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

[Pinkcat]

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

Next summer he will have earned the right to choose where he wants to raise a family. Do he and his wife want the kids to grow up close to grandparents and nieces and nephews? Does CM want his kids to watch their dad play for the Leafs? It is a completely reasonable choice and one that John Taveras made.
They do have a house in Edmonton and his good buddy just signed there long term though so who knows?
Closest thing MM is going to get to that is buying a house next door to the Marleau's. Going to be some angst in that household but money does help ease the pain I suppose.

 

[LaPlante94]

Yes... but we are paying triple for ours, while Floridas is used to build a better top 9.

Jarnkrok is the only one you could say was making triple. Laughton and Lorentz was pretty much making just a little more than Jarnkrok alone. Holmberg mixed in there with Robertson who both make like 800K. It's not as bad as people make it out to be. Domi, Jarnkrok and McMann were the only 3 in the bottom 6 making more than 1 million and McMann is only 300k more than 1 mil. I thought Patches made at least a mil but he was another around 900k. The issue is Florida pays the same price that we pay a lot of our guys that play a mean aggressive finish every check style which ours just don't do. Them saving on their 4th line isn't what made it so they can build a better top 9. A lot of factors played into that. Their best players were signed for 10 mil or less and they also abused the LTIR with Tkachuk even though abused is probably the wrong word to use because he was actually injured.

 

[WTFMAN99]

My 2 cents which is worth very little is I think the Leafs have a legit chance to sign McDavid if he doesn't extend with Edmonton.

I think he was genuinely disappointed to not be coming here after the initial draft lottery and I think he gave his best to bring a cup to Edmonton the last 2 years.

He's a step above JT and wired a bit differently than the other high skill guys we have, Knies-McDavid-88 would be nasty.

 

[BallardEra]

Dreger was just on TSN Overdrive and said that Matthews, Marner and Nylander had an internal competition "statistically" this year right from training camp.

He then pointed to Treliving's comment about DNA change as wanting to remove that sort of stuff from their culture.

 

[Rare Jewel]

My 2 cents which is worth very little is I think the Leafs have a legit chance to sign McDavid if he doesn't extend with Edmonton.

I think he was genuinely disappointed to not be coming here after the initial draft lottery and I think he gave his best to bring a cup to Edmonton the last 2 years.

He's a step above JT and wired a bit differently than the other high skill guys we have, Knies-McDavid-88 would be nasty.

Where did Matthews go?

 

[Avilaj07]

Dreger was just on TSN Overdrive and said that Matthews, Marner and Nylander had an internal competition "statistically" this year from training camp.

He then pointed to Treliving's comment about DNA change as wanting to remove that sort of stuff from their culture.

If true, then we already know Marner is 100% gone, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Nylander moved as well

 

[WTFMAN99]

Where did Matthews go?

2nd line

 

[Rare Jewel]

2nd line

People are getting too far ahead of themselves here.

 

[WTFMAN99]

People are getting too far ahead of themselves here.

In this very specific instance? Not at all.

McDavid or Matthews, who is your 1st line centre?

You legitimately have brain damage if your answer is anyone but McDavid in this case.

 

[Gaberd2608]

Where did Matthews go?

Matthews has 3 years left. He will leave on his own for greener pastures same as his bf.

 

[Rare Jewel]

In this very specific instance? Not at all.

McDavid or Matthews, who is your 1st line centre?

You legitimately have brain damage if your answer is anyone but McDavid in this case.

Play them together.

But it's fantasy hockey at this point.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Matthews has 3 years left. He will leave on his own for greener pastures same as his bf.

Hope not.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Play them together.

But it's fantasy hockey at this point.

I'd rather create the match up problem if it actually occurs.

Someone is getting easier competition.

 

[stickty111]

If true, then we already know Marner is 100% gone, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Nylander moved as well

Nylander is staying. Not a good idea to lose 2 star 1st line wingers

 

[Trapper]

In this very specific instance? Not at all.

McDavid or Matthews, who is your 1st line centre?

You legitimately have brain damage if your answer is anyone but McDavid in this case.

McDavid. With Matthews on the wing.
Remember when Matthews broke into the league and played on team North America with McDavid and Sheif.

This year we focus on a 2C like a Coyle/Karlsson type. Leave some cash for the pipe dream.

This year:
Knies/Matthews/Domi
New C with Nylander

Then:
Matthews/McDavid/Domi
Knies/C/Nylander

 

[WTFMAN99]

McDavid. With Matthews on the wing.
Remember when Matthews broke into the league and played on team North America with McDavid and Sheif.

This year we focus on a 2C like a Coyle/Karlsson type. Leave some cash for the pipe dream.

This year:
Knies/Matthews/Domi
New C with Nylander

Then:
Matthews/McDavid/Domi
Knies/C/Nylander

I'd rather spread it out, it is hard to find centres and one of those 2 in theory should feast on the secondary checking.

Wilder thought? Getting an X-factor centre for your 3rd line to create a line mismatch kind of like Marchand-Lundell on the 3rd line for Florida - no one could match them for that kind of depth.

You focus on Barkov and Lundell? Okay Bennett torches you

Bennett and Lundell line torches you? Okay Verharghe, Barkov and Reinhart torch you.

I think if you got desperate for a goal, I consider it but rather try to create a nasty top 9

Knies-McDavid-88
X-Matthews-X
Cowan-X-X

I think some of those X's might get filled in the next 2 weeks.

This is super fantasy and mostly just based off my simple opinion of us having as good a chance as anyone to sign McDavid if he does not extend in Edmonton. If he extends July 1st then you know 2026 and 2027 are your years and that is it.

 

[Trapper]

I'd rather spread it out, it is hard to find centres and one of those 2 in theory should feast on the secondary checking.

Wilder thought? Getting an X-factor centre for your 3rd line to create a line mismatch kind of like Marchand-Lundell on the 3rd line for Florida - no one could match them for that kind of depth.

You focus on Barkov and Lundell? Okay Bennett torches you

Bennett and Lundell line torches you? Okay Verharghe, Barkov and Reinhart torch you.

I think if you got desperate for a goal, I consider it but rather try to create a nasty top 9

Knies-McDavid-88
X-Matthews-X
Cowan-X-X

I think some of those X's might get filled in the next 2 weeks.

This is super fantasy and mostly just based off my simple opinion of us having as good a chance as anyone to sign McDavid if he does not extend in Edmonton. If he extends July 1st then you know 2026 and 2027 are your years and that is it.

Sign McDavid (cap rising) and you have a lot of good problems.

 

[Torontonian]

 

[MarMarSab3]

Horrible

 

[Community]

In the 1% chance that McDavid signs with the Leafs our window greatly extends, but our defense may still need to be retooled in a year or two.

I know JT is older and not an elite center anymore, but having McDavid - Matthews - Tavares down the middle is an even crazier version of Crosby - Malkin - Staal.

Assuming we don't land McDavid or another superstar in 2026, our remaining window is currently looking to be ~2-3 years with this group with accessory lineup signings... but then we'll have to make some more drastic moves or see a drop off in our likelihood to even make the playoffs.

Before anybody says anything, we're about to lose Marner. Our other star players are most definitely not being moved while they're still in their prime.

 

[Community]

Horrible

*Fantastic.

Love it when other teams overpay for bottom 6 depth rather than the Leafs. One less bottom 6 guy with limited offense available for the Leafs to overpay (which I'm a bit worried Tre might do with our capspace this year).

 

[JKG33]

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.

Uh Edmonton would file that paperwork so fast in hopes you dont change your mind. Thats AWFUL for Toronto

 

[Rare Jewel]

McDavid. With Matthews on the wing.
Remember when Matthews broke into the league and played on team North America with McDavid and Sheif.

Stylistically, McDavid is more of a winger than Matthews.

And I still think Matthews still does more in his own end as well.

 

[JKG33]

Dreger was just on TSN Overdrive and said that Matthews, Marner and Nylander had an internal competition "statistically" this year right from training camp.

He then pointed to Treliving's comment about DNA change as wanting to remove that sort of stuff from their culture.

LMFAO not even satire could be this funny.

I cant wait until all 3 of these clowns are gone

 

[Dreakmur]

Uh Edmonton would file that paperwork so fast in hopes you dont change your mind. Thats AWFUL for Toronto

Hopefully, they do. That's a significant upgrade for Toronto.