Why is JVR always traded for draft picks that won't help the team for years?
And if that did happen, those draft picks can then be used for immediate help.
JVR scored goals but cost the team a lot too. Having moved on from him would have given others a shot. Maybe they don't score as many goals, but they probably don't allow as many and have to be as heavily sheltered as JVR.
If they let Gardiner walk after this year, that's 30 goal scorer and a top 4 d-man in 2 years. There's no way to sugar coat that.
And they are not currently a top defender away from being elite. Who plays #3 and #4 C this year? Hainsey looks like at 37, he's tired. Zaitsev has been sub-par for a while.
If the point is to use the picks in another trade, then phrase it that way. Literally nobody is opposed to good hockey trades that see JVR and Gardiner going out with good players coming back in. But when I'm replying to posts about moving JVR to give Kapanen, Leivo, and Johnsson a chance on the big club, that doesn't sound like "make a hockey trade" to me. Somebody comes up with a three way deal where JVR goes out and Tanev comes back? Yeah cool stuff, I do that all day, but that's not the post I replied to. If you're trading away your 30g forward or your 50 point PMD for depth, that's making the Leafs worse. If you're trading them for other impact players, that's a completely different story and utterly besides
my point. My point is that you have to be getting impact players back otherwise you are sacrificing your team's development and opportunities to compete. My point is that competing as hard as you can and keeping your rentals is worthwhile because you team gains in experience, development, and even has a chance to go all the way. The Leafs had the third most points in the East this year and our weakness is defense. Moving Gardiner this summer for anything other than a slam-dunk futures deal is making a competitive team worse, which sounds like insanity to me.
Babcock wants Centers and Dmen depth and Mark Hunter keeps drafting wingers and its creating a problem where it forces management into shopping for help and not drafting and developing their own internally.
Leafs already need a 3rd and 4th line C and top 4 Dman for next year minimum as well as figuring out how to replace JVR offense and goal production and if you look at the prospect pool there is little to no help arriving there any time soon.
Strong drafting and developing is designed to fill holes and replenish talent to create that depth Babcock speaks of here.
They drafted one winger in 2017.
One. They drafted four defensemen, including both of their top60 picks. Furthermore, it's been three years since Hunter's first draft.
Toronto Maple Leafs Draft History at hockeydb.com
The Lightning have had exactly one player make the NHL since 2015 when Hunter was finally in charge.
Tampa Bay Lightning Draft History at hockeydb.com
The Ducks have exactly 6 NHL games since Hunter has been in charge.
Anaheim Ducks Draft History at hockeydb.com
The Jets are doing better with three players making the NHL, but they were all first round picks. They have one player drafted outside of the first round who has a single NHL game.
Winnipeg Jets Draft History at hockeydb.com
Blaming the Leafs shortcomings on Hunter is about as useful as blaming the equipment managers.