Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Review

[conFABulator]

Let’s start with the grade: Dubas and the Leafs get a B+

DEADLINE OBJECTIVES:

Improve the defence. Their defence has improved over the years, but with Muzzin taking a step back (perhaps lingering injury related) this had become a top priority area for improvement.

Add forward depth. They score lots of goals but you cannot have enough depth and could use a bit more diversity of forward-type. They also felt they needed something to kick-start a second line that has slowed down a bit.

Goaltending. Mrazek does not appear to be the answer and they don’t know which Campbell will show up for the playoffs.

Maintain their organizational prospect depth. The Leafs don’t have a lot of prospect depth at the top levels so giving away what they do have would hurt. Specifically, they were reluctant to part with a 2022 or 2023 1st Round draft pick, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, Nic Roberton, Rodin Amirov, Matthew Knies, Topi Niemola, or Joseph Woll.

Maintain whatever salary cap flexibility they have this year and in the future. Contending teams are always up against the cap. With a raise to Rielly coming next year and the need to re-sign their own free agents, they needed to keep salaries in mind with any moves they might make.

HOW THEY DID

Defence? In: Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano. Out: Travis Dermott. Dermott could not crack the top 6 regularly so moving him out for a modest return, cap space and a roster spot was a tidy piece of business. In Lyubushkin they get a big, stay-at-home reliable top-six RHD. He should be serviceable in the playoffs and has already proved to be more useful than Dermott. In Giordano, they get a leader, a solid top-4 option that has a track record of playing very well with TJ Brodie. He’s a hometown guy that should bring the same type of maturity and mentorship Spezza does for the forward group. Gio is 38, won a Norris Trophy three years ago and is still playing 20+ minutes a night this year. He can PK and PP and solidify our top 4. This should also allow Muzzin to drop to a bottom pairing when he returns from injury. The Leafs D got much better with these additions and subtraction.

Forwards? In: Colin Blackwell. Out Nick Ritchie. Ritchie was a bust and they got him and his salary (this year and next) off the books. In Colin Blackwell, they get a very useful forward at league minimum salary. Blackwell can score a bit, fore-check, defend, and PK. He can play up and down the line-up and has a motor that never stops. He could slot in on the second line as the Bunting-type player for Tavares and Nylander but I don’t think anyone is talking about this potential to avoid the pressure this would place on him. Don’t sleep on Blackwell, he is a key-add at a very reasonable cost. Their already strong forward unit got stronger.

Goalie? They sent Mrazek down and maybe some playing time in the AHL can help him find his game, but that’s a big question mark. The Leafs need one of Campbell, Mrazek or Kallgren to give them solid goaltending if they have a chance in the playoffs. That is three lottery tickets and no guarantees. This is an area of concern that this did not improve upon. In fairness, only one goalie that changed teams might have represented an upgrade and this was Marc-Andre Fleury. He had a big salary, a large acquisition cost, and the ability to veto a move to Toronto which he apparently would have done even if we had brokered a deal. The Leafs backed themselves into a corner this summer when they decided Campbell and Mrazek were the answer and could not get their way out of that corner.

Prospect Depth? The Leafs moved out two second-round picks and a third-round pick but didn’t touch any of their top assets. This was nice work to add to the roster without depleting organizational depth.

Salary Cap? They got Ritchie off the books and did not take on any new cap commitments beyond this year. This is a win also.

ANALYSIS

Based on the above, they did quite well -- hence the B+ (goaltending preventing them from an A). Was this enough? That’s the big question. Can this team get out of the first round and go on a run? They have the forwards to carry a decent d-corps, but is this enough to carry the goaltending? No. The Leafs need a goalie to get hot, very hot to get past Florida, Tampa, Boston or Carolina in the first round.

The Leafs find themselves in literally the best division in the history of the NHL. They are on pace for the best regular-season ever this year and that may not be enough. If they don’t have a strong playoff showing it might be time to consider larger offseason moves, including moving a top 4 forward for a goalie (something around Nylander for Gibson?) and perhaps even front office moves…but if we are just judging how well they did this deadline period, they did very well though possibly/probably not enough.

OUTLOOK

Let’s Go Soup! Leaf Nation needs you to regain your first-half form for this team to re-write their first-round legacy.

Click to read more...

 

[Tak7]

Glass half empty: they didn't do enough to address their needs.

Glass half full: I didn't see a single trade the past week that I thought the Leafs missed out on.

 

[conFABulator]

Glass half empty: they didn't do enough to address their needs.

Glass half full: I didn't see a single trade the past week that I thought the Leafs missed out on.

Not at prices players went for. I wanted Copp for the second line.

Muzzin not going on LTIR limited our cap space for a bigger move, but if he can come back healthy and in a reduced role that could be a big add.

Rielly / Holl or Lyubushkin
Giordano / Brodie
Muzzin / Holl or Lyubushkin
Sandin / Liljegren

Sandin could be in that top six, but unsure of health

 

[Nylanderthal]

Glass half empty: they didn't do enough to address their needs.

Glass half full: I didn't see a single trade the past week that I thought the Leafs missed out on.

Glass half full is the reality when looking at what went down this last week and a half or so. Absolute insanity out there. Dubas navigated some really high waters value wise out there and ended up doing good work by adding good pieces to the line up and not giving up anything significant for a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really move the needle enough. Their fate is always going to fall at the feet of the $40m men.
I really wanted a goalie, but there didn’t seem to be anything out there you can confidently say is anything more than a sideways move with similar questions.

 

[zeke]

Very good team got better.

 

[kevsh]

I wasn't a fan of getting rentals but if Giordano extends (for a year at a very low cap hit) that's the same thing as dealing for term I guess. But it is puzzling that Dubas would even make that deal with such a huge question mark in net?

I get there weren't a lot of options available in the goalie market this deadline, so failing to address that potentially very urgent need, I would have rather Kyle accept that strengthening the blue line may just mean mortgaging more of the future on a prayer instead of sound hockey decisions.

Tough spot for him for sure - damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - but it just seems now like he's rinsing and repeating the same formula every year, deadline and off-season, and hoping eventually something sticks. If the forwards/D are both solid overall in another early playoff exit but it's the goaltending that kills them, that is yet another really tough pill to swallow for this organization and base. More draft picks gone (don't go add them all up, it's depressing) and absolutely zero to show for it in 6 years.

tldr; I don't understand the logic of giving up more futures at the deadline for forwards/defense when there's so much concern in net, unless the logic is that this organization is okay mortgaging more of this team's future to save the GM's job for another year.

 

[Strangle]

I wasn't a fan of getting rentals but if Giordano extends (for a year at a very low cap hit) that's the same thing as dealing for term I guess. But it is puzzling that Dubas would even make that deal with such a huge question mark in net?

I get there weren't a lot of options available in the goalie market this deadline, so failing to address that potentially very urgent need, I would have rather Kyle accept that strengthening the blue line may just mean mortgaging more of the future on a prayer instead of sound hockey decisions.

Tough spot for him for sure - damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - but it just seems now like he's rinsing and repeating the same formula every year, deadline and off-season, and hoping eventually something sticks. If the forwards/D are both solid overall in another early playoff exit but it's the goaltending that kills them, that is yet another really tough pill to swallow for this organization and base. More draft picks gone (don't go add them all up, it's depressing) and absolutely zero to show for it in 6 years.

tldr; I don't understand the logic of giving up more futures at the deadline for forwards/defense when there's so much concern in net, unless the logic is that this organization is okay mortgaging more of this team's future to save the GM's job for another year.

Campbell is the goalie. And it sounds like Dubas was close to bringing in MAF, but the ask was too high.

 

[Nylander88]

As I've stated before, I wish we'd added more grit up front for the playoffs, but I'm happy we at least got a high motor, pest type player in Blackwell. Tbh, I'm very excited to see this healthy D core together, as I can't remember a time we were this solid on Defence.
Rielly-Lyubushkin
Giordano-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl/Sandin

Is a great blueline imo that can actually make things difficult on opposing forwards

 

[Tak7]

Glass half full is the reality when looking at what went down this last week and a half or so. Absolute insanity out there. Dubas navigated some really high waters value wise out there and ended up doing good work by adding good pieces to the line up and not giving up anything significant for a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really move the needle enough. Their fate is always going to fall at the feet of the $40m men.
I really wanted a goalie, but there didn’t seem to be anything out there you can confidently say is anything more than a sideways move with similar questions.

There's an argument to be made that even a sideways move in net, is better than sticking with the Mrazek option which clearly the team have soured on.
But that does feel like knitpicking during a period where very few sideways options actually moved.

 

[Menzinger]

The team clearly improved and didn't give up a prime asset. I'd call that a win for a tean expected to be a buyer during the tdl.

The goaltending remains a legitimate concern/question but I didn't see too many clear upgrades as viable options. It's not as if there were a ton of goalies moved during the tdl period anyways.

Most fans should be happy with a strengthened D core and another body for the top 9.

 

[Buds17]

Dubas did well in adding to the team without subtracting all that much from it (Dermott was the closest of the departures to being a lineup fixture). He also fared well to bring in the players he did when taking the trade bait involved into consideration. Potential drawbacks here could be that all of the new Leafs are slated for free agency at season's end, and also that Lyubushkin and Blackwell currently lack NHL playoff experience. I couldn't disagree that better depth behind Campbell in net would have been ideal. However, there apparently wasn't very much of that to be had when looking at the other deadline deals which occurred throughout the league.

 

[mcleex]

Glass half empty: they didn't do enough to address their needs.

Glass half full: I didn't see a single trade the past week that I thought the Leafs missed out on.

Motte for a 4th round pick

 

[budzz]

I honestly think Jack will rebound and be solid. We don't even need the Vezina numbers of early in the season. There is no reason to think he has forgotten how to goalie completely... looks like it may have been a lingering thing. I have confidence. Not sure about Mraz but he's a veteran, I wouldn't count a big game out with him if needed. Kall is pretty poised and shown well. I am not as worried as many here.

Likely because, the best gift you can give your goalies is a good defense with 3 good pairs and a solid presence on the ice at all times. Depending on the pairings they have that, and possibly a solid bone cruncher on each pairing too.

 

[Tak7]

Motte for a 4th round pick

Yeah - that's the one that I debated about.
It would have probably needed another pick for salary retention (or the 3rd in the Dermott deal), given how tight the Leafs are, and when fully healthy Blackwell or Kase / Kerfoot slot into that spot.
But I'll concede: that's maybe the only one. He would have fit nicely on that 4th line.

 

[kb]

IMO Motte is not the difference between winning and losing a cup.

So not burning an asset for the sake of burning an asset is a plus.

 

[fahad203]

I think we did good. Considering the market value for everyone and frankly speaking only a handful of players were available

But man, it's going to be tough. If you thought other years were tough, competition just got so tougher.

Even without the additions that Tampa and Florida made, they have something we don't. Goaltending

Sure you can argue, well Broboski has been known to be inconsistent, but he has yet to forgot out to play. Something Campbell and Mrazek has

Brovobski when he's hot though, he can win a series on his own

We all know about Vasi

We are a good team, just wont' be good enough

 

[ACC1224]

Motte for a 4th round pick

Yeah that seemed like a miss.

 

[hobarth]

IMO Motte is not the difference between winning and losing a cup.

So not burning an asset for the sake of burning an asset is a plus.

TO burned an asset in Dermott for a 3rd, TO probably could've traded Dermott for Motte. Simmonds hasn't produced or performed this year or last year so he could've been demoted to the Marlies where he deserves to be to create cap space.

Dubie has been talking about how Simmonds needs to step up, the 4th line with Spezza and Simmonds isn't competitive, time to break them up and that's against other team's 4th lines.