalion



Seattle Supersuckers
Fakepartofme
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Living rent free... in your head, ON
Joined: 09.20.2010

Jul 23 @ 10:03 AM ET
Anybody else a bit disappointed that development of the Toronto watefront has basically meant building ugly ass condos instead of creating greenspace?
- TheMussel

Yup.
Like Toronto needs more boring condos.
Do something creative for once.
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 23 @ 10:06 AM ET
Seattle Battle
Seattle Sockeyes
Seattle Battalion



Seattle Supersuckers

- mr.sir

To be honest, I like the Sockeyes the best
mr.sir
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Joined: 01.18.2015

Jul 23 @ 10:08 AM ET
To be honest, I like the Sockeyes the best
- Atomic Wedgie

It was on the final list......

https://www.google.ca/sea...sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp
Fakepartofme
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Living rent free... in your head, ON
Joined: 09.20.2010

Jul 23 @ 10:14 AM ET
Seattle Cashgrabs?
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 23 @ 10:21 AM ET
Seattle Cashgrabs?
- Fakepartofme

Keep it simple:

Seattle Expansion Franchise
TheMussel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.24.2013

Jul 23 @ 10:21 AM ET
Yup.
Like Toronto needs more boring condos.
Do something creative for once.

- Fakepartofme


The only reasons I'd go downtown are Leafs, Dinner or Drinking. There's no other appeal other than maybe the occasional concert.
Aetherial
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Has anyone discussed the standings today?
Joined: 06.30.2006

Jul 23 @ 10:26 AM ET
Keep it simple:

Seattle Expansion Franchise

- Atomic Wedgie


Seattle 32's

Canada Cup
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: This world is just a veil and the face you wear is not your own., ON
Joined: 07.06.2007

Jul 23 @ 10:27 AM ET
Keep it simple:

Seattle Expansion Franchise

- Atomic Wedgie


Sell the naming rights to Gates.

The Seattle Vaccinators
Adam French
Atlanta Thrashers
Location: Isn't Cooley 5"11? You know who else is 5"11? Sydney Crosby. - Scabeh
Joined: 04.06.2011

Jul 23 @ 10:37 AM ET
Kerfoot sucks.
TheMussel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.24.2013

Jul 23 @ 10:39 AM ET
Kerfoot sucks.
- AdamFrench


Tell that to el tannerino
Canada Cup
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: This world is just a veil and the face you wear is not your own., ON
Joined: 07.06.2007

Jul 23 @ 10:41 AM ET
Kerfoot sucks.
- AdamFrench



But does he suck more or less than we think he sucks?
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