Team: 2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 9, 2022

Published: Jun. 9, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

My first time using this so I'm sorry if I did something wrong. This team is a team that I think will age nicely and has some longevity. I think the leafs need to stop trading for guys who are 30+ because we are shortening are window like that.

So first is Puljujarvi, a guy with great underlying numbers and defensive abilities. He can play top6 or 3rd line. Next is Alex Carrier, not sure if Brodie will wave his clause, if not he may agree to go back to Calgary, if not then maybe Muzzin will.

Here's my reasoning for Carrier:

Not a name many are familiar with. He’s a 25 year old right handed d man on the preds who’s making 733k for one more year before becoming an RFA. Had 30 points in 77 games this season and was a +26, highest on his team, second highest was Ekholm with +14, nearly two times less. I know that the stat doesn’t mean much but still worth noting. Had 3 points in the playoffs despite being swept as well.

He’s spent the last couple years buried in the minors but he played his first season this year and apparently was very good. He’s only 5,11 174lbs but he’s not soft with 95 hits and 50pim. This guy just keeps improving and I could see him becoming a really solid defensemen, could be another Devon Toews or Mac Weegar.

Him Toews are incredibly similar, they both were in the minors for a while before ending a full nhl season with around 30 points at 25 years old. They’re both on the smaller side and have strong analytics and both offensive and defensive upside. Now Toews is in the finals and is nearly a point per game defensemen. At the time of the trade the islanders valued him highly and we’re still contenders but the Avalanche overpayed with two 2nds which payed off big time for them.

I suspect the preds value Carrier highly as well, they will be competitive next year but if we overpay like the avalanche did this could pay off in a big way. He could play with Rielly on the top line and mirror a Toews-Makar or Ekblad-Weegar pairing. It complicates the defense a little bit but I think it’s totally worth it.


For the goalies I have Husso who shows some promise, only 1 year but at a high cap hit so that we don't have another Mrazek scenario. This way he will take it for the money and if he performs we extend him. Stolarz is another guy who has quietly great stats. Then Gagner who has been rumoured to go to Toronto can play the 4th line and contribute at both ends.

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