Stamkos feels that they have a good chance to win and doesn't want to leave this year, i get it but how would you feel if Ladd refused a trade and left at the end of the season and we got nothing in return.
Tampa rolling the dice but Stamkos forced there hand by stating that he would refuse any trade, lots of cap trouble for Tampa if they sign Stamkos and don't front load it and even if they do lots of RFA and UFA contracts coming up.
Personally think that Chevy will try to get Pavelic off the books for next year also think that Ladd will get traded unless he lowers his contract demands ,Perrault and Stafford will be dealt next year if not sooner, and Stuart and Thorburn could be on there last legs with gets. We have lots of prospects who may be ready but if the cap goes down they will need to get younger and may be able to pick off some cap dumps than are better than some of the vets we have now
Toronto will give Stamkos 10 mil and they are the only team that will do so. With or without him Toronto wont make the playoffs for years so this would be a pure pr move on Leafs part. As for the cap i can't believe it will go down 4 mill but if it does there will be many teams scrambling to get under the cap.
Ladds wife is also on the True North Foundation Board of Directors, still think that something will change in contract demands he will not get 6x6 but he might get 5mil 7years ball is really in Ladds court and it sounds like his wife might have a strong influence in his decision.
There will be teams looking for goaltender help come the deadline, If Helle has been penciled in as the starter next year Pavs will not be the back up at 3.9 mil. think Chevy will take just about anything to get him off the books. Pavs does have some worth as he is signed for another year after this one but don't expect much in return.
Kane is UFA for the 2018-19 season so Buffalo has lots of time to trade him for other pieces that could change the optics of this trade, also i think we can all pretty well agree that Kane will not rejoin the Sabre's as a UFA.
I would not trade for him not because of roster bonus but because i didn't see Muamba play that great with the Als certainly not enough to throw big money at him when he is released.
Armia could be the steal of that trade if he continues to improve, look how far he has come from training camp and even since he joined the big club, also has a big booster in Maurice, lets hope he continues to learn and find a scoring touch.
Leafs needed to dump Phaneufs contract if Stamkos gets to free agency and the Leafs do not get him leaf nation who all ready think that he's theres will go crazy. Leafs took back a guy whose always hurt and guy who was sitting in Ottawa and guy who was in the minors all in all they did what they needed to do and will shed more contracts in the next 20 days. Now why would Stamkos sign in Toronto when they won't be playoff contenders for years simply for money that's it if he wants to win he will stay in Tampa and make a little less money.
Our place kicking and punt have let us down the last few years something needed to be done, no way 300k for Laurent not by the Bombers anyways,Andrew Harris will help big time Shologan plugs the middle Canadian depth, so far so good
During Buffs media scrum he said that he liked and i'm paraphrasing what the Jets had coming up in terms of prospects, becoming a contender was a process, so Buff likes the direction the team is going, the money doesn't hurt either.
I think they would like to sign Ladd his play has improved the last couple of weeks and he's been a good soldier for the team but if he's looking for Kesler type money i can't see it happening here.