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

[hamzarocks]

If we do the trade the Avs fan proposed above we could run the following team

I also dealt Rielly for 2 2nds

Woll for a 3rd and a 4th

Jarnkrok for a 6th

Kampf for a 7

For a retool team where you are done 100% with the whole core besides 88 its a solid team probably as competitive as this years. It's a 2nd round team with ECF upside.

It doesn't make is better than the Panthers still

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Yes you are right I meant Cole Hutson and not Lane.

Lane Hutson after his rookie year will be worth too much for Habs to deal

Lane Hutson, if they can get him extended for a good contract, has some of the highest trade value in the entire league. If he were right-handed he'd be even further up.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

If we do the trade the Avs fan proposed above we could run the following team

I also dealt Rielly for 2 2nds

Woll for a 3rd and a 4th

Jarnkrok for a 6th

Kampf for a 7

That's a WAY deeper team than our current one, it's too bad other teams and players have to agree to stuff lol.

 

[Hockeyfan200]

Ignoring reality and team needs and NMCs for a moment or two, which of these below Auston Matthews trades would leafs fans do?

1. To Caps for Dylan Strome + Ryan Leonard/Cole Hutson + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

2. To Kraken for Shane Wright + Jani Nyman + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

3. To Kings for Byfield + Clarke + 2026 2nd

4. To the Wild for Jonas Brodin + JEK + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

5. To the Ducks for Mason Mactavish + Tristan Laneau + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

6. To Stars for Jason Robertson + Bischell + 2026 2nd

Are any of the above trades we could make and retool the roster out of?

Guerin would never trade Joel Eriksson Ek lke ever and he's not waiving.

 

[hamzarocks]

That's a WAY deeper team than our current one, it's too bad other teams and players have to agree to stuff lol.

Haha yeah, armchair GM'ing is fun but reality wise moves dont work out.

Bennett, Provorov, Granlund, Ehlers all as UFA signings would be historical. It isn't in realms of realism but does show we could have built a similaristic styled team in 2020, 2021, 2023 etc If we had dealt the core and choose to make a deeper and more playoffs styled team with players who can elevate their games.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Haha yeah, armchair GM'ing is fun but reality wise moves dont work out.

Bennett, Provorov, Granlund, Ehlers all as UFA signings would be historical. It isn't in realms of realism but does show we could have built a similaristic styled team in 2020, 2021, 2023 etc If we had dealt the core and choose to make a deeper and more playoffs styled team with players who can elevate their games.

Not throwing shade, I agree it's fun. I appreciate you man.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Guerin would never trade Joel Eriksson Ek lke ever and he's not waiving.

Dude let us have our fun, it's the only fun we get cheering for this assblister of a team.

 

[hamzarocks]

Guerin would never trade Joel Eriksson Ek lke ever and he's not waiving.

Id take Rossi as well as a substitute in this fantasy trade

 

[Folignos Helmet]

If it plays out as we expect.
Marner walks.
Jarnkrok, Kampf, Domi, Robertson you try to move for whatever.
JT had great numbers this year but I only bring him back for around 3 and he’s on the third line. If he walks I wouldn’t be bothered. He has no desperation to his game.
Matthews you at least explore trades but maybe in season next year.
McMann I would consider shopping. Doesn’t use his size enough and would be one of our few trade chips.
Rielly you try to shop.
Lorentz is ok but doesn’t use size enough but could come back.

I target all guys with jam. Bennett, Frederic, Jeannot, Brazeau, Marchand, Bastian. You need to go extreme with rest of forwards to offset our cowards.

We need two bottom six lines like Corson Tucker Green.

 

[Menzinger]

Id take Rossi as well as a substitute in this fantasy trade

Rossi has been a target of mine for a while. But the Leafs really don't have anything the Wild need. Knies is untouchable here, and Wild will want 'win now' assets.

 

[themilosh]

Bingo.

You don't see baseball players avoiding New York or LA. You don't see basketball players avoiding LA. If the Cowboys weren't owned by a senile python-blood-drinker and his nepo baby you'd see every free agent under the sun BEG to wear that jersey. Huge markets like Philadelphia are highly desirable destinations right now in the NFL. You don't see NCAA football players avoiding Alabama, OSU, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, etc.

Big-time players, REAL dogs, WANT those eyes on them. They WANT that pressure. They WANT that attention. Because they know that winning there will make them heroes, legends and social media superhumans.

This market isn't too harsh on players; Montreal is WAY harsher than Toronto for example. Leafs fans are FAR too forgiving, if anything. The big dogs want to win where winning is biggest. Period.

Tough to compare with other sports as hockey players by nature are stoic. Look what happens when any prospect has even a "hint" of me-first attitude, they drop real quick in the draft.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Would Toronto and Wild do Matthews for Kaprizov, I wonder.

 

[Puckstuff]

Would Toronto and Wild do Matthews for Kaprizov, I wonder.

Who plays 1C if they move Matthews?

A 35 year old Tavares and Holmberg/Kampf is some pretty weak center depth.

 

[Puckstuff]

I'd let Marner walk and I'd try and sign Boeser, Knies and Granlund.

Domi - Matthews - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Boeser
McMann - Granlund - Steeves/Robertson

 

[Kshahdoo]

Who plays 1C if they move Matthews?

A 35 year old Tavares and Holmberg/Kampf is some pretty weak center depth.

They can trade for Rossi too. Kaprizov - Rossi - Marner is worth trying.

 

[TMLAM34]

There’s no chance we’ll be signing Boeser, Ehlers, Granlund all in one free agency.

I think we’ll need to get a little creative on the trade front if we want major changes up front.

 

[TMLAM34]

Wishful thinking here…

To Toronto: Bowen Byram + Jack Quinn
To Buffalo: Joseph Woll + Easton Cowan

To Toronto: Alexis Lafreniere
To Rangers: Morgan Rielly + Nick Robertson


UFA Signings:
Ivan Provorov
Yanni Gourde
Taylor Raddysh
Justin Brazeau
Dan Vladar


Knies (7.5) - Matthews (13.25) - Nylander(11.5)
Lafreniere (7.45) - Tavares (5) - Quinn (4)
McMann (1.35) - Gourde (4.25) - Raddysh(2.5)
Lorentz (1.25) - Laughton (1.5) - Brazeau (1.25)

McCabe (4.51) - Byram (5)
Provorov (6.5) - Tanev (4.5)
Ekman Larsson (3.5) - Carlo (3.49)
Myers (0.85)

Stolarz (2.5) - Vladar (2.5)

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Tough to compare with other sports as hockey players by nature are stoic. Look what happens when any prospect has even a "hint" of me-first attitude, they drop real quick in the draft.

This is true, but it's not an excuse for lack of confidence.

 

[Michoulicious]

Wishful thinking here…

To Toronto: Bowen Byram + Jack Quinn
To Buffalo: Joseph Woll + Easton Cowan

To Toronto: Alexis Lafreniere
To Rangers: Morgan Rielly + Nick Robertson


UFA Signings:
Ivan Provorov
Yanni Gourde
Taylor Raddysh
Justin Brazeau
Dan Vladar


Knies (7.5) - Matthews (13.25) - Nylander(11.5)
Lafreniere (7.45) - Tavares (5) - Quinn (4)
McMann (1.35) - Gourde (4.25) - Raddysh(2.5)
Lorentz (1.25) - Laughton (1.5) - Brazeau (1.25)

McCabe (4.51) - Byram (5)
Provorov (6.5) - Tanev (4.5)
Ekman Larsson (3.5) - Carlo (3.49)
Myers (0.85)

Stolarz (2.5) - Vladar (2.5)

In what world would the Rangers and the Sabres accept that? loooool

 

[SprDaVE]

There’s no chance we’ll be signing Boeser, Ehlers, Granlund all in one free agency.

I think we’ll need to get a little creative on the trade front if we want major changes up front.

They'll target an upper level free agent in the likes of Ehlers, Granlund and Bennett, but yeah unlikely they go hard like that. It's going to take some creative bargaining not to kill the cap with term for average/meh players. Treliving has been good at it so far, but his Calgary days showed some bad times.

Leafs can get creative on the trade front. The one that can be solid is the Robertson trade. He has value. It's finding the right fit.

 

[Mitch nylander]

I think you find a taker for Mitch Marner's 8th year for like a 5th.

I'd ship out Jarnkrok for a mid round pick.
------------

Leaves us with 28M to fill out the rest:

1. Knies - 7.5x7 years
2. Tavares - 7mx 3 years
3. Holmberg - 1.5M x 2 years

----------

This leaves us with 12M for three good players + depth - I'd go down the route for Sam Bennett, Kyle Palmeri, Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Klapka.

Knies - Matthews - Bennett
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Beauvillier - Domi - Palmieri
Holmberg - Kampf - Laughton
Klapka

 

[SprDaVE]

I think you find a taker for Mitch Marner's 8th year for like a 5th.

I'd ship out Jarnkrok for a mid round pick.
------------

Leaves us with 28M to fill out the rest:

1. Knies - 7.5x7 years
2. Tavares - 7mx 3 years
3. Holmberg - 1.5M x 2 years

----------

This leaves us with 12M for three good players + depth - I'd go down the route for Sam Bennett, Kyle Palmeri, Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Klapka.

Knies - Matthews - Bennett
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Beauvillier - Domi - Palmieri
Holmberg - Kampf - Laughton
Klapka

Beauvilier was very good with the Caps in the post-season but I'd be scared of overpaying for him when he's been a very average to sub average player all across the board for awhile. If he comes in cheap enough, I think he'd be a good grinder to get though.

I'd have zero interest in 34 year old Palmieri.

 

[TMLAM34]

In what world would the Rangers and the Sabres accept that? loooool

Buffalo needs a 1A goalie, like many in the league. Goalies values around the league are probably at their highest right now. I don’t think something around Woll + Cowan for Byram is very far fetched. I guess it depends on how you view Quinn.

 

[Malachi Crunch]

Ignoring reality and team needs and NMCs for a moment or two, which of these below Auston Matthews trades would leafs fans do?

1. To Caps for Dylan Strome + Ryan Leonard/Cole Hutson + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

2. To Kraken for Shane Wright + Jani Nyman + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

3. To Kings for Byfield + Clarke + 2026 2nd

4. To the Wild for Jonas Brodin + JEK + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

5. To the Ducks for Mason Mactavish + Tristan Laneau + 2026 top 10 protected 1st

6. To Stars for Jason Robertson + Bischell + 2026 2nd

Are any of the above trades we could make and retool the roster out of?

I like some of these ideas but I think Trey would look for some high-end greaseballs (and maybe a few low-end greaseballs) from the New York Rangers if he was dealing Matthews.....play Florida at their own game. I'm sure Matthews would waive for New York. Rangers need to make some big moves too.

Some guys who may be available:

Zibanejad (C)
Lafreniere
Trocheck (C)
JT Miller (C)
Kreider

maybe even Rempe to finally punish Bennett once and for all in the playoffs.

 

[Tony Romo]

I'm confused, why do so many people want to trade Woll?