Eddie Razo
If the opportunity presents itself then they should take advantage of their young players being on their entry level contracts. However, it should not be forced, by that I mean if the young Toronto Maple Leafs are naturaly pushing for a playoff spot they should look to add to the core.
What they should not do is add on for the sake of trying to make the playoffs because eventually if those incoming players have term, that could affect their cap when it comes to signing William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and others.
Another top four defenseman needs to be added, but they need to make sure that it will fit within their cap situation going forward. If they cannot add another defenseman that will be consider top four, then they should remain patient and see what Andrew Nielsen, Travis Dermott, and Rinat Valiev develop into.
Next: Zach Hyman More Than Just Matthews Passenger
Not all teams win the cup with their best players on their entry-level contracts. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the cup in ’08-’09 which would be Sidney Crosby’s fourth season. Also, the Los Angeles Kings won with most of their core not on entry-level deals.
Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks won with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on their last year of their entry-level deas,. Nonetheless, they have still won an extra two cups with their core taking up most of their cap space.