With the cap expected to be slightly above $71 million for next year, that would a $6 million increase from this year.
The Leafs have $2 million coming off the books (Armstrong, Tucker) and $500,000 coming off (Scriven, Frattin), that brings them up to $8.5 million. If the let Ranger walk and find a home for Reimer (highest pick they can get), that would give them another $2.8 million for a total of $11.3 million without doing anything unexpected at all.
Here is what I believe have committed or should have committed from a starting point, round off at about $43 million.
Goaltending
$3 million roughly for Bernier and MacIntyre
$10 million roughly for Phaneuf, Rielly and Gardiner (with a raise to $2 million)
$30 million top six forwards (top line, plus Lupul, Kadri, Clarkson)
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$43 million. That would leave about $28.5 million for...
Bottom six forwards
Bottom 3 or 4 defencemen
Probably a cheap back-up veteran goaltender
If you look at what those positions costs the Leafs this year, it was about $10.3 million depending on who you include as bottom 6 forwards and about $10 million on the bottom four defencemen, plus $1.8 million for Reimer, for a total of $22.1 million, which means the amount the Leafs have to upgrade the bottom half of the line-up is approximately equal to the cap increase of $6 plus million.
I think the most pressing needs are...
1. Top four (preferably 1-2) defenseman. The question is from where, how? Would love to hear some thoughts on that.
2. Top six winger. Someone to make that second line click like bring Vanek into to Montreal did for their first line.
3. Reasonable quality veteran back-up netminder, who will be satisfied with back-up role so as to not create controversy and knows how to play that role while tutoring or being supportive as least of Bernier.
The Leafs have $2 million coming off the books (Armstrong, Tucker) and $500,000 coming off (Scriven, Frattin), that brings them up to $8.5 million. If the let Ranger walk and find a home for Reimer (highest pick they can get), that would give them another $2.8 million for a total of $11.3 million without doing anything unexpected at all.
Here is what I believe have committed or should have committed from a starting point, round off at about $43 million.
Goaltending
$3 million roughly for Bernier and MacIntyre
$10 million roughly for Phaneuf, Rielly and Gardiner (with a raise to $2 million)
$30 million top six forwards (top line, plus Lupul, Kadri, Clarkson)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$43 million. That would leave about $28.5 million for...
Bottom six forwards
Bottom 3 or 4 defencemen
Probably a cheap back-up veteran goaltender
If you look at what those positions costs the Leafs this year, it was about $10.3 million depending on who you include as bottom 6 forwards and about $10 million on the bottom four defencemen, plus $1.8 million for Reimer, for a total of $22.1 million, which means the amount the Leafs have to upgrade the bottom half of the line-up is approximately equal to the cap increase of $6 plus million.
I think the most pressing needs are...
1. Top four (preferably 1-2) defenseman. The question is from where, how? Would love to hear some thoughts on that.
2. Top six winger. Someone to make that second line click like bring Vanek into to Montreal did for their first line.
3. Reasonable quality veteran back-up netminder, who will be satisfied with back-up role so as to not create controversy and knows how to play that role while tutoring or being supportive as least of Bernier.
