Though it seems many people have made up their mind, the stats show Shattenkirk as elite, and the Toronto Maple Leafs cap situation demands they go for it now. People are going to have their opinions, but it’s clear those opinions don’t take into account how good Shattenkirk actually is, or they don’t realize how rare the Leafs ability to exploit the cap is.
It’s a no-brainer to sign him. The only reasonable objection to the move is overcome by realizing that the Leafs once got out of Dion Phaneuf’s contract.