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

[Cor]

Here's the best way to sum up what we gave up

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie 2h2 hours ago
Of the players TOR gave up, goalie Gibson may be most notable with best chance to get to NHL but TOR chose Sparks and Bibeau over him.

 

[Menzinger]

Further evidence that management doesn't plan to play many kids.

The leafs are going to be a team of vets in short term contracts. A team of mercenaries!

 

[Lucafen4]

You just compared Panik's 20 year old season to Verhaeghe's 19 year old season...

I suppose I should've said at 19 CV is waaaaaay better than Panik at 19 cause they're inbetween seasons.

Please explain what makes Verhaeghe so much better in your eyes?

Panik went 2nd round 52nd in his 2009, would he have slid 31 or more spots to go behind Verhaeghe had he been transported to the 2013 draft.

One is in the NHL and the other just got traded with a bunch of B/C level prospects.

 

[Leafidelity]

If Mike Babcock wanted Grabner and Mark Hunter ok'd the prospects leaving, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Nothing like being stuck in an all meeting morning and seeing a text about this trade.

I'm undecided on it at this point, need to digest it more

 

[SprDaVE]

You didn't read the next part...

What if we are in a playoff position loaded with one year deals? Does management still dump the farm? Or do we keep the team and attempt a run?

This team really is not that bad anymore. We are lacking a true #1 line, but besides that, pretty solid. Bernier has a good year and who knows what could happen.

Basically, my point is, we may not get as many picks back as people think. With all these 1 year deals, if the stars align, we could be in a pickle! Now I do highly doubt this, however, it's far from impossible.

8 UFA
6 RFA
4 PTO

Right now, that is what we got, and there is no way in hell we are dumping them all at TDL, let's be a little realistic. So we may end up with a few, but we can't mathematically move them all for picks/prospects since we still need to ice a team.

If we sign 2 PTO's, that is 10 UFAs going into next season (Assuming 1yr deals)

Something has to give or we will be very busy again on July 1st.

I think it's a good problem to have? We didn't trade for those assets, other then Grabner for a lot of average parts. No picks involved either.

So if they are in a playoff position, we obviously won't trade many of the pending UFAs but I'm sure they could at least make a trade or two for future assets. I think this management team is smarter then the previous one not to let so many assets walk for free. But of course we won't trade every one of them if we are better then expected.

The plan wasn't to tank. The plan is to build your core while trying to have a competitive NHL team. You never plan to tank.

 

[ACC1224]

Further evidence that management doesn't plan to play many kids.

The leafs are going to be a team of vets in short term contracts. A team of mercenaries!

yep, looks like one more year of plugs

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Are people actually upset about this?

We traded 4 meh prospects (Nilsson is the only one who I thought had an NHL shot) and a 4th liner...

People get upset about everything. The only one that we lost that could turn out bad is Gibson, even that is a long shot.

 

[Smif]

Please explain what makes Verhaeghe so much better in your eyes?

Panik went 2nd round 52nd in his 2009, would he have slid 31 or more spots to go behind Verhaeghe had he been transported to the 2013 draft.

One is in the NHL and the other just got traded with a bunch of B/C level prospects.

I didn't say he's better than Panik is right now. I said he's better than Panik was at 19, I'd love some evidence from you to dispute that fact...

 

[Babcocks Marner]

I'd be very surprised if they were targeting Grabner, just as the Isles weren't after these prospects. Seems like they wanted to dump 5 mil and the Leafs needed contract spots.

That is the bottom line of this deal.

There would be A LOT of people battling for that 1 spot, now Leafs have options.

 

[hfdshdh]

If Mike Babcock wanted Grabner and Mark Hunter ok'd the prospects leaving, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

That's more or less how I feel. None of these guys were thought of as having much upside anyway, but if Hunter didn't see anything special, then I'm even less concerned.

In a roundabout kind of way, we're just swapping this handful of prospects for the prospects we draft next summer with the picks acquired for Grabner, Glencross, Boyes, etc. at the trade deadline. We'll likely extract much more value out of that group of players than we ever would have with Finn, Nilsson, etc.

It seems like a risky, 'sacrificing the future to get better now' type of move at first glance, but to me this is just shrewd asset management and makes perfect sense long-term.

 

[Budsfan]

Peresinni was OHL 1st All-Star and OHL Goaltender of the year in 2014-15 season.

Perhaps Hunter might believe he has more potential than Gibson.

Brouillard was the highest scoring Dmen in the Q and that might be better than ECHL Matt Finn as a better prospect.

Michael Joly scored the winning goal for Rimouski in the QMJHL playoffs and and leading goal scorer in the Memorial cup.

A case can be made for all 3 to get Leaf contracts to replace the departed prospects. IMO

It will be interesting when you trade 5 for 1 who the Leafs fill those other 4 contracts with in the future.

That makes a lot of sense and we did end up with a pretty good NHL player, so on balance, it isn't quite as one sided as I first thought, when I first saw the thread posted and all the media comments but they got a player they targeted and that's how you build a team but still a shocker.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Further evidence that management doesn't plan to play many kids.

The leafs are going to be a team of vets in short term contracts. A team of mercenaries!

That's why my excitment for this season is next to zero. Another year different set of plugs + the old heartless core minus Kessel! Yay!

 

[ACC1224]

That's why my excitment for this season is next to zero. Another year different set of plugs + the old core minus Kessel! Yay!

Yep, thank God for Stub Hub!

 

[darrylsittler27]

Management considered them border line prospects.

A lot to give up for a one year guy who may only net a 3rd rounder at TD. They are flushing out Burke/Nonnis's dregs.

 

[Mats13]

Really dislike this trade.

We didn't give up any studs but that is a lot of decent prospects to give up for Grabner...

Really...

Matt Finn - Awful year last year and couldn't even keep up with the play at the rookie tourney this year.

CV - Dime a dozen really. Nothing special about him, you can find another one in any draft year. Will probably never make the NHL.

Tom Nilsson - The only one I liked, but come on his ceiling is like a #6/7 Dman...

Chris Gibson - He was rated as the last goalie in our system, behind Bibeau and Sparks. Shows how highly the organization viewed him.

Oh the horror... how ever will we replace such "decent" prospects

 

[Cor]

That makes a lot of sense and we did end up with a pretty good NHL player, so on balance, it isn't quite as one sided as I first thought, when I first saw the thread posted and all the media comments but they got a player they targeted and that's how you build a team but still a shocker.

This move is incredibly shrewd.

We dumped 5 players, that didn't matter at all to us, and picked up a tradable asset.

If Grabner (who says he's 100 healthy and recovered from his injuries) can be healthy, he's likely on the top line.

Someone needs to score goals this season, and it could very well be him.

This very well could become a 2nd + 4th or even, a 1st round pick for us.

It's a risky move, but incredibly shrewd.


It's nice having competent management

 

[Babcocks Marner]

I think it's a good problem to have? We didn't trade for those assets, other then Grabner for a lot of average parts. No picks involved either.

So if they are in a playoff position, we obviously won't trade many of the pending UFAs but I'm sure they could at least make a trade or two for future assets. I think this management team is smarter then the previous one not to let so many assets walk for free. But of course we won't trade every one of them if we are better then expected.

The plan wasn't to tank. The plan is to build your core while trying to have a competitive NHL team. You never plan to tank.

Tell that to Buffalo

But on a serious note, I do agree with you. I just think people think we are getting picks for EVERYONE, or at least how some act. The realistic approach is we may get +/- 3 deals done.

Hopefully some UFA/PTO's shine, and we are not in a playoff position. That would be the best way to maximize the deals. Just take the 3-4 (w.e) best preforming UFA's and try to move them. We can fill a few holes, just not a dozen

 

[TLeafsFan]

I like the roster improvement.

 

[ACC1224]

This move is incredibly shrewd.

We dumped 5 players, that didn't matter at all to us, and picked up a tradable asset.

If Grabner (who says he's 100 healthy and recovered from his injuries) can be healthy, he's likely on the top line.

Someone needs to score goals this season, and it could very well be him.

This very well could become a 2nd + 4th or even, a 1st round pick for us.

It's a risky move, but incredibly shrewd.


It's nice having competent management

I can see not be excited about the deal or indifferent but I don't see why anyone would have a problem with it.

 

[mallory67]

Thank you Taylor Beck

We need a Taylor Beck appreciation thread.

 

[LeafsNation75]

From what I read on Twitter from guys like McKenzie and Friedman it sounded like the players the Leafs traded were long shots to ever play for them. However on paper it does sound weird trading 5 of them just for Grabner since he can be a UFA at the end of this season, unless Lou plans to trade him before the deadline.

I was also surprised to see them include Taylor Beck in the trade since it was Dubas that traded for him this past July.

 

[gordonshumway]

There's hardly anything to like about this trade - gave up bunch of prospects for a WYSIWIG forward in his late 20's who will likely be pushing 30s before Leafs are contending... not to mention likely to leave as UFA. The only logical reason is clearing contract space for prospects, but even then, some of the guys traded (Verhaeghe and Finn) may come back and bite us big time. Just doesn't seem like a trade a rebuilding team should be making, that's all.

 

[Menzinger]

That's why my excitment for this season is next to zero. Another year different set of plugs + the old heartless core minus Kessel! Yay!

Yep. The Marlies are definitely the team to watch this season.

 

[Lucafen4]

I didn't say he's better than Panik is right now. I said he's better than Panik was at 19, I'd love some evidence from you to dispute that fact...

Please go back and re-read... my original post about Panik was that we picked him up for free as he was the cut off fat from TB. I never actually made a comment about Panik's talent level, beyond the insinuation that he was a good waiver pick up - this was widely held in the media.

You - jumped in and stated Verhaeghe was 'waaaaaaaaaay' (sorry if I missed a couple a's or y's) better than Panik at 19.

Who really cares? I reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaally don't.

What I did say was that he was buried behind a lot of other C's and that he obviously does not fit with the Leaf's rebuild plans.

I can't believe I have spent THIS much time arguing over this... move along - don't respond, reply elsewhere