Malkin? Haha brutal, not a chance.
Yakupov was mentioned earlier, he'd be a good target. Kid has 40/40 potential. Elite talent is always welcome, especially at 20 years old. Yak-kadri would be nasty.
So you want us to trade our #1 D (already a team weakness) for a winger with potential? That rationale hasn't burned us before has it???
So you want us to trade our #1 D (already a team weakness) for a winger with potential? That rationale hasn't burned us before has it???
Yakupov was a 1st overall pick with elite talent who can already produce in the nhl. Has it burned us before? I can't think of anything similar recently.
You know what has burned us? Long expensive contracts for mediocre players.
I wouldn't mind if there was another trade in place that sent a winger (Lupul) for some D help. Yak's value is probably at the lowest it will get.
If their trading Malkin, Kessel is almost entirely coming back. Kessel, 8th overall, Gardiner for Malkin seems decent I suppose
So you want us to trade our #1 D (already a team weakness) for a winger with potential? That rationale hasn't burned us before has it???
Anything Lupul returns will not come close to replacing Dion.
The idea we tank when Dion is traded. Anyone watching the games would realise that not only was Dion ridiculously over-utilised, but he was good at it in terms of GA On/ 60. For someone who supposedly looks like a jock, regularly makes mistakes, played with liabilities on the mid/ bottom pairing, defensively-weak forwards, he posted healthier numbers than Shea Weber. That being said, Phaneuf ( if traded) is going to get us a good return. If Yakupov is going our way, Edmonton will be adding to that.So you want us to trade our #1 D (already a team weakness) for a winger with potential? That rationale hasn't burned us before has it???
The idea we tank when Dion is traded. Anyone watching the games would realise that not only was Dion ridiculously over-utilised, but he was good at it in terms of GA On/ 60. For someone who supposedly looks like a jock, regularly makes mistakes, played with liabilities on the mid/ bottom pairing, defensively-weak forwards, he posted healthier numbers than Shea Weber. That being said, Phaneuf ( if traded) is going to get us a good return. If Yakupov is going our way, Edmonton will be adding to that.
You'd hope you get an all-round, top pairing youngster via trade with Kessel. If such a defenceman can develop into our #1D, he'd be considered elite. Otherwise Rielly will have to produce Duncan numbers playing with a top pairing ( near #1) stay-at-home defenceman that we'll acquire with Phil.
Anything Lupul returns will not come close to replacing Dion.
Not interested in Yakupov, would rather get a more proven asset or futures of other kinds.
Dont want a (high potential) winger with defensive issues.
Hell I'd rather get Perron from them, that guy is a hard working two-way winger.
I so wanted David Perron last year. Imagine him instead of Clarkson on our 2nd line
The team would've made the playoffs imo. He's a 60 point, hard working two-way winger.
Problem is Edmonton needs like 3-4 more guys like him with the way their team is built as well.
We have too many 1-dimensional forwards, they're either strong physically but weak offensively(clarkson, and that's even debatable) or bad physically/defensively and strong offensively(Lupul, Raymond)
Do it by committee. They aren't contending in the next year or two so there is no need for a stud, shut down defenceman.
Kessel doesn't even need Eric Staal. You get him someone like Jordan Staal or even Sean Couturier, and he'd look a lot better. What we need to start understanding is that Bozak is not a defensive pivot. He's barely above average in his own zone and doesn't play a consistent enough game to be centring JVR/ Kessel. Give either of the centres I mentioned those two wingers, and you will see greater than 50-point production out of either of them.I'd rather have any of the 4-5 players drafted under Yak on my team then Yak. Now that's just my opinion, but seriously, we have a elite winger. We need a high end C.
Dion played fine under a shut down role. Simply put, you don't post a GA On/ 60 better than Shea Weber if you're hopeless. What he needs is stronger partner and two-way capable forwards up front.Could work....
Mirtle nailed it. Dion isn't bad but he is not a shutdown defenceman and should not get 25+ minutes of ice time, including PK's. The problem with the Leafs is that they are a team full of offensive minded defenceman who are shaky in the defensive zone. The Leafs need to bring balance to the D core and add stable lunch pail guys who are sound in the defensive zone. If trading Phaneuf achieves this balance, than it's a trade worth making.