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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: 22 10.6%
  • Make changes to the offense, top 6 forward, better bottom six, but keep the core

    Votes: 13 6.3%
  • Make changes to the offense, including moving core players

    Votes: 82 39.6%
  • Make changes to the defense

    Votes: 13 6.3%
  • Do a retool, including moving core players

    Votes: 96 46.4%
  • Ban the guy who keeps making jinx prediction posts.

    Votes: 24 11.6%

  • Total voters
    207
I'd go Donato-Matthews-Domi. Get the most out of them. Not sure id be comfortable with him as a C

He was "pretty good" on a bad Chicago team but he did get wing time with Bedard to try to help him too.

The reason I like Marchand-Matthews is that Marchand is still pretty good defensively and would make me feel okay about them in a tough match up if it came down to it but Coyle and Faksa lines would be preferable to do some heavy lifting for Matthews.

I don't love Domi on the line but figured he is VERY good at passing so it does replace some of the Marner element.

Following year?

Knies-McDavid-88
Donato-Matthews-Marchand ?
 
Donato is an interesting case.

Was this just a one year outlier or has he turned the corner and is legitimately a quality player?


Most of the goals scored with him on the ice, featured Bedard.

He also had an 17% shooting season, on a career averaging around 11%.

I think you look at him as a guy who is likely a 30-40 point player, unless you put him with elite talent, like Bedard. So, you pay him for that.
 
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Most of the goals scored with him on the ice, featured Bedard.

He also had an 17% shooting season, on a career averaging around 11%.

I think you look at him as a guy who is likely a 30-40 point player, unless you put him with elite talent, like Bedard. So, you pay him for that.

If we gave him 88 and Knies, he should be able to give you 50-55 pts at 5v5.
 
He was "pretty good" on a bad Chicago team but he did get wing time with Bedard to try to help him too.

The reason I like Marchand-Matthews is that Marchand is still pretty good defensively and would make me feel okay about them in a tough match up if it came down to it but Coyle and Faksa lines would be preferable to do some heavy lifting for Matthews.
I think Marchand is a bit of a pipe dream. Not sure that Florida has the money for him but I could see him picking Carolina or Vegas ahead of Toronto too.
I don't love Domi on the line but figured he is VERY good at passing so it does replace some of the Marner element.

Following year?

Knies-McDavid-88
Donato-Matthews-Marchand ?
If McDavid signs in Toronto you 100% trade Matthews for assets that better fill out the rest of the team.
 

Most of the goals scored with him on the ice, featured Bedard.

He also had an 17% shooting season, on a career averaging around 11%.

I think you look at him as a guy who is likely a 30-40 point player, unless you put him with elite talent, like Bedard. So, you pay him for that.

Ya that shooting % really jumps out.

It was only 8% the previous year.
 
I think Marchand is a bit of a pipe dream. Not sure that Florida has the money for him but I could see him picking Carolina or Vegas ahead of Toronto too.

If McDavid signs in Toronto you 100% trade Matthews for assets that better fill out the rest of the team.

I think Marchand is possible but term beyond 2 years scares the absolute hell out of me.

I'd wager money on Marner going to Vegas, I think Ekblad and Bennett return to Florida and Marchand departs.

Maybe Marchand does end elsewhere but feel like the organization wants Marchand for the DNA change.

In terms of Matthews and trading....I don't see them having the appetite or balls, heck, Matthews might be apart of the pitch. I think they've done off-season work together, stayed in contact since that young guns team.

If they don't get McDavid, then I could see 2027 being the summer where they dismantle the team and sell off Matthews, 88 etc.

Maybe, but he's not good at faceoffs, and below average defensively. Is that who you want with Nylander?

I think the other lines are pretty good defensively so you could shelter this one.
 
I think Marchand is possible but term beyond 2 years scares the absolute hell out of me.

I'd wager money on Marner going to Vegas, I think Ekblad and Bennett return to Florida and Marchand departs.

Maybe Marchand does end elsewhere but feel like the organization wants Marchand for the DNA change.

In terms of Matthews and trading....I don't see them having the appetite or balls, heck, Matthews might be apart of the pitch. I think they've done off-season work together, stayed in contact since that young guns team.
I dont see how McDavid looks at Edmonton's failures, and then turns around and signs in Toronto with Matthews being a worse version of Draisaitl in every way.
If they don't get McDavid, then I could see 2027 being the summer where they dismantle the team and sell off Matthews, 88 etc.
It absolutely should be
 
I dont see how McDavid looks at Edmonton's failures, and then turns around and signs in Toronto with Matthews being a worse version of Draisaitl in every way.

It absolutely should be

Supporting cast in Toronto is better, just my opinion.

I think our group of defenseman and goalies would be a big difference maker.

I think you could have swapped McDavid and Leon for Matthews and Marner this year and the Leafs win the Cup.

Now we're talking about an extra year out and changing Marner for McDavid...well we're better.

My concern by then is C.Tanev, how is he going to age? What else do we have? Early 30s defenseman can be tough to gauge. Need to kind of keep an eye on this year and 1-2 years down the road and how the roster can look.

Probably need to find a legit PP QB soon.
 
I don’t know how we’re going to build a team capable of getting past the juggernaut that is Florida. Bennett and Ekblad are likely to re-sign and most of that core is signed until 2030 at least. Their best players are all under 30 sans Bobrovsky.
 
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I dont see how McDavid looks at Edmonton's failures, and then turns around and signs in Toronto with Matthews being a worse version of Draisaitl in every way.

It absolutely should be

In every little boy's heart from Toronto who plays hockey is the dream to play for the Leafs. While I think it is the longest of long shots, I think there is a little bit of McDavid who would love to play for the Leafs. Tavares came. McDavid could. I doubt it but it wouldnt shock me.

Obviously Matthews is not Draisaitl but he is still a really good winger. Matthews may excel as the Malkin to McDavid's Crosby. This would be a pretty exciting turn of events. Then Leafs win cup without Marner :)

I would be willing to take a step back next season to stash cap space on the off chance McDavid wants to come home. One would think if McDavid came to Toronto others may want to come as well.

XXXX-McDavid-Nylander
Knies-Matthews-XXXX
 
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Supporting cast in Toronto is better, just my opinion.

I think our group of defenseman and goalies would be a big difference maker.

I think you could have swapped McDavid and Leon for Matthews and Marner this year and the Leafs win the Cup.

Now we're talking about an extra year out and changing Marner for McDavid...well we're better.

My concern by then is C.Tanev, how is he going to age? What else do we have? Early 30s defenseman can be tough to gauge. Need to kind of keep an eye on this year and 1-2 years down the road and how the roster can look.

Probably need to find a legit PP QB soon.
I mean yea McDrai for M&M might win the cup. But the problem in your scenario as Ive said is Matthews is no Draisaitl. And the gap between those two is greater than the gap between the rest of the Oilers and Leafs
 
I mean yea McDrai for M&M likely wins the cup. But the problem as Ive said is Matthews is no Draisaitl. And the gap between those two is greater than the gap between the rest of the Oilers and Leafs

One thing I want to consider is that Leon is with McDavid (at times) 5v5 and on the same PP...and he's McDavid.

If Matthews is on a PP with McDavid in the playoffs, is it possible that Matthews goes from around a pt/game to somewhere in the realm of Leon's stats or not far off?

I don't feel like it is impossible, McDavid is just a different animal than Marner, putting it mildly.

We've got around 12-13 days to get our draft/25-26 roster sorted out.

From there, does McDavid extend with Edmonton? If he does, your window is the 2026 and 2027 season, no more trading 1sts etc. If we go through the summer and McDavid hasn't extended, get ready.
 
An attempt to build the fastest forward group possible:

Tippett+Hathaway for Woll+Cowan
Kampf+Robertson+86OA for Talbot
TOR 26 3rd for Sissons
Benoit for Pospisil

Roster with percentile top end speed listed:

Domi(94)-Matthews(61)-Tippett(98)
Knies(89)-X-Nylander(68)
McMann(95)-Tavares(<50)-Raddysh(81)
Pospisil(99)-Sissons(94)-Hathaway(66)

I'm stuck on the idea of Laughton for Coyle to fill 2C but Coyle is slow. Outside of Bennett I can't find a C remotely available that is fast. Maybe Laughton++ for Karlsson if VGK sign Marner.
 
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An attempt to build the fastest forward group possible:

Tippett+Hathaway for Woll+Cowan
Kampf+Robertson+86OA for Talbot
TOR 26 3rd for Sissons
Benoit for Pospisil

Roster with percentile top end speed listed:

Domi(94)-Matthews(61)-Tippett(98)
Knies(89)-X-Nylander(68)
McMann(95)-Tavares(<50)-Raddysh(81)
Pospisil(99)-Sissons(94)-Hathaway(66)

I'm stuck on the idea of Laughton for Coyle to fill 2C but Coyle is slow. Outside of Bennett I can't find a C remotely available that is fast.

Karlsson is 83rd percentile in skating speed.
 
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Karlsson is 83rd percentile in skating speed.
Marner rights+Laughton for Karlsson would make this team elite, and cap compliant.

Domi-Matthews-Tippett
Knies (6.5M)-Karlsson-Nylander
McMann-Tavares (5M)-Raddysh (2M)
Pospisil-Sissons-Hathaway

McCabe-Tanev
Rielly-Carlo
OEL-Perbix (2.5M)

Stolarz
Talbot

Would be 93.64M and projected for 113 points.
 
Marner rights+Laughton for Karlsson would make this team elite, and cap compliant.

Domi-Matthews-Tippett
Knies (6.5M)-Karlsson-Nylander
McMann-Tavares (5M)-Raddysh (2M)
Pospisil-Sissons-Hathaway

McCabe-Tanev
Rielly-Carlo
OEL-Perbix (2.5M)

Stolarz
Talbot

Would be 93.64M and projected for 113 points.

Fast

Kapanen 87%


Guys who suck at hockey, but are fast.

Andreas Athanasiou - 88th percentile
Mikheyev 91st percentile
 
Would Edmonton entertain a Morgan Rielly for Darnell Nurse swap? I think Rielly fits in better with how Edmonton wants to play, and Nurse fits in better with how Toronto wants to play. Would Rielly be willing to waive?

Rather than just looking at Nurse's 9.25 million dollar contract, I looked at it as a cost of 1.75 million to upgrade from Rielly.

Maybe make it a larger deal and we can take Evander Kane off their hands too.
 
Would Edmonton entertain a Morgan Rielly for Darnell Nurse swap? I think Rielly fits in better with how Edmonton wants to play, and Nurse fits in better with how Toronto wants to play. Would Rielly be willing to waive?

Rather than just looking at Nurse's 9.25 million dollar contract, I looked at it as a cost of 1.75 million to upgrade from Rielly.

Maybe make it a larger deal and we can take Evander Kane off their hands too.
I could be wrong but I don't think Nurse is that much of an upgrade over Rielly
 

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