Confirmed with Link: Kovacevic Traded to the Devils for 2026 4th Round pick (Highest of the three 4th Rounders the Devils own)

[Natey]

Are you arguing that the Leaf's fanbase isn't deranged or doesn't get worked up about shit like that? Lol.

No, I'm arguing that overlooking your depth pieces is stupid and exactly why Toronto can't ever advance.

You've got thousands and thousands of posts. You've most definitely had some terrible takes like every single one of us, but somehow your better than your peers.

Don't bother replying, I won't see it.

 

[Natey]

I don't know how you could speak so firmly on the topic given that he's 27 and had 2 good games on a good team, that doesn't change the fact that for the last year he was a 5/6/7 with us and a waiver claim from the jets. In 10 games if he's back to being a 5/6/7 will you still be so vocal?

I was vocal when we made the trade that it was stupid.

We're a terrible team defensively. He's solid. Seems to fit like a glove for now.

I'm not even against trading him. I'm of the opinion that no one is untouchable. You want Slafkovsky? Let's talk.

It's that we traded him for nothing and now we have Justin Barron playing NHL minutes.

I think it was a bad trade. It was less bad at the time because of Harris, obviously. But why make the trade so early? The Devil's didn't overpay.

And I thought he could have been given more responsibility last year as well. Teams didn't score against us when he was on the ice. Did he make mistakes? Oh course. But who didn't?

And it's 3 good games.

 

[WeThreeKings]

lol I'd rather trade Barron, who has never been good, then a reliable defenseman who helped keep pucks out of our net.

Why jump the gun? Kovacevic's value was never going to go down really, so he could have made the trade at any time.

He never jumps the gun any other time or we would have dealt Anderson when he had value. Probably Matheson too when he was a peak of his value.

You could rather do it, but during a rebuild they aren't gonna fold early on a big piece from one of their trades. Especially a young toolsy RD.

 

[Tyson]

Would rather Kova over Barron - and it's not close.

Agreed %

 

[Natey]

You could rather do it, but during a rebuild they aren't gonna fold early on a big piece from one of their trades. Especially a young toolsy RD.

Too bad like Josh Anderson, he doesn't have a toolbox to put his tools in, so they just spill all over the ice.

And isn't that the point of these forums? If we're not being armchair GMs and posting our opinions, this forum would be empty. You do the same thing with the drafts, right? Have you never called a trade bad?

I know what their thinking was. I'm saying it was wrong. Am I right? Who knows.

I can tell you I was right about Josh and saying we should have moved him ages ago, even if the return was less than reported. Just like I know you've been right a few times on the draft when they've been wrong.

And I expect they'll get nowhere near the value now for Matheson they could have got at the deadline or the draft.

 

[Captain Mountain]

No, I'm arguing that overlooking your depth pieces is stupid and exactly why Toronto can't ever advance.

You've got thousands and thousands of posts. You've most definitely had some terrible takes like every single one of us, but somehow your better than your peers.

Don't bother replying, I won't see it.

Everybody has shit takes (myself included), and I wasn't even directing it at anybody, no need to take it personally.

Its early season. Montreal's 1st line has arguably been the worst 5v5 line in the league in that incredibly small sample. If I were to wildly overreact it would be about that.

As for people that actually want to discuss the Kovacevic trade, Montreal was trying to see what they have this season at RD. Not just Barron, but Reinbacher (who is unfortunately injured), Mailloux or even Struble who was expected to play 3RD to start the season. Its not about having the best 4-6 D group you can have, its seeing who can be more for when you can actually compete.

And Kovacevic is a pending UFA, a reunion isn't out of the question, nor is bringing someone else in if need be.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Yeah idk I get that people don't like Barron but keeping Kovacevic around means you're sitting two of Barron, Struble, and Xhekaj when all three are healthy and I don't think it makes sense to do that at this stage.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Who gives a F about the token 7th D this team has so many more important pressing issues

A great scholar once said;

 

[26Mats]

Cool. I love this take.

No shit they didn't see him as part of the future. I'm saying they were wrong.

On that note, I expect to never see you question a move we make again because this post of yours says you always should just see eye to eye and never question management.

I posted a list of 8 dmen and asked you who YOU saw Kovacevic ahead of and you refused to answer the question.

That and you get all emotional and take it personally. Why not just answer the question and have a rational discussion?

 

[Victoire HuGo]

How often was he given the chance to play Top-4? I'll tell you.. not many.

How many goals was he on the ice for? I'll tell you again... not many.

Barron was a terrible acquisition from Day 1. We got robbed in that trade. Colorado traded a nothing piece for a guy who was very close to being playoff MVP.

Until Dec 9 he had played 20 or more mins 8 separate times. It was becoming clear by that point he couldn't handle those kind of minutes. I like the dude but he's a bottom pair defenseman on a good stretch. Barron is younger and like I displayed this summer. You don't know what you have with your D until D+5 season so how about we give some rope to Barron?

 

[LaP]

I said a "bit more". Should we not expect improvement, even if it's incremental? We aren't the Buffalo Sabres.

Rebuild officially started at the TDL 2022. I like Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle but they are all picks outside the top 10. Good players but that doesn't constitue a rebuild. Rebuild started with Slaf.

So

2021-2022 : 55 points
2022-2023 : 68 points
2023-2024 : 76 points
2024-2025 : ? but i expect us to be in the lowish 80 points.

Atm we are being held back by a lack of depth. We are a one line team and it's easy to defend against (send your best defensive player against that line). This will be in part solved next year with Armia and Dvorak being traded at the TDL and replaced by Demidov and another kid.

Another thing holding us back is a lack of experiece specially the defense is very young. Only time can fix that. Will take another 2 to 3 years for those young dmen to be able to handle NHL speed on a consistent basis.

 

[Theodore450]

You mean the dude logging over 20 minutes a night for a better team, with more points then anyone on our roster, who was one of the only 'plus' players here the last couple of years while we have people like Justin Barron dressing for games?

Yeah.

There's a reason teams like Toronto don't win cups. The supporting cast is trash. Kovacevic was the perfect example of a moderately paid but solid piece.

They won’t get it.

If there is one thing Marc Bergevin understood, is depth.
Depth D wins championships. We dumped this guy eating hard minutes to keep Barron a guy that’s out the league in 4 years.

At some point you have to realize that grooming players for roles can fail.
You need to actually build a team

 

[gusfring]

Rebuild officially started at the TDL 2022. I like Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle but they are all picks outside the top 10. Good players but that doesn't constitue a rebuild. Rebuild started with Slaf.

So

2021-2022 : 55 points
2022-2023 : 68 points
2023-2024 : 76 points
2024-2025 : ? but i expect us to be in the lowish 80 points.

Atm we are being held back by a lack of depth. We are a one line team and it's easy to defend against (send your best defensive player against that line). This will be in part solved next year with Armia and Dvorak being traded at the TDL and replaced by Demidov and another kid.

Another thing holding us back is a lack of experiece specially the defense is very young. Only time can fix that. Will take another 2 to 3 years for those young dmen to be able to handle NHL speed on a consistent basis.

Cool. We'll be good when Suzuki is 30.

 

[LaP]

Cool. We'll be good when Suzuki is 30.

2-3 years put Suzuki at 27-28 years old.

 

[Natey]

I posted a list of 8 dmen and asked you who YOU saw Kovacevic ahead of and you refused to answer the question.

That and you get all emotional and take it personally. Why not just answer the question and have a rational discussion?

You can't even count so why would I reply?

 

[JoelWarlord]

2-3 years put Suzuki at 27-28 years old.

Yeah it's odd, we've been seeing that sentiment more lately (that we need to compete NOW or the team will start getting too old) and I don't really get it. I totally understand why people are bored of sitting through bad seasons but it's not like we're really on the clock here. 3 years from now Slafkovsky and Hutson will be 22-23, Demidov will be 21-22, Dach/Caufield/Guhle 25-26, not like these guys are gonna be old and washed up any time soon.

In an ideal world you'd like to be competing right now with Suzuki at 25, but you can't min-max every single player in your system at all times and everything is a compromise. Suzuki/Laine at 25/26 are the only core players on the team over 23 years old and Matheson is the only guy older than 26 that has any real impact.

 

[Natey]

Until Dec 9 he had played 20 or more mins 8 separate times. It was becoming clear by that point he couldn't handle those kind of minutes. I like the dude but he's a bottom pair defenseman on a good stretch. Barron is younger and like I displayed this summer. You don't know what you have with your D until D+5 season so how about we give some rope to Barron?

And he was still a plus player in those games. Crazy.

Don't need to give rope to Barron, I've seen enough of him. His hockey IQ is low. That doesn't suddenly change.

You're telling me to not judge Barron on nearly 100 NHL games (plus AHL and CHL) ... but you're judging Kovacevic on 8 games with 20+ minutes? That's quite wild.

Though I find it hilarious people are telling me to give rope to Barron, but no one is giving rope to Mesar who was only drafted two years ago, hahaha.

 

[Adam Michaels]

They aren't waiving Justin Barron.. had to trade Jordan Harris.. and that still means one of Barron/Xhekaj/Struble is sitting every game we play.

In no world did it make sense to keep Kovacevic.

If they never waived Pez when he became waiver eligible. If they didn't waive Primeau last year and had the 3 goalies. They will not waive Barron.

 

[Natey]

They won’t get it.

If there is one thing Marc Bergevin understood, is depth.
Depth D wins championships. We dumped this guy eating hard minutes to keep Barron a guy that’s out the league in 4 years.

At some point you have to realize that grooming players for roles can fail.
You need to actually build a team

I use the Toronto example so often. Edmonton is the same.

They fill their team with high end and then forget about the depth. Depth wins championships. Unfortunately, Bergevin thought the whole team could be depth players, lol. But yeah, guys like Kovacevic are guys you fill your roster out with who are just reliable and don't complain. And there could still be something more there.. he hasnt really had the chance. Barron has had more of a chance than Kovacevic, in all reality.. and he's failed miserably so far.

Rebuild officially started at the TDL 2022. I like Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle but they are all picks outside the top 10. Good players but that doesn't constitue a rebuild. Rebuild started with Slaf.

So

2021-2022 : 55 points
2022-2023 : 68 points
2023-2024 : 76 points
2024-2025 : ? but i expect us to be in the lowish 80 points.

Atm we are being held back by a lack of depth. We are a one line team and it's easy to defend against (send your best defensive player against that line). This will be in part solved next year with Armia and Dvorak being traded at the TDL and replaced by Demidov and another kid.

Another thing holding us back is a lack of experiece specially the defense is very young. Only time can fix that. Will take another 2 to 3 years for those young dmen to be able to handle NHL speed on a consistent basis.

Damn, Huston ain't really part of the rebuild cause he's not a Top-10 pick. Damn it. Sorry Lane, move over!

 

[Habs]

I didn't like the trade then, I don't like it now.

 

[the valiant effort]

 

[dcyhabs]

They won’t get it.

If there is one thing Marc Bergevin understood, is depth.
Depth D wins championships. We dumped this guy eating hard minutes to keep Barron a guy that’s out the league in 4 years.

At some point you have to realize that grooming players for roles can fail.
You need to actually build a team

Bergevin liked having lots of third to fourth pairing D and fourth to fifth line forwards. He had problems with the second pairing D and middle six F.

I liked Kovacevic and I think it was premature to dump him for a mid round pick. They have the expected injuries and it would be good to have a big, somewhat fighty, somewhat physical, defensive D available to fill the gap. It's unlikely he'd be a long term solution, but he was a good guy to have as a seventh. Who do they have available now who can play when called on but that they don't mind sitting out when the top six D are healthy? The balance of physical defensive Ds and skilled offensive Ds is a bit skewed as well.

I suspect Kovacevic made it clear he didn't want to be a seventh trending to gone, and asked to be traded somewhere he would play. I expect he'll do well on the bottom pairing, and I won't be too surprised if he moves up.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

And he was still a plus player in those games. Crazy.

Don't need to give rope to Barron, I've seen enough of him. His hockey IQ is low. That doesn't suddenly change.

You're telling me to not judge Barron on nearly 100 NHL games (plus AHL and CHL) ... but you're judging Kovacevic on 8 games with 20+ minutes? That's quite wild.

Though I find it hilarious people are telling me to give rope to Barron, but no one is giving rope to Mesar who was only drafted two years ago, hahaha.

I wasn't basing myself off 8 games but more so what he showed in his 2 seasons here.

 

[26Mats]

You can't even count so why would I reply?

exactly my point. More interested in getting into personal attacks than discussing the issues. It's what you do.

 

[Ezpz]

I would have traded Barron too just because Hutson is obviously the primary puck carrying d going forward. I don't think kovacevic is a huge loss though. Obviously Reinbacher and even Mailloux are expected to take Barron's spot away long term. This was about maximizing asset value by giving Barron a chance.