Roster Building/Team Building/Future Trade/Drafting thread.

[Skullz]

There's a lot of solid veteran defencemen available to pursue in the off-season if we decide to move on from Rielly. We do need to get more dynamic on the back end. I'd like to add some puck-movers, but we are fairly locked in.

 

[SprDaVE]

I don't think there's really any easy fix to suddenly turn it around in free agency. It would take a big blockbuster trade to really change things and that moment is long gone. Nylander and Rielly are locked up for ever with NTCs and Marner and JT are either walking or re-signing, and no one in free agency are as good as they are.

They should just commit to this core as much as they can regardless of how they do in this post-season, and see what you can do for a few more years. It's not exciting, people will cry about it but it's the likely scenario.

I'd look at selling high on Stolarz, as high as possible anyway, and cutting the passengers like Kampf, Jarnkrok and probably also Domi for as little cap back as possible and finding alternatives via trade/free agency.

 

[OVO16]

Reilly has to go this off-season. He's only getting worse each year. If the rangers can trade Trouba and Lindgren, we can trade Reilly

 

[arso40]

I don't think there's really any easy fix to suddenly turn it around in free agency. It would take a big blockbuster trade to really change things and that moment is long gone. Nylander and Rielly are locked up for ever with NTCs and Marner and JT are either walking or re-signing, and no one in free agency are as good as they are.

They should just commit to this core as much as they can regardless of how they do in this post-season, and see what you can do for a few more years. It's not exciting, people will cry about it but it's the likely scenario.

I'd look at selling high on Stolarz, as high as possible anyway, and cutting the passengers like Kampf, Jarnkrok and probably also Domi for as little cap back as possible and finding alternatives via trade/free agency.

I agree with selling high on stolarz that’s a good way to recoup some of these assets we traded for nothing maybe we can send a pic bacc for Minten I agree with the two of the other three domi replaces marner on the top line

 

[LeafEgo]

Reilly has to go this off-season. He's only getting worse each year. If the rangers can trade Trouba and Lindgren, we can trade Reilly

If we lose Rielly, we need a top-4, speedy, transition, puck moving defensemen to replace him.

If we can make that happen, ship him out. Otherwise it's back to working on Rielly.

 

[Martin Skoula]

If we lose Rielly, we need a top-4, speedy, transition, puck moving defensemen to replace him.

If we can make that happen, ship him out. Otherwise it's back to working on Rielly.

Is that what Rielly is?

 

[LeafEgo]

Is that what Rielly is?

Yes, no, was, could be, maybe close enough. That's his profile.

That's what we need, so we either get that, or we work on Rielly.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Yes, no, was, could be, maybe close enough. That's his profile.

That's what we need, so we either get that, or we work on Rielly.

I mean less than he makes for more than he currently does is definitionally an upgrade no? Send him out and replace him with a 35-40 point D that isn’t a defensive liability and makes 4-6 mil is a win compared to current + next 5 years Rielly no?

Just a clone of OEL would be a better spend of the money right? Obviously we have a need for a puck moving D that’s a threat for 15+ goals but if Rielly isn’t doing that we don’t need exactly that for a replacement to be an upgrade.

 

[LeafEgo]

I mean less than he makes for more than he currently does is definitionally an upgrade no? Send him out and replace him with a 35-40 point D that isn’t a defensive liability and makes 4-6 mil is a win compared to current + next 5 years Rielly no?

Just a clone of OEL would be a better spend of the money right? Obviously we have a need for a puck moving D that’s a threat for 15+ goals but if Rielly isn’t doing that we don’t need exactly that for a replacement to be an upgrade.

Birds eye view I think we're on the same page - maybe differ a bit in Riellys value or adequate replacement.

If you're bringing someone in that can reliably anchor the offensive responsibility, moving the puck north, on our currently constructed D corps, than push the button.

But if Rielly knocks it out of the park this playoffs, we're staying put and looking at the areas that didn't work, unless you're bringing some sort of a Chychrun Hedman type of thing to the table.

 

[arso40]

If we lose Rielly, we need a top-4, speedy, transition, puck moving defensemen to replace him.

If we can make that happen, ship him out. Otherwise it's back to working on Rielly.

Rather oel at this point Hes a better player than rielly then again he always was

 

[Puckstuff]

Swap Tavares and Marner in free agency for Ehlers, Pionk, Granlund and Dvorak. Drop Kampf and Jarnkrok.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Ehlhers-Granlund-Nylander
McMann-Dvorak-Cowan/Robertson
Lorentz-Laughton-Holmberg


Rielly-Carlo
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Pionk

Woll
Stolarz

 

[Jozay]

Domi, Jarnkrok, and Kampf make a combined
8.25 a year. Definitely can be using that money better.

 

[SprDaVE]

Swap Tavares and Marner in free agency for Ehlers, Pionk, Granlund and Dvorak. Drop Kampf and Jarnkrok.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Ehlhers-Granlund-Nylander
McMann-Dvorak-Cowan/Robertson
Lorentz-Laughton-Holmberg


Rielly-Carlo
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Pionk

Woll
Stolarz

That's a lot of meh and doesn't really address anything upfront. It's worse, they are all soft and small, and even more wildly inconsistent. Big time downgrade.

I don't mind Pionk but he's going to get paid pretty well if he makes it to UFA, think 5M+ at the very least. Do we really need another 5M+ defenseman to play bottom pairing minutes when healthy?

 

[Evilhomer]

I expect almost the exact same roster to be back next season, ther than tinkering around the edges by removing guys like Reaves, Jarnkrok, Kampf, etc. The Leafs will bring in a younger, mobile defenseman, but the core of the team will not change.

 

[SprDaVE]

There's a lot of solid veteran defencemen available to pursue in the off-season if we decide to move on from Rielly. We do need to get more dynamic on the back end. I'd like to add some puck-movers, but we are fairly locked in.

Chychrun is someone the Leafs should have pursued a lot harder before and if he makes to UFA they should be all over him. He's going to be hard to sign though and likely will get at least 8-9M, if not over 10M. I'd be shocked if he doesn't re-sign with the Caps anyway.

Ekblad is obviously an interesting gamble and a RHD. After that, it's not a great crop of dynamic defensemen on the UFA market.

 

[SprDaVE]

I expect almost the exact same roster to be back next season, ther than tinkering around the edges by removing guys like Reaves, Jarnkrok, Kampf, etc. The Leafs will bring in a younger, mobile defenseman, but the core of the team will not change.

I'd be shocked if Treliving trades Rielly. He's not going anywhere either for my money. The top 5 is locked up for awhile. Not sure they can get younger or more mobile with the assets they have.

Maybe you look at swapping OEL for a younger/faster/dynamic defenseman.

 

[weems]

We could really use a Dman that's more of a threat to score goals.
Rielly is a very good puck mover, with most of it done by skating the puck but he's not very dangerous in a 1v1 scenario vs the goalie.
It would help out our 5v5 offence but also the PP, to have a legit shooter back there.

 

[Evilhomer]

We could really use a Dman that's more of a threat to score goals.
Rielly is a very good puck mover, with most of it done by skating the puck but he's not very dangerous in a 1v1 scenario vs the goalie.
It would help out our 5v5 offence but also the PP, to have a legit shooter back there.

I think this will be the major change in the off-season. No idea who it will be, but I imagine it will be someone who can play in the top 4.

 

[Puckstuff]

That's a lot of meh and doesn't really address anything upfront. It's worse, they are all soft and small, and even more wildly inconsistent. Big time downgrade.

I don't mind Pionk but he's going to get paid pretty well if he makes it to UFA, think 5M+ at the very least. Do we really need another 5M+ defenseman to play bottom pairing minutes when healthy?

Ehlers is the second-best winger in free agency after Marner. So while he's a downgrade from Marner, the extra cap space allows us to sign Pionk, which is a massive upgrade for the defense, and it changes the dynamic of the team. I'd probably take Ehlers + Pionk over Marner alone at this point for the same price. Getting an extra 10 goals from the back end is nice as well.

Then it's just Tavares for Granlund, and I think Granlund is a better fit to play with Nylander as a playmaking center.

Those moves are about chemistry, fit, and lengthening the lineup. They aren't better players, but they seem to fit more naturally into our roster.

The Leafs have virtually no prospect capital outside of Cowan or draft picks to make trades, so if they shake things up, they're going to need to do it primarily through free agency.

 

[Ciao]

Start with firing Shanahan and go from there.

 

[Gretzkys99Problems]

I really don't think Ehlers is the answer. My in-laws/spouse are Jets fans and I have seen enough of him to not want him as a marner replacement. Not saying he isn't a good player. He is almost PPG with only between 15-16 minutes a game playing 2nd line. Locking him in to anything with term when there's potentially much better options in the FA crop the year after next and beyond. He just doesn't drive a line or move the needle enough. If the problem has been scoring in the dirty areas in the playoffs, this guy isn't solving that.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Reilly has to go this off-season. He's only getting worse each year. If the rangers can trade Trouba and Lindgren, we can trade Reilly

That chance Necas created last night basically came down to basic defense 101 and instead of stepping up on Necas, he let Necas come in and nearly come across. The only reason there was not a goal was because Necas literally skated into Rielly.

NYR got a 2nd+ for Lindgren, although he has looked like a good defenseman in Colorado in a reduced role. I don't think it will be hard to move Rielly outside of the NMC but he does need to go this off-season.

Chychrun or Provorov would be guys to consider in place of Rielly.

Calgary for Blake Coleman?
Los Angeles for ??
Seattle for Oleksiak? (They have Dunn, Evans and Oleksiak at LD, Larsson, Montour at RD)
Vancouver has no need for LD with Hughes and Pettersson at LD
Anaheim has young and veteran D
San Jose...not sure he'd waive for a bottom feeder

His family is in BC so geography is key.

 

[LeafEgo]

I really don't think Ehlers is the answer. My in-laws/spouse are Jets fans and I have seen enough of him to not want him as a marner replacement. Not saying he isn't a good player. He is almost PPG with only between 15-16 minutes a game playing 2nd line. Locking him in to anything with term when there's potentially much better options in the FA crop the year after next and beyond. He just doesn't drive a line or move the needle enough. If the problem has been scoring in the dirty areas in the playoffs, this guy isn't solving that.

Ehlers might not be the perfect acquisition, but options are limited. I think the idea here is to replace Marner at half the price, with a player that provides more than half the value - along with shaking up the identity, balancing the roster, etc. The stats you provided are pretty impressive

 

[Fogelhund]

I really don't think Ehlers is the answer. My in-laws/spouse are Jets fans and I have seen enough of him to not want him as a marner replacement. Not saying he isn't a good player. He is almost PPG with only between 15-16 minutes a game playing 2nd line. Locking him in to anything with term when there's potentially much better options in the FA crop the year after next and beyond. He just doesn't drive a line or move the needle enough. If the problem has been scoring in the dirty areas in the playoffs, this guy isn't solving that.

I respect what you are saying... our options in FA for Wingers include Ehlers, Boeser, Rielly Smith, Mantha, Armia, Hall, Magniapani, Kuzmenko, Skinner, Jeannot...

If we are going to make a change in the roster... that's pretty much your FA options. Your choices become, run it back, or bring these guys on. We might be able to pick up an Ehlers AND Boeser, for close to what Marner asks. Are either ideal... nah, but it's better depth.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Ehlers might not be the perfect acquisition, but options are limited. I think the idea here is to replace Marner at half the price, with a player that provides more than half the value - along with shaking up the identity, balancing the roster, etc. The stats you provided are pretty impressive

Ehlers is very fast, we're not a fast team...I think if the price is like 7x7 for example, I have interest. I would frontload the F out of it with signing bonuses to catch his interest.

His playoff production is not strong though so I would struggle to move beyond the 7M price.