To Be Determined
Max Domi There is something admirable about Domi's desire to play for the Leafs, however, four years at $3.75 million is a lot for a player with mediocre career numbers who has bounced around different organizations.
Domi provides versatility by playing both wing and center. He also proved to be a good fit as a setup man for Matthews when needed, though he is a defensive liability.
Mitch Marner He took a lot of grief for his decreased output during the series against the Bruins, never mind that he was coming off a high-ankle sprain one month earlier than he was supposed to. The final year of his contract pays him $10.903 million this season. That's the NHL's ninth-highest cap hit and eighth-ranked cap percentage (13.38%) among all players.
Marner plays elite defense and scores at a 100 point pace consistently, as he did this past season despite it being somewhat of an off year for him. He wasn't worth the full cost of his contract last season, probably due to injury, but has been for most of the deal.
William Nylander The smooth skating winger earns $11.5 million annually, the sixth-highest cap hit in the league. That AAV accounts for 13.07% of the Leafs salary cap, ranking tenth league-wide.
Nylander is a back-to-back forty-goal scorer whose production has increased year after year. He drives the play while on the ice and has decreased his costly, mental lapses. If he surpasses the forty-goal and 100-point barriers this year, the cap hit has merit.
On the other hand, Nikita Kucherov (Hart Trophy finalist) and Matthew Tkachuk (Stanley Cup champion) are wingers with more pedigree that earn less than Nylander. David Pastrnak, a four-time forty-goal scorer with a career-best of sixty-one goals, has a cheaper cap hit and only a slightly higher AAV cap percentage.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have invested heavily in their star players. Despite the impediments to managing the team's salary cap, there is value to be found. Playing out the season will determine where the Maple Leafs got the most for their money.