Can you imagine what Bedard and Celebrini are going to command? Over $20M per season on a 4 year deal. They’re now mercenaries who’ll go where the money is. This also means that low tax states have a hugely distinct advantage over the Canadian and Blu States. Now look at Knies, signed long term, only 23 and no trade protection. When a team has more than one of these type of players, making north of $20M on a shorter term contract, it’s going to put them in Cap hell and they’ll come calling on the Leafs and Knies. You can score a franchise changing player, even up for the lower contract of Knies. The other scenario is keeping Knies on the cheap contract, moving a Matthews and add a Superstar, $20M player for that rebuild.
You really gotta stop using this term mercenaries for players as if this started two weeks ago. Players have been going to the highest bidder since free agency was invented. It’s not new, it’s just how the market works.
Matthews and Nylander @ 50% retain would give the Leafs the biggest boatload of rebuild assets ever seen in Leafs history. If they shit themselves in the first half of this year, trade everybody starting in January and reap the rewards.