Speculation: LW targets

[Bluelines]

Haula has been a target of Dubas for over a year...

TJ Miller and Haula are my top two picks.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Strongly disagree.

What don’t you guys get that if Kerfoot, Holl or Dermott were simply allowed to be picked that we would have more cap space,a 7 th round pick and a good prospect. Just what in a thought process makes it incapable of getting that.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

This Dubas interview has a interesting question asked in the way it was framed by one of the very best interviewers in the business. Maple Leafs 2021 Free Agency Preview: Needs, targets, issues

Dubas didn’t have the answer and I don’t expect much change. Sorry Leafers this guy is destroying another year I’m afraid.

He will add his soft nobodies on dollarama contracts and the act will repeat itself another year of a poor core. Dubas is in to poorcore and is right on the ledge lol

 

[Bluelines]

Ovie

 

[Bluelines]

What don’t you guys get that if Kerfoot, Holl or Dermott were simply allowed to be picked that we would have more cap space,a 7 th round pick and a good prospect. Just what in a thought process makes it incapable of getting that.

With Kerfoot gone, you have about 13mil in cap with (3) 4th liners , 1 goalie and 2 spots in the press box to fill out.

The two explanations that that makes sense to me is 1) Dubas has Kerfoot in a pending trade that he is waiting to pull because he has targeted someone specific in the UFA market. 2) Perhaps Dubas has him slotted for a wingers role on the 1st or 2nd line? I think Kerfoot sucks as a center but he did play much better towards the end of the season and was quite good in the playoffs.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

With Kerfoot gone, you have about 13mil in cap with (3) 4th liners , 1 goalie and 2 spots in the press box to fill out.

The two explanations that that makes sense to me is 1) Dubas has Kerfoot in a pending trade that he is waiting to pull because he has targeted someone specific in the UFA market. 2) Perhaps Dubas has him slotted for a wingers role on the 1st or 2nd line? I think Kerfoot sucks as a center but he did play much better towards the end of the season and was quite good in the playoffs.

I was just responding to some saying he did not raise our cap when he most certainly did. I don’t mind Kerfoot. Not my idea of a ideal player at 3,500,000

 

[Leafs87]

Landeskog please

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Why Dubas gave up a good prospect and pick to protect Kerfoot is becoming more incompetent by the day. There are so many available players coming up that could bring more of what we need at less cap hit. Couple here in this article: Tuesday’s FTB: Do the unqualified qualify for Toronto?
The guy is a tool. Will never get the chance to get Kerfoot off the books with no salary back again. We could be sitting with Kerfoots money in our cap space. Wow. Keeping him for a playoofs run was awesome and he played great. It was time to get get space by letting Seattle take him

 

[horner]

Svechnikov 6'3 200 lbs
Nick Ritchie
Pius Suter

 

[93gilmour93]

Bring back Foligno to start

 

[Mess]

With Kerfoot gone, you have about 13mil in cap with (3) 4th liners , 1 goalie and 2 spots in the press box to fill out..

Who do you see as Leafs 3rd line next year if you believe its only 4th liners we need, particularly if dealing Kerfoot away is part of the theory?

 

[Bluelines]

Who do you see as Leafs 3rd line next year if you believe its only 4th liners we need, particularly if dealing Kerfoot away is part of the theory?

Landeskog Miller Kessel

Who knows, any one I put would be wrong, no one knows , not even Dubas.

 

[Mess]

Landeskog Miller Kessel

Who knows, any one I put would be wrong, no one knows , not even Dubas.

Sorry but it appeared from your post you were implying we only need to add 4th liners so I was assuming that meant the 3rd liners are already on the team and that Cap space was being used on the missing ones.

With Kerfoot gone, you have about 13mil in cap with (3) 4th liners , 1 goalie and 2 spots in the press box to fill out.

 

[Stephen]

Why Dubas gave up a good prospect and pick to protect Kerfoot is becoming more incompetent by the day. There are so many available players coming up that could bring more of what we need at less cap hit. Couple here in this article: Tuesday’s FTB: Do the unqualified qualify for Toronto?
The guy is a tool. Will never get the chance to get Kerfoot off the books with no salary back again. We could be sitting with Kerfoots money in our cap space. Wow. Keeping him for a playoofs run was awesome and he played great. It was time to get get space by letting Seattle take him

Seems like he's banking on a Kerfoot breakout this coming season. Not sure if the playoff sample size is enough for a team to go $3.5 million on that gamble, but he was buzzing around and looked alright.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Seems like he's banking on a Kerfoot breakout this coming season. Not sure if the playoff sample size is enough for a team to go $3.5 million on that gamble, but he was buzzing around and looked alright.

He could. Big gamble but with Kerf you know it will be hard working every shift. He’s one of the hardest workers in the league. Strictly salary speaking, we could get more of what we need for less. We just are not hard enough to play against and the culture of the team seems to promote soft. Kerfoot isn’t soft either. However that 3 center being bigger and more pgysical in the paint area and heavier forchecks with bigger hits is a need. We never wear anyone down physically. This team lets off the gas with a lead. That’s a bad culture. A culture that also caused 5 first round ( playin) losses in a row. Nothing against Kerfoot whatsoever. I hope he does haveca career year. Better here than Seattle but it likely won’t make a difference the way Dubas builds weak soft teams.

 

[Nylanderthal]

I realize nothing actually until we see. He added salary and lost a pick and a player to save his losing roster. Doesn’t add up

What salary was added? Try sticking to facts if possible

 

[Mess]

I think the Leafs need a #1LW to replace Hyman, and a #2LW to play in the top 6 beside JT and Nylander, and they need a 3rd line C or LW to play with Kerfoot and Mikheyev depending if you see Kerfoot at C or on the wing.

They also need to replace Bogosian and then need a reliable 1B backup goalie capable of 40 games and more if Campbell falters or his injury history continues to be a factor.

That is a lot of key positions to fill with only $9.3 mil max to spend at the moment.

 

[Nylanderthal]

What don’t you guys get that if Kerfoot, Holl or Dermott were simply allowed to be picked that we would have more cap space,a 7 th round pick and a good prospect. Just what in a thought process makes it incapable of getting that.

Everyone gets that, what you don’t seem to get is that those 3 guys are good players and the value given up to the pens is less than what any of those 3 would fetch.
Have you bothered to check out ufa contracts & trade values this off-season?

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I think the Leafs need a #1LW to replace Hyman, and a #2LW to play in the top 6 beside JT and Nylander, and they need a 3rd line C or LW to play with Kerfoot and Mikheyev depending if you see Kerfoot at C or on the wing.

They also need to replace Bogosian and then need a reliable 1B backup goalie capable of 40 games and more if Campbell falters or his injury history continues to be a factor.

That is a lot of key positions to fill with only $9.3 mil max to spend at the moment.

Thats the nail hit right on the head. Protecting a $3,500,000 contract for a Kerfoot that we don’t even know where he fits yet is insanity. Thats a 3.5 million dollar cap hit protected for a unknown player.let the Kracken have him and we have nicer looking cap space number of $13,000,000 plus a 7th,plus a good center prospect. The McCann deal was pathetic.

 

[Stephen]

He could. Big gamble but with Kerf you know it will be hard working every shift. He’s one of the hardest workers in the league. Strictly salary speaking, we could get more of what we need for less. We just are not hard enough to play against and the culture of the team seems to promote soft. Kerfoot isn’t soft either. However that 3 center being bigger and more pgysical in the paint area and heavier forchecks with bigger hits is a need. We never wear anyone down physically. This team lets off the gas with a lead. That’s a bad culture. A culture that also caused 5 first round ( playin) losses in a row. Nothing against Kerfoot whatsoever. I hope he does haveca career year. Better here than Seattle but it likely won’t make a difference the way Dubas builds weak soft teams.

He's a buzzy little player who could get to the next level being a pest. Kailer Yamamoto is younger and smaller but he plays a hate fueled game and if Kerfoot could get on that wavelength, look out. As it stands, his downside is still a little too vanilla on average to be that excited about.

 

[Stephen]

I think the Leafs need a #1LW to replace Hyman, and a #2LW to play in the top 6 beside JT and Nylander, and they need a 3rd line C or LW to play with Kerfoot and Mikheyev depending if you see Kerfoot at C or on the wing.

They also need to replace Bogosian and then need a reliable 1B backup goalie capable of 40 games and more if Campbell falters or his injury history continues to be a factor.

That is a lot of key positions to fill with only $9.3 mil max to spend at the moment.

Conventional wisdom would actually dictate the Leafs should spend a big chunk of their cap space on the best possible goalie upgrade they can get. Campbell is a great story and you want him to keep developing, but it couldn't hurt to get a guy who could legitimately steal games - and steal Campbell's job. The Leafs could have a lot of holes next year and a goalie who can keep them in it long enough for the Big 4 to take over could be key.

That said, expect the bulk of the attention to be on the forward group as usual.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

He's a buzzy little player who could get to the next level being a pest. Kailer Yamamoto is younger and smaller but he plays a hate fueled game and if Kerfoot could get on that wavelength, look out. As it stands, his downside is still a little too vanilla on average to be that excited about.

I like kerfoot. Would have preferred the cap space and let the Kracken take him. Kerfoot seems to have the hate of more than a few refs too, call him fir nothing and let blatant infractions against him ride too. Dudas had to cover his arse because he would have nothing left for trading kadri. Kadri was protected by the Aves for those counting

 

[Tairy Greene]

Everyone gets that, what you don’t seem to get is that those 3 guys are good players and the value given up to the pens is less than what any of those 3 would fetch.
Have you bothered to check out ufa contracts & trade values this off-season?

Exactly. Holl in particular is a serviceable 4D who's replacement would likely cost 3-4 million and that's if we could even find one. Ask Edmonton

 

[Nylanderthal]

I like kerfoot. Would have preferred the cap space and let the Kracken take him. Kerfoot seems to have the hate of more than a few refs too, call him fir nothing and let blatant infractions against him ride too. Dudas had to cover his arse because he would have nothing left for trading kadri. Kadri was protected by the Aves for those counting

Rather the cap space for what? Giving Hyman 5.5 or Barclay goodrow 3.6 how about the projected 5m a year Coleman’s gonna get tomorrow? Kerfoot is not as easily replaced for 3.5 as it would seem.

 

[Mess]

Conventional wisdom would actually dictate the Leafs should spend a big chunk of their cap space on the best possible goalie upgrade they can get. Campbell is a great story and you want him to keep developing, but it couldn't hurt to get a guy who could legitimately steal games - and steal Campbell's job. The Leafs could have a lot of holes next year and a goalie who can keep them in it long enough for the Big 4 to take over could be key.

That said, expect the bulk of the attention to be on the forward group as usual.

I agree with you 1000%.

I think the focus will be on forwards and if its anything that is going to bring this team crashing down to reality its average goaltending.

The person they chose to play in tandem is the most critical offseason decision and for me I would want a proven veteran that I know can play 60 games if needed as legit #1 starter even if they split the games 50/50.. If they go cheap at the MOST critical position goaltending that impacts wins and losses then we could be in for a long year.