Value of: Despres to TOR

[Ciao]

Is Despres an LHD?

If so, why would the Leafs want him? Is he enough of an improvement over what they have to justify the acquisition cost as well as the opportunity cost of letting someone else go?

Personally, I'm kind of hoping to see some Leafs prospects get a chance sometime this year, and I couldn't really give a crap if they win or lose as long as they are building a better team for tomorrow.

I don't think they get there by filling their larder with cast-offs from other teams.

It would be very refreshing to see the Leafs build from within for once.

 

[Ducks in a row]

If we're taking Stoner as well, you can help yourself to a 3rd rounder...

So Despres and Stoner for a 3rd rounder SOLD

That helps our budget and we won't possibly lose Despres to a expansion draft or have to protect him.

I know their are Ducks fans that would think I am crazy but Despres doesn't have a good proven track record and he has had concussion problems that worry me. Getting rid of Stoner is such a big positive.

 

[Morgs]

So Despres and Stoner for a 3rd rounder SOLD

That helps our budget and we won't possibly lose Despres to a expansion draft or have to protect him.

I know their are Ducks fans that would think I am crazy but Despres doesn't have a good proven track record and he has had concussion problems that worry me. Getting rid of Stoner is such a big positive.

We don't have the cap space. Only way this deal happens is if you're taking back two of Michalek, Greening, or Robidas. Basically giving up long-term space for short term freedom.

Not sure we'd like to take on those contracts though.

 

[Ciao]

yeah that just isnt gonna happen. if we are moving kapanen, it wouldnt be for a guy who has played 40+ games once in his career with a hefty cap hit for another 5 years

I don't see the leafs wanting to help the ducks out of their cap/expansion draft woes. they will probably see what they have with zaitsev,carrick,marincin, corrado etc. they need at least 1 to develop into a top 4 dman and they will probably grab the best dman available with their likely top 10 pick next year

I like this approach.

The Leafs also have guys like Dermot already in the system that I would like to have a better look at before they solidify their defence with long-term contracts.

At present, Reilly and Gardiner are the only foundational long-term pieces.

Hunwick and Polak are just transitional fill-ins. No probs -- the long-term plan is not all about this year.

Zaitsev, Marincin, Carrick and Corrado (if he survives waivers) form a talent pool from which they might find one or two keepers. Three of the four making it long-term would be unexpected. If they knew which ones are the keepers already they would let the others go, but they don't know that and it will just have to play itself out.

There is another pool of younger players in the system and those yet to be drafted or acquired to fill out the talent pool, as they go along and find out more about what they already have.

I think the Shanaplan team is doing pretty well already and has the long-term plan under control.

From here it just takes time and patience. You can't rush player development, and I just don't see the benefit for the Leafs in throwing their developmental work overboard to acquire Anaheim's unwanted contracts, be it Fowler, Despres, Stoner or anyone else except Lindholm or Vatanen (who most certainly are out of the equation).

I never know what is really happening behind the scenes, and I am often surprised by player moves, but I don't at all mind the Leafs' status quo.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Is Despres an LHD?

If so, why would the Leafs want him? Is he enough of an improvement over what they have to justify the acquisition cost as well as the opportunity cost of letting someone else go?

Personally, I'm kind of hoping to see some Leafs prospects get a chance sometime this year, and I couldn't really give a crap if they win or lose as long as they are building a better team for tomorrow.

I don't think they get there by filling their larder with cast-offs from other teams.

It would be very refreshing to see the Leafs build from within for once.

Despres plays both sides and actually has been more effective on the right. The best hockey of his career was played on the right side with Fowler.

 

[Ciao]

Despres plays both sides and actually has been more effective on the right. The best hockey of his career was played on the right side with Fowler.

That is a bit more attractive, but I still hope the Leafs will develop their own young defencemen who eventually play the best hockey of their careers with the Leafs, instead of with the Penguins, the Ducks and any of 27 or soon to be 28 other teams.

I don't mind that no one knows how good the Leafs prospects are: that's why they're "prospects". Prospects are the seeds from which future stars grow. Sure, most of them never reach maturity, but if you can't be patient enough to tend and cultivate them you will never, ever grow your own stars.

Despres? Meh.

Fowler? Maybe, but at what cost?

On the whole, I would rather be patient with this management group and wait for the Leafs to grow their own defence.

 

[Liferleafer]

Despres plays both sides and actually has been more effective on the right. The best hockey of his career was played on the right side with Fowler.

Oh crap...now we have to trade for both....

 

[Mr. T]

Despres plays both sides and actually has been more effective on the right. The best hockey of his career was played on the right side with Fowler.

Disagree. The best hockey of his career was played alongside Rob Scuderi.

Despres was so successful in covering for that turd that he tricked management in thinking he was expendable and that Scuderi was still a hockey player.

 

[EXTRAS]

I am thinking you are a Ducks fan?

Neither team. I own all 3 players in my keeper league. Despres has injuries in the short term but could be a solid #3 in the long term. Johnson could still be anything but has a decent chance of being a lesser Nyquist. Dzierkals is still worth where he was picked, imo. I believe late 3rd round.

Despres is worth slightly more than johnson and Dzierkals slightly more than a 4th.

 

[kihei]

Neither team. I own all 3 players in my keeper league. Despres has injuries in the short term but could be a solid #3 in the long term. Johnson could still be anything but has a decent chance of being a lesser Nyquist. Dzierkals is still worth where he was picked, imo. I believe late 3rd round.

Despres is worth slightly more than johnson and Dzierkals slightly more than a 4th.

I think on paper that is a fair analysis, but Despres' concussion questions would prevent me from offering that package for him.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Disagree. The best hockey of his career was played alongside Rob Scuderi.

Despres was so successful in covering for that turd that he tricked management in thinking he was expendable and that Scuderi was still a hockey player.

Fowler - Despres was a successful top pairing for a long playoff run, I really don't think you can say the same of Scuderi - Despres.

 

[Nithoniniel]

The concussion is worrying, but I've been a fan of Despres since the Pens time. If Anaheim wanted to move on from him, and that's a big if, I hope that the Leafs take a chance on him.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Out for the weekend, came back to see some discussion...some alright, some frustrating.

Basically still on that Lindberg+Leivo for Despres deal...still having a time time thinking of the lack of size in our prospect pool on the wing without these 2 but ultimately i'd probably do it.

May be willing to include a 5-7th round pick just to get this deal done.

 

[EXTRAS]

Out for the weekend, came back to see some discussion...some alright, some frustrating.

Basically still on that Lindberg+Leivo for Despres deal...still having a time time thinking of the lack of size in our prospect pool on the wing without these 2 but ultimately i'd probably do it.

May be willing to include a 5-7th round pick just to get this deal done.

Anaheim wouldn't do that, imo.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Anaheim wouldn't do that, imo.

Had another Anaheim ducks fan suggest they would do it, although i'd be waiting here all day most likely waiting for 100% consensus between all Leafs and Ducks fans, just the nature of these boards. Different expectations and such.

 

[Halla]

Anaheim wouldn't do that, imo.

i dont know if toronto does either. they are high on lindberg, not many with his size in the leafs system.

depres would have to play well to even be protected by toronto.
contract and injury history are too risky, leafs likely look elsewhere for d help (and probably not until next year as well)

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Here's a bunch of stuff we don't want. Please?

All of these competent, valuable, yummy players that keep showing up in proposal after proposal. It's almost like Toronto fans are trying to do us a favor, how nice.

Way to have a civil discussion about the topic.

OTOH-- I can see Despres as a fit for the Leafs. Ducks don't have much in the way of good bottom 6 F's and I think Leivo or guys like Lindberg could fill in nicely for them.

 

[Mr Hockey*]

Why do you guys want to include Lindberg in a deal for a 3rd pairing d'man?

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Good concept

Desperes is recovering from an injury. Likely won't be protected in the expansio draft.


Desperes for Hunwick (cheap contract and a UFA next year) Ducks make take two forwards who might be NHLers....Leivo, Johnson, Lindberg, Leipsic. Rychel.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Why do you guys want to include Lindberg in a deal for a 3rd pairing d'man?

When healthy Despres has shown he's very capable of handling a top four and even a top pairing role , that would be the motivation behind acquiring him. Calling him a third pairing dman is a generalization that doesn't really paint the complete picture. He's a risk, reward player without a doubt, but pigeon holing him as a bottom pairing guy isn't accurate at all.

Specifically when it comes to Toronto, the healthy version of Despres is easily your #3 dman and would fit nicely on the right side with Rielly or Gardiner in your top four. Such a player would normally cost you something a lot tougher to part with than Lindberg and Leivo.

 

[Ciao]

Fairly big long-term contract, a serious concussion last season, and a left-handed defenceman who would have to play on his off-side.

Lots of talent, lots of upside, and lots of red-flags and questions.

I think the Leafs already have enough question-marks on their blue-line: Zaitsev, Marincin, Carrick, Corrado and a bunch of guys who are in the system.

If the Leafs were to acquire Despres, it would mean that someone in the front office really, really likes his game.

 

[Mr Hockey*]

Desperes is recovering from an injury. Likely won't be protected in the expansio draft.


Desperes for Hunwick (cheap contract and a UFA next year) Ducks make take two forwards who might be NHLers....Leivo, Johnson, Lindberg, Leipsic. Rychel.

I would do Leipsic and Rychel for Desperes ... Johnson, Lindberg would have to be involved in a bigger trade for me to let them go. Johnson is highly skilled and Lindberg is 6'3" winger that can keep up to mcdavid.

 

[Ciao]

I would do Leipsic and Rychel for Desperes ... Johnson, Lindberg would have to be involved in a bigger trade for me to let them go. Johnson is highly skilled and Lindberg is 6'3" winger that can keep up to mcdavid.

Leipsic and Rychel have a long way to go to make the NHL, and would be a good offer from the Leafs' side if Despres is healthy and able to play as he once did.

Here, the issue is not so much what the Leafs would be giving up but what they're getting back: a 25-y.o. defenceman with the demonstrated ability to play top-four even on the wrong side, but with a history of concussion and fairly unimpressive play since then. How do you evaluate that? If you get lucky, it's a steal. If not, it's a waste of time and assets . . . especially with respect to Rychel. He might never make it either, but Leipsic is another talented undersized winger who would be hard pressed to carve out a productive NHL career. Never say never, but the profile is a departure from the norm.

Personally, I would rather the Leafs stick with what they have and if they're interested in hitting a home run, look to do so with someone within their existing talent pool no matter what position.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

As already stated, Leivo is 23 and has failed to crack the roster of the worst team in the NHL.

Corrado has already been waived by one NHL team and, again, couldn't crack the roster of the worst team in the NHL.

So while you might characterize these as players on the verge of "long time" NHL careers, you need to forgive the skepticism of posters that are a little bit more realistic about the realities of these players.

Reality? As in the Leafs last season holding back on the majority of prospects that season? The team that kept William Nylander in the ahl when he was clearly ready? The team that kept putting Sparks in net to tank it? Sounds like you need a dose of reality. The Leafs didn't wanna put their prospects in a losing environment for the majority of the season. If Nylander was held back, how in the world would others like Leivo make it? Don't pretend for a second that you have any idea what the plan was last year bevause it's fairly obvious you did nothing but a 5 second Google search. Lazy argument is lazy.

 

[Once]

Watched a lot of Despres when he was in Saint John.

The issue here is that by acquiring Despres we overflow our mediocre defense with more mediocrity.

I'd offer
Lindberg + Corrado
for Despres and a conditional 5th that converts to a 3rd if Despres can't stay healthy for the upcoming season.

Now before you all ***** about Corrado try countering this with something to spark discourse.

There is risk involved on both sides of a trade like this, but it's such a minor trade in the long run I doubt it has any effect