Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (4 years, $3.5M AAV)

[Commander Clueless]

Lyubushkin and Edmundson were fine. But Tanev is beyond better than both of those players combined. It's not even close.

OEL is a different kind of player. This team couldn't score and needed more mobility on the back end. Their issue was never defending.

What we're doing here is trying to build a team that is better rounded and also in hopes we don't have to keep bleeding picks for band-aids.

Tanev is an upgrade over Brodie.

OEL is our Edmundson/Boosh replacement. I feel like this is going to increase our need for band-aids rather than reduce it.

I get the signing, but are we not concerned we just overcorrected into (mediocre) offense? Just me?

I could be crazy. I haven't gotten checked in awhile.

 

[hamzarocks]

Boston in 7

Tampa in 6

Flordia in 5

That is how things will shake up next year

 

[Sypher04]

I agree, and I think I'd be a lot more okay with this signing if we had traded Liljegren and signed say Lyubushkin or someone of that ilk (maybe better than Boosh? Wouldn't complain).

The structure of the defense is all over the place. We went hard on toughness at the deadline, then jerked right back to soft as butter.

For what it’s worth, I’m not convinced we won’t still see a Liljegren trade (for better or worse depending on your perspective)

 

[Oscar Peterson]

I really don’t think this is a bad signing. Time will tell. We needed someone with some puck skills and a shot from the backend

I'm not in love with this signing but not sure why it's being this hated, I mean he looked good for Florida during this cup run. He has his warts but generally he seems to play well when he's not leaned on to be "the guy"

 

[DarkKnight]

He will be 36 when the deal ends. Shouldn’t be completely cooked. One year too much, but lol it’s free agency, first year watching hockey? He played 15 minutes a night in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup D champs, the horror. A bit pricey, a bit too long, but he can move the puck and play the PP. I don’t get the sky is falling routine here.

It’s a wait and see move for me.

 

[SprDaVE]

Tanev is an upgrade over Brodie.

OEL is our Edmundson/Boosh replacement. I feel like this is going to increase our need for band-aids rather than reduce it.

I get the signing, but are we not concerned we just overcorrected into (mediocre) offense? Just me?

I could be crazy. I haven't gotten checked in awhile.

I'm not sure there's any over correction at all. Lyubushkin and Edmundson were only here for about 1/4 of the season. We got an upgrade in Tanev over any of the players we had last season.

I'm skeptical on OEL but if we assume he does well, then he'll fix part of the issue with the defense as well.

Edmundson just signed for 4 years 3.8M in LA... like...

 

[definedMF]

I really dont get the hate on this, anyone who watched the playoffs he was paired with kulikov who made some brain dead plays and moved the puck really well and was manning their PP1 for an effective team.

I think term might be a bit too rich but in a 4-6 role where I see Rielly-Tanev-McCabe ahead of him, he has the chance way more than Kilingberg who was notoriously shit defensively to be a true offensive threat.

 

[DarkKnight]

For what it’s worth, I’m not convinced we won’t still see a Liljegren trade (for better or worse depending on your perspective)

I’d say the odds improved with this move.

 

[Dreakmur]

I'm not in love with this signing but not sure why it's being this hated, I mean he looked good for Florida during this cup run. He has his warts but generally he seems to play well when he's not leaned on to be "the guy"

Exactly. He's a 3/4 guy who can run your PP if needed. He's not an elite QB, but he's like top 15-20 in that role.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Boston in 7

Tampa in 6

Flordia in 5

That is how things will shake up next year

Which one of those?

 

[socko]

Leafs needed a stay at home guy for Rielly. Got it. Leafs needed another puck mover. Got it. It's still just Liljegren I don't get. Cause he's not worth it.

 

[thewave]

Leafs needed a stay at home guy for Rielly. Got it. Leafs needed another puck mover. Got it. It's still just Liljegren I don't get. Cause he's not worth it.

I am not at all freaked out by any of it at this point. There no noose so far

 

[Darcy Tucker]

So the D pairings are now

Rielly-Tanev
Benoit-McCabe
OEL- Lilly

Actually not that bad. Brodie is gone. What a difference.

 

[Shooter14]

Come on guys, with limited cap space, there wasn't anyone on the market that was affordable, slightly overpayment, and the best option of the remaining D. Leafs had to also fill a goalie spot, which in my opinion, was a surprising underpayment for Stolarz. Remaining cap space is to sign their remaining 2 RFA'S. The team is setup better then last year.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I'm not sure there's any over correction at all. Lyubushkin and Edmundson were only here for about 1/4 of the season. We got an upgrade in Tanev over any of the players we had last season.

I'm skeptical on OEL but if we assume he does well, then he'll fix part of the issue with the defense as well.

Edmundson just signed for 4 years 3.8M in LA... like...

And we struggled all year with crease clearing. That's my point.

And yeah I don't really like that Edmundson contract either, but my point was more the style of defense.

 

[1specter]

I don't like this, but it's hell of a lot better than that garbage Edmundson deal, yeesh.

 

[Torontonian]

man I guess I'm in the minority because I like the new look defense I think it's been upgraded in a BIG way.

if Woll can stay healthy and prove that the flashes that he showed when he did play were real I think the team as of today is better than it was last year, they just need to replace Bertuzzi

Toronto d-core is better today then it was in game 7.

It is what it is.

 

[Jmo89]

3.8 per for Edmunson? Wtf

 

[socko]

And we struggled all year with crease clearing. That's my point.

And yeah I don't really like that Edmundson contract either, but my point was more the style of defense.

I think it's much easier to add a crease clearer at the deadline than a puck mover. Puck mover needs time to integrate with the team. Crease clearer doesn't need any time.

 

[Magic Man]

32 is not mid 30s.

He's 33 in 16 days.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Boston got Zadorov at $5 million. We got Lily and Oel at 6.5 million. Advantage Boston. Like the goalie signing.

 

[LeafsFan89]

That third pair is going to get hemmed in 24/7. I would rather trade Lilly and get a Benoit for the third pair.

So the D pairings are now

Rielly-Tanev
Benoit-McCabe
OEL- Lilly

Actually not that bad. Brodie is gone. What a difference.

 

[Rob Brown]

He's 33 in 16 days.

And 33 is still more early 30s than mid 30s lol. You made it seem like he was 35 or 36.

 

[Schennanigans]

All the d available and we sign this?

 

[DraftSchmaft]

He's gonna get sheltered 5 on 5 minutes and be a bomb threat on PP.

If he does this role well the cap hit is perfect