Roster Building/Team Building/Future Trade/Drafting thread. | Page 172 | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League

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

If this team once again fails to proceed very far in the playoffs, what would you want them to do?

  • Do nothing, run it back

    Votes: 20 10.4%
  • Make changes to the offense, top 6 forward, better bottom six, but keep the core

    Votes: 12 6.3%
  • Make changes to the offense, including moving core players

    Votes: 76 39.6%
  • Make changes to the defense

    Votes: 12 6.3%
  • Do a retool, including moving core players

    Votes: 90 46.9%
  • Ban the guy who keeps making jinx prediction posts.

    Votes: 23 12.0%

  • Total voters
    192
It's crazy to me Knies still isn't signed. They have to get that out of the way as soon as possible and go with full marks on retooling the forward ranks into a contender. Draft week is always a good time for trades one way or another. Around July 1st it's a lot harder to find takers because most teams use that time to load up on free agents and then it's 2 months of almost nothing.
Id hope a deal is already done.....just waiting on whether we need a bridge or term. Gives us some flex
 
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Not sold on Pacioretty due to his continuous health issues. He's a part-time player for years now.
If he'd do a part-time contract ...

Love to see a realistic signing for your 'x' above as I'm guessing you are.
I'm fine with a part time player like Pacioretty as long as he's penciled in to the bottom 6 and doesnt cost a lot. Obviously any more expectation and investment than that and it doesn't make sense.

Yup I am too. I look at some of the more shrewd pickups of that type over the last few years.. Holloway, Verhaeghe, Bennett, Hagel, McLeod.. I did a run through of the league and really the only two who came to mind are Mercer and Wright.

Mercer and New Jersey are probably at that point where a divorce leading to better opportunities elsewhere is optimal. However Mercer doesnt seem hard to play against like the names above I mention. Another name out of NJ I like is Glass, but he'd definitely be closer to the bargain bin end of the spectrum. And also not hard to play against.

I love the idea of Wright, and he seems like the most similar to Bennett in that theyre both highly drafted centers that haven't had the opportunity of some players in their draft class and have kind of fallen out of favour with their team. I just think Wright is still a year or two away from the point Bennett was when Calgary traded him.

Karlsson is another perfect fit kinda pipedream. I just dont see Vegas moving him at all, let alone to fit loser Mitch in. And if they did move someone I still think its Hertl.

If my dream of Marchand comes true, and he plays on a line with Nylander, you could probably afford to take the risk of a "lower" end C there, especially with a "higher" end C like Tavares as the #3. Maybe thats someone like Toews, or Laughton if Toews would get his own line. But I also dont see Toews having interest in Toronto.

Another guy I'd look at, with Calgary suddenly having more depth in their top 9 is Coleman. He was a Treliving signing, and can play anywhere in the top 9.
 


For the right price, I would consider Bertuzzi again. That Domi-Matthews-Bertuzzi line was quite good, and may be quite cost-effective too.


Bertuzzi did well here. I dont think you can use Chicago as a fair assessment as they were kind of a shit show. If Bertuzzi is bought out he may be willing to sign a reasonable contract as he is still getting paid from the first one.

Knies-Matthews-XXX
Bertuzzi-XXX-Domi
McMann-XXX-Cowan
Lorentz-Laughton-XXXX
 
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For the right price, I would consider Bertuzzi again. That Domi-Matthews-Bertuzzi line was quite good, and may be quite cost-effective too.

I dont see Bert getting bought out, but if so sign me up. I think you'd get a lot more value and milage out of a lineup that has Matthews playing with 2 cheaper guys like Bertuzzi and Domi, a Knies-Nylander 2nd line that has the center being the worst player on that line, a 3rd line that has Cowan learning from Tavares, and then a checking line featuring Tanev-Laughton.

Bertuzzi-Matthews-Domi
Knies-X-Nylander
Cowan-Tavares-Pacioretty
Tanev-Laughton-McMann
 


For the right price, I would consider Bertuzzi again. That Domi-Matthews-Bertuzzi line was quite good, and may be quite cost-effective too.


I'm not sure why they want to buy him out? He had his best season since 2021-2022. It feels like he produced in line with his pay and role. What's the source on this or is this more of a fan theory? Makes no sense to me. Buyouts are for players way over their pay or are completely unmovable or with a big steep regression, like Brodie.
 
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I'm not sure why they want to buy him out? He had his best season since 2021-2022. It feels like he produced in line with his pay and role. What's the source on this or is this more of a fan theory?
I'm confused on that as well. put up the same amount of points in similar TOI.
 
I’ll guarantee you he comes in under 5!

Well I feel much better already.

They combined for 98 with Matthews being injured all year.

29+33+27=89

Assuming Matthews’ health is the primary way this line is better next year.

That’s asking a lot considering Colton hasn’t scored 20 in the last 3 seasons and Brown hasn’t done it in 5. Both of those players saw increased production last year because they were playing with MacKinnon and McDavid. I doubt Marchand has the same effect on that line.

How many shifts did Colton play with MacKinnon and Brown with McDavid?

I count Pacioretty on the 2nd line but we know it was all over the place.

Ok, so the second line scored 88 instead of the 103 I counted.

This absolutely could happen but it’s not the most likely outcome given Laughton’s reduced offense in a non-offensive role that we’ve seen so far with the Leafs.

It’s likely to happen with Bérubé’s style of play and ice time distribution.

You basically said best case scenario is this forward group outscores the previous forward group by 10 goals, with a return to health for Matthews, and then proceeded to say it’s the best pre-deadline forward group of the Matthews era. Does that mean the previous best was the team we saw last year? It certainly didn’t look like it in real time.

Yes.

They have a similar offensive output without the gaping holes that used to be there.
 
I'm not sure why they want to buy him out? He had his best season since 2021-2022. It feels like he produced in line with his pay and role. What's the source on this or is this more of a fan theory? Makes no sense to me. Buyouts are for players way over their pay or are completely unmovable or with a big steep regression, like Brodie.

It got linked here ...


Asking if Brodie to Toronto is an option? Really?

I'm 6'6", and wear a 29 leg makes about as much sense.
 
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I'm not sure why they want to buy him out? He had his best season since 2021-2022. It feels like he produced in line with his pay and role. What's the source on this or is this more of a fan theory? Makes no sense to me. Buyouts are for players way over their pay or are completely unmovable or with a big steep regression, like Brodie.
It popped up in an article on MSN news and then I went to Twitter to find a tweet to post here. Not sure if it has much substance. Makes for interesting conversation though.

Here's an article:
 
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Well I feel much better already.



29+33+27=89

Assuming Matthews’ health is the primary way this line is better next year.



How many shifts did Colton play with MacKinnon and Brown with McDavid?



Ok, so the second line scored 88 instead of the 103 I counted.



It’s likely to happen with Bérubé’s style of play and ice time distribution.



Yes.

They have a similar offensive output without the gaping holes that used to be there.
If you get the same amount of offense but don’t improve defensively, how are they better?
 
It popped up in an article on MSN news and then I went to Twitter to find a tweet to post here. Not sure if it has much substance. Makes for interesting conversation though.

Here's an article:
Sounds more of a "they could do this" than a "they will do this". I guess he wasn't that good despite the production, similar to his Toronto season. I think they can trade him instead of buyout, but we'll see.

Brodie is definitely buyout material but he'd only save them 500k... might as well just waive him. He has no NTC or NMC.

That article links this:


Buyouts are manageable: Tyler Bertuzzi has been a significant disappointment this season, the first of a four-year contract that makes him the highest-paid player on the team (not counting, uh, Shea Weber). T.J. Brodie has been a healthy scratch for the last nine games, unable to find the form he had in Calgary and Toronto earlier in his career. He’s signed through next season. But, if Davidson chooses, he can buy out both of them with minimal impact on the Blackhawks’ big picture. Bertuzzi would carry a $3.7 million cap hit next season, $2.9 million the following year, $2.52 million in 2027-28, then $1.22 million over the next three years. With the cap skyrocketing, it’s a minor nuisance, at most. Brodie would carry a $3.2 million cap hit next season (no problem as the Blackhawks won’t be a cap team yet), and just $258,333 the following season. If Davidson wants to clear the decks, it won’t be difficult.
 
but it's rarely the most skilled team who won...
I think building a team to play against the Black Hawks/Lightning/Avalanche/Golden Knights/Panthers doesn't look like a winning proposition.

But yes, getting some more grit with skill would be great.

That looks like trading is the next step.

Skill is good but the 1st step is to get the puck because its pretty hard to score and use the skill without puck and it's starting with puck battle whatever against who you're playing... With a complete line of peripheric player, you will lost majority of those battle and pursue the puck all game long...
 
Sounds more of a "they could do this" than a "they will do this". I guess he wasn't that good despite the production, similar to his Toronto season. I think they can trade him instead of buyout, but we'll see.

Brodie is definitely buyout material but he'd only save them 500k... might as well just waive him. He has no NTC or NMC.

That article links this:


How much would a team pay Bertuzzi over 3 years?
Perhaps Hawks want to retain retention options, but would you pay $3.5mm a year for 3 years?
Hawks cost would be $6mm, rather than $7.333mm.


1749493667879.png
 
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For the right price, I would consider Bertuzzi again. That Domi-Matthews-Bertuzzi line was quite good, and may be quite cost-effective too.

why would anyone want Brodie back, Mo's doing a great job being the defensive black hole Brodie formerly was with the team...........
 
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but it's rarely the most skilled team who won...


Skill is good but the 1st step is to get the puck because its pretty hard to score and use the skill without puck and it's starting with puck battle whatever against who you're playing... With a complete line of peripheric player, you will lost majority of those battle and pursue the puck all game long...

S'okay, I'm looking for those magic 2nd. line centers with grit who are available.

Maybe you have a secret stash somewhere?
 
We do improve defensively…
You brought in Marchand, Pageau, Colton, Jeannot, Tanev, Brown, Kreider at the expense of Marner, Tavares, Kampf, McMann, Holmberg, Robertson, Lorentz.

Sorted by EV D impact last season:

Screen Shot 2025-06-09 at 2.41.23 PM.png


You get marginally worse. Primarily lead by a much worse 4th line defensively.
 
It's impatient putting a first round pick 2 years past his draft year on a sheltered 3rd line role with a C that scored at a PPG last year and probably another pretty good player?
You said your lines construction hinged on Cowan’s success.

If he’s not ready and requires more development in the AHL, the it would be de facto impatient to insist our forwards corps will only be successful if Cowan succeeds and push him out before he’s ready.

And being on the third line, and as the hopeful heir to Marner, there’s no semblance of sheltering Cowan in the scenario you’ve laid out.

Sheltering him would be responsible development for as long as it takes.
 
There are so many conflicting reports about Bennett. It's probably far too early and he probably doesn't know himself, he's still playing. Same for Marchand really.

Smoke will be a lot stronger in 2 weeks or so. When the draft comes and goes, I think it will dictate a lot of what we do on July 1st.
Can’t see a world in which Bennett or Marchand discard winning ways and sound judgement for Toronto, given their play and in particular, Marchand’s comments.

I can see Zito finessing Florida’s structure to offer Marchand a retirement contract.
 
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I really like Stellick. He just said that one of the leafs scouts brought up drafting Joe Sakic at 6th overall but he was shot down by the coach who didn’t want a small centre

Nothing else really ground breaking but I do like his insights

 
S'okay, I'm looking for those magic 2nd. line centers with grit who are available.

Maybe you have a secret stash somewhere?

You don't spend money because some player are available, you spend it because you're thinking those player will make you better... because honestly i think personally than Nylander would be better with Laughton than Duchene.

That doesn't mean Laughton is a better player

Max pacioretty was not a spectacular player but hes the guy with who Nylander had more succes, why? his physical game help that line to get the puck much more.
 

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