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

[Menzinger]

To get Reilly to waive you're sending him to a destination of his choice. Which likely isn't very many. Vancouver maybe.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I think first off we should extend Knies and Lorentz.

So basicallly:


Knies-Matthews-Nylander
???-???-???
???-???-???
Lorentz-Laughton-Domi

Defense and goaltending are pretty set, barring an unforeseen rework.


Essentially we're looking at creating two middle six lines, or a 2nd line and a 4th line if the Laughton/Domi line is #3.

Potentials: McMann, Holmberg, Kampf, Jarnkrok, Robertson.

I kind of get the feeling that the team will look to move on from Kampf Jarnkrok and Robertson. Maybe not.

McMann and Holmberg could be back. Not sure.

 

[TMLAM34]

I think Rielly would waive for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Detroit and the Rangers. Who knows though.

 

[Americanadian]

Trading Rielly for a similarly valued C would be ideal. Him and Couturier would make a ton of sense asset wise but Philly doesn’t need Rielly, they do need Cs and Rielly probably doesn’t waive for Philly.

I could also see a 3 way deal where NYR get Rielly, TOR get Marchessault and NSH get Kreider.

 

[Stephen]

To get Reilly to waive you're sending him to a destination of his choice. Which likely isn't very many. Vancouver maybe.

Can we threaten to buy him out?

 

[rumman]

Elias Pettersson with a little retention. Cap is going to go up, we have a huge hole at centre.

Do we take that bet? Resign Tavares at 4.5 and you run:

Matthews
Pettersson
Tavares
Laughton

That’s a great centre depth. If Pettersson can bounce back.

Pettersson is another high priced passenger just like 34, 16, 88, 91, and 44. We don’t need more of the problem we need less…..

 

[Menzinger]

Can we threaten to buy him out?

Sure. But if he calls the bluff, a buyout hurts the team more than it helps. There's a decade of cap penalty as a result

 

[Legion34]

I think first off we should extend Knies and Lorentz.

So basicallly:


Knies-Matthews-Nylander
???-???-???
???-???-???
Lorentz-Laughton-Domi

Defense and goaltending are pretty set, barring an unforeseen rework.


Essentially we're looking at creating two middle six lines, or a 2nd line and a 4th line if the Laughton/Domi line is #3.

Potentials: McMann, Holmberg, Kampf, Jarnkrok, Robertson.

I kind of get the feeling that the team will look to move on from Kampf Jarnkrok and Robertson. Maybe not.

McMann and Holmberg could be back. Not sure.

What did Lorentz do? Realistically?

 

[JEI]

I think up front I would imagine Matthews, Nylander, Knies, Laughton (based on acquisition cost, and I put him at wing next year and bring in a new 3rd C) are more or less locks to come back. Everyone else should be up for grabs at forward. I'd throw money at Ehlers, Granlund, Boesner, or Bennett. I'd take Tavares back but the money would have to be really favourable. Just to bridge in an effort to find a replacement (move him to wing once you do?).

I would sign Lorentz if he takes a similar deal. He's a fine 4th liner and heart of a Leaf. Build around him with some more size on his line who can chase pucks down and grind out.

Try to create a shut-down line with top defensive players that can eat some minutes. Maybe work around Laughton in that regard. They need a 3C there that is capable and open up options for others.

On D, they have to look to move out Rielly and upgrade that position (probably a contract for contract deal). Throw a bunch of money at Ekblad? I don't know, but they need to do something there. I'd keep OEL, but would use him as a trade chip too if needed.

Keep the goalies as is. The guys on the farm are getting to that age where they need to see some NHL action, and also contracts on Woll/Stolarz are due for extensions in the near future.

Leafs need to be creative with their cap space given Marner/Tavares walk. Be a broker to acquire assets if needed (and boy do they need it). Take advantage of internal cap teams looking to dump some contracts. Spend wisely in free-agency. Conserve space if needed. Promote from within (e.g., Rafai, Steeves, Quillan).

I don't see a scenario where, given what we know today, this team has a better regular season next year. I think the holes some of these players will leave won't be fixed in one summer, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

 

[Commander Clueless]

What did Lorentz do? Realistically?

Was one of the few I thought played hard regardless of situation.

Solid 4th liner. Will come cheap.

I like him as a depth player.


But to your point, keeping him or not isn't a huge factor either way.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

According to Isles fans they'd move Pageau for a future 2nd as long as there's no retention. Maybe I'm biased cause I like him more than most, but I'd take that in a second to get him as our 2nd/3rd line center. He's a right shot, gritty, two-way center. We could deploy him in tougher matchups than JT (assuming Tavares returns at half his current salary) and let JT focus on offense on a scoring line.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Can we threaten to buy him out?

What sucks is that given the length of his contract buying him out now would only save us about 4 million in cap space, and leave us stuck with the remaining 3.5 million cap hit until 2030 when it will drop to around 2 million.

We're better off retaining 2.5 million to make him a 5 million defenseman, which some team might find palatable. But then he'd have to approve the trade.

 

[seanlinden]

As much as it goes against the "change things up", I think you have to be a little objective here, and ask yourself -- If John Tavares is willing to stay for $5-$6m, and any similar levle of player is going to cost you $8m+; you have to bring him back.

That being said, one thing that was painfully obvious, is that the Leafs need 3 competent lines, and another centre who can be a matchup guy simialr to how Florida has Barkov/Lundell.

To me, the framework you're looking at is something like this:
Knies-Matthews-Domi
______-______-Nylander
McMann-Tavares-Cowan
Lorentz-Laughton-Jarnkrok

Obviously the bigger challenge will be the centre... and they'll be times when Tavares/Nylander play together, and they'll be times when they don't.

It's certainly time to move on from Nick Robertson... likely David Kampf as well... and maybe Calle Jarnkrok or Pontus Holmberg.

 

[Wrong Wilson]

Can we threaten to buy him out?

Mgmt could say "give us a list or we're buying you out". No guarantee he gives a list though.

 

[Rare Jewel]

According to Isles fans they'd move Pageau for a future 2nd as long as there's no retention. Maybe I'm biased cause I like him more than most, but I'd take that in a second to get him as our 2nd/3rd line center. He's a right shot, gritty, two-way center. We could deploy him in tougher matchups than JT (assuming Tavares returns at half his current salary) and let JT focus on offense on a scoring line.

If Shanahan goes there, I think we're going to be on the no trade list like Calgary is here.

It's a very good suggestion, I've liked him for a long time.

 

[aingefan]

I don’t know why there’s so much interest in casting aside Bobby McMann.
.42pp, goal heavy - needed, fast - needed, strong on the forecheck/physical - needed. Low salary - needed.
First go round in the playoffs.

 

[Buds17]

I don’t know why there’s so much interest in casting aside Bobby McMann.
.42pp, goal heavy - needed, fast - needed, strong on the forecheck/physical - needed. Low salary - needed.
First go round in the playoffs.

It may have to do with wanting to receive a trade return for a player approaching his walk year. For as lacking as that bottom six was in the playoffs, McMann wouldn't be the first that I'd look at when contemplating changes to be made.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I think even if Tavares returns, you probably want him in a reduced role? In that case you would try pretty hard to move on from Kampf and bring in a C that can score at a 2nd line pace.

Can we completely rebuild the second line with $16M-$18M?

A normal year might say yes, but a rising cap year with not many players available might leave us without a chair when the music stops.

Could feasibly be the first year in a long time that we aren't crushed up against the cap. Not sure if that's positive or negative

 

[Mitch nylander]

Elias Pettersson with a little retention. Cap is going to go up, we have a huge hole at centre.

Do we take that bet? Resign Tavares at 4.5 and you run:

Matthews
Pettersson
Tavares
Laughton

That’s a great centre depth. If Pettersson can bounce back.

No thanks, we saw the structure of the team with multiple 11M forwards, I don't think we need another, especially one who's had a rough go

 

[Amadeus]

Elias Pettersson with a little retention. Cap is going to go up, we have a huge hole at centre.

Do we take that bet? Resign Tavares at 4.5 and you run:

Matthews
Pettersson
Tavares
Laughton

That’s a great centre depth. If Pettersson can bounce back.

That guy is the last player I want on this team!

 

[Mitch nylander]

Trading Rielly for a similarly valued C would be ideal. Him and Couturier would make a ton of sense asset wise but Philly doesn’t need Rielly, they do need Cs and Rielly probably doesn’t waive for Philly.

I could also see a 3 way deal where NYR get Rielly, TOR get Marchessault and NSH get Kreider.

I like Sharangovich from Calgary as a swap deal for a team I could see Rielly going to, and a contract Calgary may not feel hot about. Calgary could also use LD.

From the Rangers - I see either Zibanejad or Trocheck obviously +/- from our side

 

[seanlinden]

I think even if Tavares returns, you probably want him in a reduced role? In that case you would try pretty hard to move on from Kampf and bring in a C that can score at a 2nd line pace.

Can we completely rebuild the second line with $16M-$18M?

A normal year might say yes, but a rising cap year with not many players available might leave us without a chair when the music stops.

Could feasibly be the first year in a long time that we aren't crushed up against the cap. Not sure if that's positive or negative

I think you've gotta try to take a similar approach to Florida... who's their 2nd line centre? Lundell? Bennett? Kind of neither and both at the same time. Lundell seems to be a little more geared towards a matchup against a top player, Bennett more of just a prick.

With Matthews, they've got a centre who, like Barkov, can matchup against pretty much anyone. Tavares, at this point really more of an offensive guy that you want to insulate a bit with his lack of speed... but produces at a much higher rate than either Bennett/Lundell.

I think they've gotta find a Lundell-type. Somebody who can be put in a shutdown role with the right wingers, but could also have Nylander put on his line to spread the offence out over 3.

Ultimatlely, I think there's a world where you're happy with something that looks like this:

Knies-Matthews-Domi
"Somebody Gritty with Skill" - "Somebody like Lundell" - Nylander
McMann-Tavares-Cowan
Lorentz-Laughton-Jarnkrok or Holmberg

In theory, you should be able to get those positions with $12m, but this is going to be an interesting year from a UFA standpoint.

 

[Dreakmur]

No thanks, we saw the structure of the team with multiple 11M forwards, I don't think we need another, especially one who's had a rough go

It’s not ideal, but you’re not getting an ideal return for Rielly.

 

[horner]

Marner gone

Traded
MO
Jamcrok
Kampf
Robertson he didn't fit in Berube's system

Stolarz or Woll in the summer or the deadline for a 1st

We need a top dman and a top 6 center

UFA's
Ekblad would be a good get
Corey Perry we need a rat or 2

One of these 2 players for culture
Bennett
Marchant

Trade for a young Center

This retool will take 2 yrs

 

[Puckstuff]

Sign Matt Duchene.
Sign Brock Boeser.

• Domi – Matthews – Boeser = Trigger Line
• Knies – Duchene – Nylander = Speed Line
• Laughton – Tavares – McMann = Cycle Line

Feel like this top 9 has a bit more balance. We're replacing Marner’s 25 goals with around 60 goals coming in.

Bonus: If they move Morgan and bring in someone like Ekblad or Provorov, that would be good. I don’t think either of those guys are necessarily superior, but moving on from Rielly on the back end would be good for both parties.