Mailbag: The Return

So, the mailbag disappeared for a little bit. I’m a horrible person and forgot that it was Monday for two consecutive weeks. The third week, the bulk of what I got was hate mail. On top of that, I’ve disappeared for a bit, because I’ve been stuck between a mixture of family stuff, and being sick. With that said, all is good now, soI figure we should kick things off with a mailbag. For future reference, I’m also changing the Mailbag schedule. By that, I mean there isn’t one. When we have enough questions and responses done to put out a mailbag, it’ll be out. So, the ball is in everybody’s court. If you want frequent mailbags, leave frequent questions. If not, don’t.

Questions can now be left at our new, shiny AskFM page. Questions not pertaining to the Leafs or to TheLeafsNation will be ignored. Valid questions that can’t be fit into a mailbag post will be answered directly on the page. Now, without further ado…

 

 

A: The Leafs currently have $4,895,833 in cap space heading into the start of the season. This is with twelve signed forwards, seven signed defencemen, two signed goalies, two retained salaries, and two buyouts.

 

Let’s assume that the Leafs are willing to take a chance and not have an extra forward and send Trevor Smith to the Marlies. This frees up $550,000, bringing the blue and white to $5,445,833. The Leafs are likely to want to keep all six of the highest paid defencemen at the NHL level, so they will carry an extra. Two extra, on the other hand, is not necessary, so lets send down Korbinian Holzer to free up $787,500. Your new total is $6,233,333.

 

Both Kadri and Franson are assumed to be asking for $4 million dollars a year a piece. This would bring the Leafs above the cap by $1,766,667, which is doable before training camp due to NHL rules but wouldn’t fly when it came time to play. With that said, what a player asks for and what a player gets are two separate things. Kadri’s fall point is likely at $3.5 million, and is likely the first of the two to be caved into. This leaves $2,733,333 for Franson. That would be the adjusted equivalent of $2.984 million last year, or a little more than what PK Subban received after being strongarmed by the Montreal Canadiens. It’s possible that the Leafs could do the same, but don’t have the same luxuries that the Habs did. They hold Subban’s rights when his contract ends at the end of this year. A deal that would squeak Franson in would almost assuredly be 1 year and leave him to be an Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1st.

 

In short, I think it’s possible. The issue? It would require a lot of forcing, leaves the Leafs with no room to breathe, a short roster, and an unhappy, soon to be UFA Franson. I still think they need to make another trade to have this work out in any realistic sense.

 

 

A: Kessel has averaged almost exactly 35 goals per 1640 minutes since joining the Leafs in 2009. He also hasn’t missed a game since he played his first with the Leafs. That’s amazing as it is. Anyway, if you assume he scores 35 goals a year until his age 30 year, that leaves him with 360 goals.  To hit 500, he would have to score 20 goals a year until he turns 37, or 14 goals a year until he turns 40. That would require a pretty crazy drop off. A healthy Kessel is probably a lock to surpass 500 goals, as well as 500 assists and 1000 points. All of these get people into the discussion for the hall, and any significant eclipsing would all but guarantee it. 

 

 

A: I don’t know about you, but if the Aliens decided that they were going to visit earth and do nothing but remove the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I’d want them behind the bench. #HireKodos

 

 

A: John-Michael Liles, Tyler Bozak, and the rest of Darcy Tucker’s buyout for Sidney Crosby and a 1st round draft pick. Realistic trade proposals are silly; the only time they turn out to actually happen are when they’re based off of already existent rumours. The bulk of trades in the NHL have a "clear winner" in the eyes of the fans. I don’t get the love for proposals when all of that is considered.

 

 

A: Sending him to the Marlies is probably the best option. The Leafs will have at least six, if not seven better defencemen the lineup, his cap hit is small enough to be swallowed whole under the new CBA, and he’ll be a veteran presence on the Marlies blue line. Trust me; that team needs familiar faces right now.

 

Remember, leave your questions here and they may get answered in a mailbag. Or get a whole response post. Or at least a spiffy answer on AskFM.