Salary Cap: Nonis sits at #20 in the league salary cap with 2 players to sign.

[JackJ]

Just head into training camp 1mil over the cap, then demote Liles before the season starts.

 

[BiggestLeafsFanEVER*]

The common misconception on these boards is we are up against the cap in a negative stand alone way.This years drop in the cap has been difficult for every team that is dealing with it.

http://www.capgeek.com/

There is plenty of company for Nonis among G.M.'s trying to sort things out.

All the complainers about it on here about our cap situation are just looking for something to complain about that is the norm league wide. Check out the other teams in worse or the same situation.

Way to much is being made of it here.

I don't think anyone has said we alone are having cap problems. But it really doesn't matter to our present circumstance what's going on with other teams.

We don't have Kadri or Franson re-signed and we only have $4.9m in space (and that's if we spend straight up to the cap ceiling to the cent). It's not a good situation and I don't feel better about it just because, say, the Canucks are also having problems.

 

[Rielly4]

Any team that Offer sheets Franson is going to need to have lots of cap space. The only teams that have cap space are bad teams...

Getting a 1st in compensation from a bad team= happy leaf fans at the draft.

 

[PuckMagi]

The Leafs have tied 9.45 mil up in Bozak and Clarkson. Name me one elite skill that they have.

i think they're both solid players. i'm glad to have them both playing on our team.

but if we didn't sign either of them... then do we just go into this season with $9 million in extra cap space? what two players would be taking their spot? resign MacA? it's not like we've got too many extra forwards who are ready to step up.

bottom line is that the leafs are a good all around team now. we have a real shot at the cup this season. i don't think we have any players that are "weak links" at the moment. if the players you're concerned about are bozak and clarkson... then we don't really have many problems.

i think we can all agree that our team would be worse off this year if we didn't sign Clarkson and Bozak... since it's not like there were a whole lot of better options this off-season.

when we're winning games, i don't think anyone will care about who gets paid how much and the term of their contract.

i just know that when playoff time comes around, everyone will be glad that we've got bozak and clarkson on our team and that we probably wouldn't stand much of a chance without those guy in our line up this year.

 

[JackJ]

The Leafs have tied 9.45 mil up in Bozak and Clarkson. Name me one elite skill that they have.

Seeing as neither are getting paid an elite salary, why should they have any elite skills?

 

[666]

The Sabres have $8.5M tied up in Ville Leino and Drew Stafford. The Canadiens have $12M tied up in Brian Gionta, Rene Bourque and David Desharnais. The Red Wings have $8M tied up in Stephen Weiss and Mikhail Samuelsson. The Flyers have $7.5M tied up in Andrej Meszaros and Nicklas Grossman, etc. etc. etc.

We should also have a number of guys contributing on ELCs in the near future, not to mention the cap going up, etc.

It's rly not that dire of a situation. Most teams have an overpaid guy or two, and many of them aren't even as good as Bozak/Clarkson.

I don't know the situation of those other team BUT the Leafs didn't have to sign Bosak or Clarkson. That was Nonis's mistake. He had options, he messed them up.

Any team that Offer sheets Franson is going to need to have lots of cap space. The only teams that have cap space are bad teams...

Getting a 1st in compensation from a bad team= happy leaf fans at the draft.

That is our only hope.

 

[Team Overrated]

I don't know the situation of those other team BUT the Leafs didn't have to sign Bosak or Clarkson. That was Nonis's mistake. He had options, he messed them up.



That is our only hope.

He didn't have to sign them. I'll grant you that, but he wanted to sign them. He wanted then as part of our team. He thinks the team is better with them than without them. I don't think it is a mistake at all. We will get our players signed. We have enough room for Kadri and Franson. It is only August. Why hurry?

 

[jmart21]

He didn't have to sign them. I'll grant you that, but he wanted to sign them. He wanted then as part of our team. He thinks the team is better with them than without them. I don't think it is a mistake at all. We will get our players signed. We have enough room for Kadri and Franson. It is only August. Why hurry?

people don't like Bozak because they've been crying for a star Centre for so long and feel like management has tried to fool us into thinking he is. Now basically everyone underrates him.

I for one am glad he's here.
Clarkson too.

 

[666]

He didn't have to sign them. I'll grant you that, but he wanted to sign them. He wanted then as part of our team. He thinks the team is better with them than without them. I don't think it is a mistake at all. We will get our players signed. We have enough room for Kadri and Franson. It is only August. Why hurry?

The Leafs do not have cap space for for Kadri and Franson based on their play and the market. THAT is the problem and that's why at the minimum Bosak AND Clarkson shoudn't have both been signed. If somehow the Leafs can sign both Kadri and Franson without sacrificing anything of importance (hard to define) then those of us who think Nonis messed up will be wrong but it's not looking good. The Leafs are NOT better with Clarkson and Bosak if the cost is one of Franson or Kadri.

 

[Team Overrated]

The Leafs do not have cap space for for Kadri and Franson based on their play and the market. THAT is the problem and that's why at the minimum Bosak AND Clarkson shoudn't have both been signed. If somehow the Leafs can sign both Kadri and Franson without sacrificing anything of importance (hard to define) then those of us who think Nonis messed up will be wrong but it's not looking good. The Leafs are NOT better with Clarkson and Bosak if the cost is one of Franson or Kadri.

Oh, I guess that is where our disagreement lies. I have no worries about our cap space. If need be, demotion and trade are options. I don't think we will lose either player. Anyway, as you implied the future will tell.

 

[Bill Waters*]

The Sabres have $8.5M tied up in Ville Leino and Drew Stafford. The Canadiens have $12M tied up in Brian Gionta, Rene Bourque and David Desharnais. The Red Wings have $8M tied up in Stephen Weiss and Mikhail Samuelsson. The Flyers have $7.5M tied up in Andrej Meszaros and Nicklas Grossman, etc. etc. etc.

We should also have a number of guys contributing on ELCs in the near future, not to mention the cap going up, etc.

It's rly not that dire of a situation. Most teams have an overpaid guy or two, and many of them aren't even as good as Bozak/Clarkson.

also oilers have $9.8 in Gagner and Hemsky....other teams aside, i personally blame burke for the leafs current cap issues. Talk about a drunken sailor..yeesh

 

[666]

Oh, I guess that is where our disagreement lies. I have no worries about our cap space. If need be, demotion and trade are options. I don't think we will lose either player. Anyway, as you implied the future will tell.

You should worry about the Leafs cap space. One thing that Burke learned early with Bryzgalov (sp) is that you don't mess with cap space. Nonis has acted like an amateur and we'll see how he deals with his mess.

 

[L Corncrick]

You should worry about the Leafs cap space. One thing that Burke learned early with Bryzgalov (sp) is that you don't mess with cap space. Nonis has acted like an amateur and we'll see how he deals with his mess.

Let Nonis et al. worry about it. You perceive he has created a problem; at least give him the chance to prove you wrong.

 

[diceman934]

Here is why I think we bought out Komi over Liles

Komi did us a favour by agreeing to be sent down....I believe that as part of that we promised him a buyout in exchange.

This also gave us money cap space this year when the cap is at its lowest.

We are no where near as bad off as some on here think we are....so many options ....not the least of which is that we are talking about signing two RFA.

I like the resigning of Bozak as he is so much better than what some on here paint him to be....he is not paid as a number one center but as a number two, which is fair. The available centers on the market would not have filled the role that Bozak did last season and they were seeking more money.

 

[Eb]

The Leafs have tied 9.45 mil up in Bozak and Clarkson. Name me one elite skill that they have.

You're saying like that is a ridiculous amount of money.

#1 center and #6 winger for that much? I'll take it.

 

[Mess]

The Leafs have tied 9.45 mil up in Bozak and Clarkson. Name me one elite skill that they have.

Hey Rome wasn't built in a day.

Last season Leafs had $9.25 mil tied up with Connolly and Komisarek in the AHL.

So having $9.45 mil tied up in Bozak and Clarkson in the NHL seems like a vast improvement in salary cap management by Nonis.

Bozak and Clarkson don't need elite skill they just have to outperform Connolly and Komisarek for the same cap $$. Because if you shift your cap spending from your AHL team to your NHL team you should see improvement on your NHL team by that process.

 

[ALine]

Now for the what ifs:

- What if Kadri doesn't want a 2 year deal?

- What if Franson doesn't want yet another 1 year deal well below what he thinks he should be getting?

What if? They're RFA's. Thhen they don't play. Last thing I want to see is Nonis bend to the demands of 2 players with very little leverage.

What has Franson done this year to earn anything more than a one or two year, low money bridge contract. Playing sheltered bottom pairing minutes and putting up points on he PP doesn't get you four million for five years. Lets keep the overpaid bottom pairing defensemen we have (Liles) ,and not add another.

Kadri should be shown a little more leverage, as he is a player type we don't have a glut of (like OFD) and is likely to be a core player for a long time.

 

[WildcatMapleLeafs28]

Patience is a virtue. I have total faith in Nonis getting both signed.

 

[jmart21]

What if? They're RFA's. Thhen they don't play. Last thing I want to see is Nonis bend to the demands of 2 players with very little leverage.

What has Franson done this year to earn anything more than a one or two year, low money bridge contract. Playing sheltered bottom pairing minutes and putting up points on he PP doesn't get you four million for five years. Lets keep the overpaid bottom pairing defensemen we have (Liles) ,and not add another.

Kadri should be shown a little more leverage, as he is a player type we don't have a glut of (like OFD) and is likely to be a core player for a long time.

I understand that they are RFAs thus have no leverage; another reason why I'm not worried.

What I was hinting at is that it's not as if Nonis is saying "pffft. I'm not signing you two" as if some posters make it seem. If a poster is expecting them to take a short term deal well below their demands; prepare to wait it out and don't complain when they're still unsigned before the mid-point of August.

I agree with your entire post. They have no leverage; Nonis shouldn't be overpaying (especially for Franson).

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Hey Rome wasn't built in a day.

Last season Leafs had $9.25 mil tied up with Connolly and Komisarek in the AHL.

So having $9.45 mil tied up in Bozak and Clarkson in the NHL seems like a vast improvement in salary cap management by Nonis.

Bozak and Clarkson don't need elite skill they just have to outperform Connolly and Komisarek for the same cap $$. Because if you shift your cap spending from your AHL team to your NHL team you should see improvement on your NHL team by that process.

Good point.

Also, like I mentioned in my previous post, all that really matters is the percentage of total cap space a contract is occupying, so as the cap continues to rise over the next few seasons (I can't imagine why it wouldn't, especially with all the outdoor games, etc.), those contracts will look less and less like obstacles.

 

[The Blue Devil]

i think they're both solid players. i'm glad to have them both playing on our team.

but if we didn't sign either of them... then do we just go into this season with $9 million in extra cap space? what two players would be taking their spot? resign MacA? it's not like we've got too many extra forwards who are ready to step up.

bottom line is that the leafs are a good all around team now. we have a real shot at the cup this season. i don't think we have any players that are "weak links" at the moment. if the players you're concerned about are bozak and clarkson... then we don't really have many problems.

i think we can all agree that our team would be worse off this year if we didn't sign Clarkson and Bozak... since it's not like there were a whole lot of better options this off-season.

when we're winning games, i don't think anyone will care about who gets paid how much and the term of their contract.

i just know that when playoff time comes around, everyone will be glad that we've got bozak and clarkson on our team and that we probably wouldn't stand much of a chance without those guy in our line up this year.

LOL, you could make a case for Clarkson, but most definitely not Bozak. He's not exactly an instrumental piece on our team. He's a stopgap plain and simple.

 

[jmart21]

LOL, you could make a case for Clarkson, but most definitely not Bozak. He's not exactly an instrumental piece on our team. He's a stopgap plain and simple.

I disagree.

He's a valuable piece of our PK and his work on the dot can't be replaced by someone that can play 20mins a night.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Seeing as neither are getting paid an elite salary, why should they have any elite skills?

You really don't think 5.25mil is a lot of $?

 

[The Blue Devil]

You're saying like that is a ridiculous amount of money.

#1 center and #6 winger for that much? I'll take it.

#1 Center?

 

[WildcatMapleLeafs28]

Hey Rome wasn't built in a day.

Last season Leafs had $9.25 mil tied up with Connolly and Komisarek in the AHL.

So having $9.45 mil tied up in Bozak and Clarkson in the NHL seems like a vast improvement in salary cap management by Nonis.

Bozak and Clarkson don't need elite skill they just have to outperform Connolly and Komisarek for the same cap $$. Because if you shift your cap spending from your AHL team to your NHL team you should see improvement on your NHL team by that process.

Well said sir. Great way to look at the situation.