GDT: Free Agent Frenzy 2022

[ToneDog]

1.) most people thought they were a bubble team last year

2.) Toronto had the worst record against all the junk teams that improved out of Florida. Tampa. Boston.

We already lose to ottawa Columbus and buffalo. What difference does it make

3.) Toronto changed proven bad goaltending for questionable goaltending. They lost bit pieces they performed without.

Florida and Tampa lost core peices. Bostons whole team is injured.

If anything the rest of the team drop back to the pack and TO is pretty much the same

Is is amazing that they reached 115 points with the issues you mentioned but when the rubber meets the road and the "real" season starts, will we fold again?? If we lost to Tampa due to our bottom 6 not being good enough, it just got worse.

 

[SprDaVE]

Forward UFAs are getting very thin. Dylan Strome, Paul Stastny, Nino Niederreiter, Danton Heinen, and Evan Rodrigues are probably the guys who could play a middle 6 role (rather than distinctly being bottom 6 guys). Not sure if I'm missing anyone else.

There are a lot of forwards still left, especially LWers. To add to your list:

Sonny Milano would probably be a capable player to play in the top 6.

Zach Aston-Reese is still kicking, and someone the Leafs were linked to. A very good forechecker.

Rudolf Balcers, Chris Tierney, Rem Pitlick, Sam Steel and Carter Rowney would be really good targets to bolster depth the bottom lines.

There are no defenseman left to sign though other than Subban and Stralman.

 

[Dekes For Days]

All but guaranteed with 16 and 34 on the team but it will not be a cakewalk like it was the last two years.

Yeah, people said that last year, and then we set a franchise record. If anything, it's more likely to be a "cakewalk" than last year, since everybody we were closely competing with had more significant losses.

 

[LeafSteel]

Something has to be afoot with Holl.

There is no way we are better off with $2 million Holl as our 6th D vs. An $850k Pysyk + 2nd round pick (potential return for Holl in trade), and additional $1,150,000 in cap space in salary difference…..

Something has to be up.

Come on Dubas. Show us something here. If Weegar is truly available, this is someone you move a Holl and Kerfoot for….

 

[aingefan]

Yeah hoping for them to fill out the roster more today.

They probably gave a few guys some time to think about it. Might see a couple more sign today.

I’m pretty sure they send similar offers to all kinds of players.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

There are a lot of forwards still left, especially LWers. To add to your list:

Sonny Milano would probably be a capable player to play in the top 6.

Zach Aston-Reese is still kicking, and someone the Leafs were linked to. A very good forechecker.

Rudolf Balcers, Chris Tierney, Rem Pitlick, Sam Steel and Carter Rowney would be really good targets to bolster depth to the mid to bottom lines.

There are no defenseman left to sign though.

Subban?

 

[SprDaVE]

Robertson, Douglass, SDA could all get decent looks this year. I'm assuming Robertson will - it's a huge development / transition year for him.

Robertson is almost guaranteed to be a lock in some capacity. Anderson is very likely in a depth role.

Steeves and Holmberg seem more likely than anyone else to make it but since they are waiver exempt, I think call-ups is more likely for this season. I know the Leafs are high on Steeves though.

 

[ULF_55]

Is is amazing that they reached 115 points with the issues you mentioned but when the rubber meets the road and the "real" season starts, will we fold again?? If we lost to Tampa due to our bottom 6 not being good enough, it just got worse.

How do we know it got worse?

Who exactly did they lose?

 

[SprDaVE]

Subban?

Sure... Subban and Stralman.

 

[CanHeDoIt99]

Honestly, don't think he's ready yet. He can't play the boards at all.

Needs a big summer for balance/rounding out some aspects of his game but his production and age in the AHL suggest he should be ready IMO.

His brother didn't make the NHL till this upcoming season for Nick - and he had worse AHL production (different tools and players, don't think he will be anything like his brother) but the growth at these ages is usually pretty rapid for very strong prospects - hopefully he takes that step.

 

[Burnie97]

I’m pretty sure they send similar offers to all kinds of players.

Yeah exactly. That's what I'm thinking.

Like I said may just be waiting to hear back on a guy like Reese.

Maybe once a few teams strike out you'll see Leafs make a trade.

 

[Magic Man]

There are a lot of forwards still left, especially LWers. To add to your list:

Sonny Milano would probably be a capable player to play in the top 6.

Zach Aston-Reese is still kicking, and someone the Leafs were linked to. A very good forechecker.

Rudolf Balcers, Chris Tierney, Rem Pitlick, Sam Steel and Carter Rowney would be really good targets to bolster depth to the mid to bottom lines.

There are no defenseman left to sign though.

Now, we've gotten to the point with so little names left, that you wonder if it isn't better to keep what you have.

If they drop Kerfoot and bring in Milano, Heinen, Rodrigues in my mind they just downgraded the roster some more. The only name that kind of makes sense is Neiderrieter or they should keep Kerfoot. The idea behind trading him was to open up space to improve the team. The market doesn't have those players anymore.

 

[ToneDog]

How do we know it got worse?

Who exactly did they lose?

View attachment 569118

Mik and Kase for Kubel, Gaudette and Malgin.

Soup for Murray

We picked up team's sloppy seconds and lost roster players. How are we better ??

 

[Amadeus]

Now, we've gotten to the point with so little names left, that you wonder if it isn't better to keep what you have.

If they drop Kerfoot and bring in Milano, Heinen, Rodrigues in my mind they just downgraded the roster some more. The only name that kind of makes sense is Neiderrieter or they should keep Kerfoot. The idea behind trading him was to open up space to improve the team. The market doesn't have those players anymore.

Stasny will be solid as our third line C

 

[aingefan]

There are a lot of forwards still left, especially LWers. To add to your list:

Sonny Milano would probably be a capable player to play in the top 6.

Zach Aston-Reese is still kicking, and someone the Leafs were linked to. A very good forechecker.

Rudolf Balcers, Chris Tierney, Rem Pitlick, Sam Steel and Carter Rowney would be really good targets to bolster depth the bottom lines.

There are no defenseman left to sign though other than Subban and Stralman.

What’s Pitlick’s game like?
Good production, seems like good upside.

 

[Legion34]

Is is amazing that they reached 115 points with the issues you mentioned but when the rubber meets the road and the "real" season starts, will we fold again?? If we lost to Tampa due to our bottom 6 not being good enough, it just got worse.

If you think our roster got worse….. wait til you see what happened to Tampa.

McDonagh. Rutta palat for Myers. Namestikov. Cole is horrific

 

[SprDaVE]

What’s Pitlick’s game like?
Good production, seems like good upside.

He will probably regress this season. He had a very high and unsustainable shooting percentage.

With that said, he still can generate offence and he's not a bad player. Not sure he's the kind of bottom line player the Leafs are targetting but could be someone they bring in cheap.

 

[The Masters]

 

[aingefan]

Yeah exactly. That's what I'm thinking.

Like I said may just be waiting to hear back on a guy like Reese.

Maybe once a few teams strike out you'll see Leafs make a trade.

Agreed, waiting for the music to stop.
That whole class of non-tendered/bottom six type probably get similar offers from a bunch of teams. Gotta sift through and see what’s what.
Lots of off-season left.

 

[The Podium]

Mik and Kase for Kubel, Gaudette and Malgin.

Soup for Murray

We picked up team's sloppy seconds and lost roster players. How are we better ??

Mikheyev played more in our top 6 and Kase was often injured

Soup had 3 months straight of sub .900 goaltending and an injury mixed in.

Say what you will about the bottom 6, it doesn’t appear to be complete, but goaltending last season had as many question marks and completely failed yet everyone assumes we downgraded.

 

[aingefan]

He will probably regress this season. He had a very high and unsustainable shooting percentage.

With that said, he still can generate offence and he's not a bad player. Not sure he's the kind of bottom line player the Leafs are targetting but could be someone they bring in cheap.

Thanks. Makes sense.
Is he strong on the forecheck? Sound defensively?
I wonder about him as an option alongside good players as a placeholder before Knies arrives.

 

[ACC1224]

Who is James Duffy?

 

[The Masters]

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
_______ - Tavares - Nylander
_______ - _______ - _______
_______ - Kampf - Aube-Kubel

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Gio - Liljegren

Murray
Samsonov

9.519M cap space

This is how I see it right now.
Feels like somethings gotta give unless we get everyone on super cheap contracts

Kerfoot, Strome, Milano

 

[Magic Man]

Stasny will be solid as our third line C

Given his versatility to move around the lineup, specifically to that 2LW hole that now lacks competitors (Mikheyev and Kase are gone) and his PK production I would value Kerfoot higher than Stastny. Especially once we start adding additional years of term.

 

[4thline]

Interesting forwards still on the board (some require moving a player under contract, some moving on from Engvall and or Sandin, some might fit as is). Wild range of players- some pure top 6, some proven 2-way middle 6, some 4th line defensive guys, some reclamation projects.

F
Strome
Niedereiter
Rodrigues
Pitlick
Stastny
Milano
Heinen
Donato
Jarncrok
Janmark
Rask
Sanford
Steel
Svechnikov
Sheahan
Kuokkanen
Aston-Reese

Defense we should be done if Sandin signs, if not we need a cheap versatile 6/7