The Leafs currently have
4 of the top 12 highest AAV paid players in the game the other 31 teams combined have 8. There is NO one and NO way of providing any data statistical or even playoff team performance that can validate that. Spending > 1/2 you Salary on 4 forwards is something only the Leafs do and pay for it dearly in Cup competitiveness every year by being an easy out.
If you believe All of Leafs core 4 are among the top best players in game today and rightly deserve to be paid among the best then that is where you and I respectfully differ and in a very very large way.
Leafs gave Tavares an $11 mil contract 7 years ago, making him one of the highest paid players in the game.
As of last year still only 6 players had a bigger salary.
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Tavares wasn't worth that contract back then and certainly he is not considered a TOP 10 player in the game today.
All 3 Leafs young player abused the Leafs, using that vast over signing to enrich themselves well beyond their positions in the NHL among their peers to deserve those contracts.
Fortunately for the Leafs both Tavares and Marner contracts end and it gives the Leafs a real chance to mercifully to walk away from this nonsense and auto correct to build a real team with greater depth and support.