Confirmed with Link: Leafs trade Beck, Finn, Gibson, Nilsson and Verhaeghe for Grabner

[Jimmy Firecracker]

JVR-Kadri-PAP
Lupul-Holland-Grabner
Boyes-Spalling-Panik
Winnik-Arcobello-Komarov
Matthias

That's if Bozak is gone. The way things are looking in doubting very much that he'll be traded before the season starts. I want him traded, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Lucafen4]

Well yeah, it's the NHL. Every team trims prospect fat every year. It's just more this year because we brought more picks in.

This is how we got Panik from TB

 

[Babcocks Marner]

This was a contract move IMO. This allows us to sign PTOs.

I am not a huge fan of the deal. I may be one of the only on this site, but I am not a big Grabner fan.... at all. He does have some great speed, and is good on the PK, but basically a poor mans Lupul.

This team is very odd. Full of 1 year deals........ They have a plan, but it is only getting more confusing to me personally.

Hypothetically speaking, what if we are near a playoff spot at TDL??? Man, that will be interesting to see what they do there. Does that end trading everyone away for picks?

Should be an interesting season, to say the least!

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Beck was acquired by dumping Jamie "Mr. Testosterone" Devane another prospect with 0 NHL potential.

It's a good deal. All of these guys have NHL potential (or in the case of Beck already NHL players) but we had better and these guys would be in the way.

One of the three goalies had to go eventually: Gibson.
Far too many LHD that played similar (and in general): Finn.
A crap ton of top 9 forwards: Beck and Verhaeghe.

Nilsson is weird because we didn't have far too many RHD, but Granberg was better and we have switch defensemen like Nielsen coming up.

I like the deal. Grabner has not played very well recently, but he has before, and he has a size/speed blend. He'll either be playing 2LW or 1RW so he'll have a good shot to redeem himself before we can move him for draft picks at the deadline. It's a low risk, high reward move, and I'll give management some good credit for their work. However, it's just like their other solid, but unspectacular, deals that they've done, so they still need to wow on the bigger deals. Still good work relieving the log jam and getting a good return on these guys though, but now there is an even bigger log jam at the NHL that needs to be fixed, so I wonder what they decide to do.

 

[Mess]

I wasn't aware of his ability to Penalty kill and obviously his speed and back checking, are a big plus for Babcock and Lemaire, where they will play him is a bit of a mystery but with these attributes and his goal scoring, you would think 1st or 2nd line but not sure?

He scored 2 SH goals against the Leafs on the same shift recently.



Michael Grabner scores two SHG's in 48 seconds

 

[Jacquestrapless]

They must really believe in that Sparks/Bibeau tandem. Didn't Gibson play a significant part in our miraculous calder cup playoff berth?

 

[paulhiggins]

So, basically we're telling the 10-15 kids we pick each year that they have two years to prove something to us or they're out. Meanwhile, we sign a boatload of nobodies to 1 year deals so we can flip them for late picks so we can then choose even more kids that we have to ship out in two years.

That's how it works at Year One, not forever. If you had a new boss, would he keep you around if you proved nothing over the next two years?

 

[Cotton]

We did our prospect ranking just a couple weeks ago. Check it out.

Should have maybe waited until after the tourney to do it.

 

[Primary Assist]

If we can flip him for a prospect at the trade deadline I think we should target someone like Carter Verhaeghe on the Islanders

 

[theIceWookie]

I don't really know what to make of this deal. Which is a feeling I rarely have with trades.

On one hand I'm dissapointed we traded Nilsson. I've been a fan for a long time and I've personally felt he was better than Granberg (for a while now actually) and had a chance at being the best of our Swedish troika. I'm also mildly dissapoitnted that we are giving CV up but at the same time I'm not overly broken up about it. The rest of the guys I could care less for.

Grabner on the other hand is...an enigma. He's fast and has talent but more often than not he's inconsistent. However he is on an expiring contract, and he'll get tons of opportunities he probably wouldn't have gotten on the Isles. He could boost his value nicely so we can trade him come the deadline. Which I'm alright with.

This also clears up a lot of contract room for us. 4 spots is a lot. Clearly the team wants to something with that. Likely it's a combination of signing PTO's to one year deals, and signing a couple strong rookie camp showing's to ELC's. It fress up future spots on the roster for prospects the current management group is obviously more attached too as well.

I see sides of the deal, but I have no idea how to feel about this. It's odd. Clearly hoping for a lot of trade deadline deals for one year or expiring players though.

 

[Drew75]

It's not the end of the rebuild. But I see it as an attempt to open up contract spots, and we executed that badly.

I find it rather amusing that suddenly you see people say that a 20-year old Verhaeghe, after a strong junior career, has zero chance to reach NHL.

I don't think it's a 0 percent chance, and I wish the kid well - but he's a prospect that does everything well and nothing great - and those usually don't translate to much more than bottom of the roster / journeymen players if they make it.

I don't see this as a change in direction or the end of the rebuild as some are making it out to be. We have A TON of kids in the system, and we moved some of the bottom half to create a) space for the prospects that Hunter likes better, and b) roster space under the contract limit.

Outside of Lupul / Bozak / Phaneuf - this entire team is on short term, reasonable, moveable deals. It is the definition of a transition team. With 11 picks already in the upcoming draft, the brass has given itself a lot of pieces that could garner even more - and we have the roster depth to move a dozen guys and still ice two teams (Leafs and Marlies) - not saying they will move a dozen, but could.

They may re-sign some guys they like (ie: Matthias) for filler next year as well - but they have the pieces to change the culture this year, protect the development of the kids - and flexibility to burn in making moves as opportunities come up.

Love the direction, and comfortable with the deal.

 

[SprDaVE]

This was a contract move IMO. This allows us to sign PTOs.

I am not a huge fan of the deal. I may be one of the only on this site, but I am not a big Grabner fan.... at all. He does have some great speed, and is good on the PK, but basically a poor mans Lupul.

This team is very odd. Full of 1 year deals........ They have a plan, but it is only getting more confusing to me personally.

Hypothetically speaking, what if we are near a playoff spot at TDL??? Man, that will be interesting to see what they do there. Does that end trading everyone away for picks?

Should be an interesting season, to say the least!

Why are you confused?

1 year contracts are VERY easy to move at the dead line. If they perform relatively well, they can fetch a lot. Just look at Santorelli and Winnik last season.

The Leafs want to get a semi-competitive team while not anchoring your cap with long-term and expensive veterans, AKA the Nonis/Burke era. You keep recycling short-term players while building a core.

Rebuild your core through the draft (Marner, Nylander, Kapanen, Rielly, Brown, etc) while making your team somewhat competitive by bringing in solid assets that can be peddled for value.

 

[Leafidelity]

This is how we got Panik from TB

And Tampa Bay hasn't lost an hour of sleep over it. Because they draft so well that he got passed on the depth chart.

Someday the Leafs will be in a situation of trimming NHL/AHL fat instead of the AHL/ECHL guys right now. That's a good sign of quality depth.

 

[Budsfan]

It's not the end of the rebuild. But I see it as an attempt to open up contract spots, and we executed that badly.

I find it rather amusing that suddenly you see people say that a 20-year old Verhaeghe, after a strong junior career, has zero chance to reach NHL.

I agree with the Verhaeghe comment, he led the IceDogs in scoring and at 20, he certainly hasn't completed his development potential.

Maybe The Iles wanted him to make a deal?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

This was a contract move IMO. This allows us to sign PTOs.

I am not a huge fan of the deal. I may be one of the only on this site, but I am not a big Grabner fan.... at all. He does have some great speed, and is good on the PK, but basically a poor mans Lupul.

This team is very odd. Full of 1 year deals........ They have a plan, but it is only getting more confusing to me personally.

Hypothetically speaking, what if we are near a playoff spot at TDL??? Man, that will be interesting to see what they do there. Does that end trading everyone away for picks?

Should be an interesting season, to say the least!

Calgary was in a playoff position and traded Glencross. They still made the playoffs and the second round without him. Obviously it's far more extreme now, but unless we are like really into the playoffs, I doubt we resist.

 

[Beleafer4]

JVR-Kadri-PAP
Lupul-Holland-Grabner
Boyes-Spalling-Panik
Winnik-Arcobello-Komarov
Matthias

Glencross-Kadri-Lupul
JVR-Holland-PAP
Boyes-Bozak-Komarov
Winnik-Arcobello-Panik
Setogouchi-Matthias-Grabner

Those probably wont be the lines but we sure do have a lot of options

This will also allow the leafs to sign guys like Brouillard to a contract.

PS, possible FAs this year: Grabner, PAP, Arcobello, Boyes, GlenX, Seto, Matthias, Polak, Reimer. Winnik and Hunwick are also possibilities

We have 11 picks already. I would want to get 4 for this year, and stock up for the next few drafts. GMs are far less stingy when it comes to next years picks vs this years picks. Especially in deadline day

 

[Leafidelity]

I find it rather amusing that suddenly you see people say that a 20-year old Verhaeghe, after a strong junior career, has zero chance to reach NHL.

I find it amusing that people were still that high on him. He really didn't impress last year, or at rookie camp. People put too much of themselves into prospects. Saw the same with the rabid Finn defenders.

 

[Mess]

I agree with the Verhaeghe comment, he led the IceDogs in scoring and at 20, he certainly hasn't completed his development potential.

Maybe The Iles wanted him to make a deal?

NYI Ryan Strome and Carter Verhaeghe were once OHL teammates.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I don't really know what to make of this deal. Which is a feeling I rarely have with trades.

On one hand I'm dissapointed we traded Nilsson. I've been a fan for a long time and I've personally felt he was better than Granberg (for a while now actually) and had a chance at being the best of our Swedish troika. I'm also mildly dissapoitnted that we are giving CV up but at the same time I'm not overly broken up about it. The rest of the guys I could care less for.

Grabner on the other hand is...an enigma. He's fast and has talent but more often than not he's inconsistent. However he is on an expiring contract, and he'll get tons of opportunities he probably wouldn't have gotten on the Isles. He could boost his value nicely so we can trade him come the deadline. Which I'm alright with.

This also clears up a lot of contract room for us. 4 spots is a lot. Clearly the team wants to something with that. Likely it's a combination of signing PTO's to one year deals, and signing a couple strong rookie camp showing's to ELC's. It fress up future spots on the roster for prospects the current management group is obviously more attached too as well.

I see sides of the deal, but I have no idea how to feel about this. It's odd. Clearly hoping for a lot of trade deadline deals for one year or expiring players though.

Peressini, Joly and Brouillard are probably a little giddy right now. Not only did we trade competition, but opened up spots for them. The other guys we could sign could just slide (Jamieson, etc.). I think Glencross and Boyes' chances go up, and Fraser could find himself with an AHL deal now since we got rid of two of the 7 guys we would slot in our top 7 for the Marlies.

 

[MacerV]

I find it amusing that people were still that high on him. People put too much of themselves into prospects. Saw the same with the rabid Finn defenders.

There was no reason to be down on him, he was developing just fine. Wasn't allowed to play in the AHL yet so he had to stay in junior. Would have liked to see him play a year in the A, but the contract spots opened up should help us a lot.

 

[Super Mega]

what the hell this makes no sense to me

grabner is a guy you could grab in free agency for free

Matt Finn, Verhaeage all had potential, very confused and upset by this trade

 

[Smif]

This is how we got Panik from TB

At least he was 24 when it happened to him.

At age 20 Verhaeghe is waaaaaay better than Panik was at 20.

 

[Lucafen4]

And Tampa Bay hasn't lost an hour of sleep over it. Because they draft so well that he got passed on the depth chart.

Someday the Leafs will be in a situation of trimming NHL/AHL fat instead of the AHL/ECHL guys right now. That's a good sign of depth.

Agreed, I look at this trade as a preemptive strike to avoid either letting them go as RFA's or waiving them when out of options. We're making strides toward this happy problem

 

[Leafidelity]

There was no reason to be down on him, he was developing just fine. Wasn't allowed to play in the AHL yet so he had to stay in junior. Would have liked to see him play a year in the A, but the contract spots opened up should help us a lot.

He really wasn't great last year. It became quite evident that his production was tied to Perlini. For a guy of that age, experience and pedigree in the OHL, you'd expect him to take the reigns of the team.

 

[Stephen23]

I find it amusing that people were still that high on him. People put too much of themselves into prospects. Saw the same with the rabid Finn defenders.

I think for some it may have been that almost identical things were said about Verhaeghe as they were about Leivo when Josh was drafted. In the sense that Dave Morrison saw something in him so took him a lot earlier in the draft then they were projected.