TDL wish list, who, what, how many?

[Sypher04]

I think if Hanifin makes it to market the odds he ends up in Boston are high. Which is why I think you try to acquire him with having already negotiated an extension or not at all. Well, that and no rentals if we’re dealing any asset of significance

 

[nuck]

Would anyone consider trading Knies in a package for Noah Hanifin? I think it takes at least Knies and a prospect + pick to get him out of Calgary. Same draft class as Marner's.

The Leafs already have Rielly as top pairing left side so Hanifin would be looking of $7M+ to play on their second pairing. He would help them in that role, but it does nothing for their biggest weakness.
His record is beside Andersson, Tanev, and occasionally Weegar so he obviously isn't going to look the same beside the Leaf's inferior rightys.

He is low contact which they already have lots of, plays on the left which isn't their biggest need, and I don't know how they make room for that much salary. I would trade Knies for a defenseman who checks all the boxes but NH seems more like a Rielly replacement than the missing piece.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

The Leafs already have Rielly as top pairing left side so Hanifin would be looking of $7M+ to play on their second pairing. He would help them in that role, but it does nothing for their biggest weakness.
His record is beside Andersson, Tanev, and occasionally Weegar so he obviously isn't going to look the same beside the Leaf's inferior rightys.

He is low contact which they already have lots of, plays on the left which isn't their biggest need, and I don't know how they make room for that much salary. I would trade Knies for a defenseman who checks all the boxes but NH seems more like a Rielly replacement than the missing piece.

I think you're underestimating Hanifin's all around game and his size and reach. He's also still young and durable.

Also having two Rielly's is a good thing and I take two Rielly level dman anyday to move Brodie and Giordano down in the pecking order.

 

[TMLAM34]

Hanifin’s all around game is better than Rielly’s IMO. Adding Hanifin to our blueline would be the best thing that could happen to our blueline. If there was an extension in place, I wouldn’t mind dealing our 1st rounder in a deal for him at all. In a perfect world we’d just sign him in the off-season for no cost outside of salary cap.

Rielly - ________
Hanifin - Liljegren
Benoit - McCabe

That’s a fantastic 5 out of 6 and I’d say puts us in the top half of bluelines in the league.

 

[thusk]

The dream would be to acquire Hanifin through free agency giving up zero assets aside from salary cap. Hakanpaa would be another great addition.

Rielly - Hakanpaa
Hanifin - Liljegren
Benoit - McCabe

liljegren is not a top 4 player

The Leafs already have Rielly as top pairing left side so Hanifin would be looking of $7M+ to play on their second pairing. He would help them in that role, but it does nothing for their biggest weakness.
His record is beside Andersson, Tanev, and occasionally Weegar so he obviously isn't going to look the same beside the Leaf's inferior rightys.

He is low contact which they already have lots of, plays on the left which isn't their biggest need, and I don't know how they make room for that much salary. I would trade Knies for a defenseman who checks all the boxes but NH seems more like a Rielly replacement than the missing piece.

you need minimjm 2 great pair in NHL not 1. you can spend everything to get a rielly partner and use both 25 together, you still have 35 min to fill with d group who would not be upgraded.

if you able get rielly and hanifin exemple on 2 different pair, whatever whats happening you will have 1 of your 2 best D during 50 of 60 min

 

[Stephen]

I think if Hanifin makes it to market the odds he ends up in Boston are high. Which is why I think you try to acquire him with having already negotiated an extension or not at all. Well, that and no rentals if we’re dealing any asset of significance

Boston sounds like the most likely destination. But their cap allocation would also be pretty unusual with McAvoy, Hanifin, Lindholm making over $22 million-ish and Ullmark and Swayman making $10 million?

 

[LeafEgo]

Boston sounds like the most likely destination. But their cap allocation would also be pretty unusual with McAvoy, Hanifin, Lindholm making over $22 million-ish and Ullmark and Swayman making $10 million?

They've taken a hard long look at things and decided to do the opposite of Toronto.

 

[ULF_55]

With what few draft picks they have over the next few years, they had better be almost perfect!

They have to hit on bottom 6 forwards and bottom 4 defenders for things to work out.

Cowan just might be an exception to a play it safe draft pick, but it is a WOW pick right now.

 

[ULF_55]

liljegren is not a top 4 player

you need minimjm 2 great pair in NHL not 1. you can spend everything to get a rielly partner and use both 25 together, you still have 35 min to fill with d group who would not be upgraded.

if you able get rielly and hanifin exemple on 2 different pair, whatever whats happening you will have 1 of your 2 best D during 50 of 60 min

To be fair, I don't think you or anyone knows what a fully cured Liljegren is. Actually, I know no one knows as the laws of physics seem to preclude time travel in both directions. So no one knows, everyone can guess or if you want a more flattering term, speculate.

My guess is he may never be a legitimate 1st. pairing defender, just like Hainsey was never a legitimate 1st. pairing defender. He played there, but he was the support player, not the best player on his pairing.

It looks like he has good games and not so good games, but he's less than 200 games into his career. Not my definition, but many experts have suggested that is not nearly enough time to fully cure the player on defense. I know that doesn't fit HF's experts agendas but take it up with the professionals.

Leafs issue isn't Liljegren, nor Benoit, nor Rielly, and usually not McCabe but to suggest Giordano, McCabe or Brodie are the best players to help Liljegren look good is approaching the travel backwards in time scenario for 2 of them. One suffering ireversible aging, and one with his mind cluttered with personal burdens. Thirty year old McCabe is a good support, bottom 4 defender.

Leafs need a player better or as good as Rielly ( who is having a very good year) although I'd prefer he was the 2nd. best defender.

 

[aingefan]

I’m not on-board with Lili being disposable.

Expecting him to be a good complementary player on the second pair isn’t unrealistic when he’s healthy.

So, as for the deadline, decent assets for another 5-on-5 LD (or RD) with term makes enough sense to me.

Then find a RD (or LD) who can play the simple/cover for Mo role like Hainsey did in FA, and that’s a nice, sum-of-parts blue line.

(I’m much more inclined to lock Lili up long-term…I suspect he’s one of the few who’d take a discount in exchange for term. But that’s another topic)

 

[Phion Keneuf]

I’d trade our 1st if we can lock up a legit #2-3 who isn’t a dinosaur. Other than that, make some minor moves if anything. Big fish or small fish. But good assets only go for the big fish

 

[thusk]

To be fair, I don't think you or anyone knows what a fully cured Liljegren is. Actually, I know no one knows as the laws of physics seem to preclude time travel in both directions. So no one knows, everyone can guess or if you want a more flattering term, speculate.

My guess is he may never be a legitimate 1st. pairing defender, just like Hainsey was never a legitimate 1st. pairing defender. He played there, but he was the support player, not the best player on his pairing.

It looks like he has good games and not so good games, but he's less than 200 games into his career. Not my definition, but many experts have suggested that is not nearly enough time to fully cure the player on defense. I know that doesn't fit HF's experts agendas but take it up with the professionals.

Leafs issue isn't Liljegren, nor Benoit, nor Rielly, and usually not McCabe but to suggest Giordano, McCabe or Brodie are the best players to help Liljegren look good is approaching the travel backwards in time scenario for 2 of them. One suffering ireversible aging, and one with his mind cluttered with personal burdens. Thirty year old McCabe is a good support, bottom 4 defender.

Leafs need a player better or as good as Rielly ( who is having a very good year) although I'd prefer he was the 2nd. best defender.

if liljegren need a elite dmen to look good, thats the exact definition of 3rd pair dman...

Even with Brodie or mccabe, a top 4 dman would look decent and not basically losing his spot vs a guy like Simon Benoit or Justin Holl again and again and again like its actually the case and always finishing on 3rd pair or healthy scratch.

hes just doesn't bring anything on the ice to justify using him as a top 4... like Travis Dermott, he had good game, bad game but overal he never be a top 4 and i would be extremely surprise to see liljegren dinally becoming something else... his game just didn't develop enougj to really thing than he can reach an other gear... liljegren im not sure if hes really a better player than it was the case 3 year ago, thats the reality and good chance that will stil the case in 2 or 3 year

 

[Shooter2x]

I'd settle for Yakov Trenin in the bottom 6 and a faster 4C to keep up with Gregors legs.

Gregor is capable of making the pass but has to settle for solo missions

 

[ULF_55]

if liljegren need a elite dmen to look good, thats the exact definition of 3rd pair dman...

Even with Brodie or mccabe, a top 4 dman would look decent and not basically losing his spot vs a guy like Simon Benoit or Justin Holl again and again and again like its actually the case and always finishing on 3rd pair or healthy scratch.

Sounds like this definition has little analysis and much agenda.

Not sure of any pairing that doesn't have a stronger partner on it.

 

[thusk]

Sounds like this definition has little analysis and much agenda.

Not sure of any pairing that doesn't have a stronger partner on it.

just try to name me 1 player who became better alongside Liljegren? personally i cant

Hes not enough good to bring anything offensively, defensively too many weakness and inconsistant to hope him having impact defensively.....

hes a good transitionnal 3rd pair dman, who should not playing in top 4 dman on special team in a good team... In a team like Boston, Colorado, Caroline, NYR, NYI, Dallas, florida, vegas... he would be healthy scratch probably in all those team. Its maybe time to accept than liljegren will never be anything else than what we saw since 3 years.

 

[authentic]

We’re not going to throw away two years of this core in its prime because we haven’t been as good as we expected in the first half. We still have half a season to play. Our biggest challenge has been in net, and Sammy has shown signs of turning it around and Woll will be back. You don’t have give up bundles like Dubas did, but you can be smart and use 2nd and 3rds to improve your chances in the playoffs. There’s too much parity in the league, any team can win.

Yeah it doesn’t make sense not to go for it every year, especially when all 3 of our best players are 26-27, literal peak for NHL players.

 

[Shooter2x]

just try to name me 1 player who became better alongside Liljegren? personally i cant

Hes not enough good to bring anything offensively, defensively too many weakness and inconsistant to hope him having impact defensively.....

hes a good transitionnal 3rd pair dman, who should not playing in top 4 dman on special team in a good team... In a team like Boston, Colorado, Caroline, NYR, NYI, Dallas, florida, vegas... he would be healthy scratch probably in all those team. Its maybe time to accept than liljegren will never be anything else than what we saw since 3 years.

Holl plays so much better D than Liljegren, just for reference.

At times I wish we kept Holl, cap dumped Brodie and used Lil as a trade package chip for someone better than Holl

 

[ULF_55]

just try to name me 1 player who became better alongside Liljegren? personally i cant

Hes not enough good to bring anything offensively, defensively too many weakness and inconsistant to hope him having impact defensively.....

hes a good transitionnal 3rd pair dman, who should not playing in top 4 dman on special team in a good team... In a team like Boston, Colorado, Caroline, NYR, NYI, Dallas, florida, vegas... he would be healthy scratch probably in all those team. Its maybe time to accept than liljegren will never be anything else than what we saw since 3 years.

This post is so wrong it isn't even debatable.
The trainee isn't supposed to carry the veteran.

That is why the agenda is so transparent.

 

[thusk]

This post is so wrong it isn't even debatable.
The trainee isn't supposed to carry the veteran.

That is why the agenda is so transparent.

1- i never talk about carrying anyone, i talk about making someone better...

i giving you an easy exemple, Benoit doesn't carrying Mccabe but amount actual leafs D, Benoit is the guy with who mccabe at be at his best... so Benoit made mccabe look better, a thing liljegren never do in his carreer

liljegren will be at 25 in 2 month and hes a full NHL player since 3 year, hes not a rookie anymore. Hes a young veteran who still playing like a 19-22 rookie.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Selling would be the best option for the current team for many different reasons. The Leafs are currently at the top of the salary cap for the entire NHL with only $34,999 in cap space.

Out of all that cap space 6 players are going to be UFA next year with many of these players not living up to their contracts.

In addition, the Leafs have the following draft picks in the next two seasons

2024 – 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th x3, 6th, 7th rounds

2025 – 3rd, 5th x2, 6th and 7th rounds

The 2025 draft is a big gap in the first two rounds, and with the salary increase of Matthews and Nylander next season the team will need to get players with value. The only way to get value players is by drafting them.

Problem with this team 10 players have either NMC or NTC on their contract making it harder to sell. Even Jarnkrok has a NTC and on IR right now. It will be difficult to move players on this team with these restrictions, but someone like Brodie, Bertuzzi or Domi that will be UFA should be looked as an option to be moved to either recoup picks or add players on good deals with 2+ year contracts.

The Leafs only have 1st round this draft +3rd next two drafts that can potentially buy a player, but it will not be enough with the defense and goaltending issues this team has.

That is why selling and letting the core 4 do the heavy lifting is best option for this year until the off-season retool can happen.

Absolutely.
And if they do end up bringing in reinforcements it should be to support Rielly and the D corps.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Did anyone listen to Button last night?
It's like he hasn't been paying attention to all the futures we've bled away over the last few years.
The further this season gets the more i'm into the leave them to their own devices option.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Who cares what Button says. Is this a top 4 contender? No! Do we have any defensemen in our prospect pool? No! I'm even for selling certain guys i.e Bert if we get a first. McMann has shown better. Last year we traded Sandin for Cowan. I'm open to selling certain guys i.e Brodie if the price is right. Simply throwing everything away doesn't work. You can't add more than Ror, accari and Schenn anyways. The Leafs will add one dman and take their chances. They just aren't quite there yet. Winning one round is a hollow reward now.

 

[Evilhomer]

Who cares what Button says. Is this a top 4 contender? No! Do we have any defensemen in our prospect pool? No! I'm even for selling certain guys i.e Bert if we get a first. McMann has shown better. Last year we traded Sandin for Cowan. I'm open to selling certain guys i.e Brodie if the price is right. Simply throwing everything away doesn't work. You can't add more than Ror, accari and Schenn anyways. The Leafs will add one dman and take their chances. They just aren't quite there yet. Winning one round is a hollow reward now.

Why are they not a top 4 contender?

 

[DarkKnight]

I'm not saying we pay the price, but man a Tanev is exactly what we need. I'm happy with the forwards, a minute eating, tough as nails, poised D man, we look formidable.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

We need a right side D to play with Rielly. Brodie-Lilly and McCabe-Benoit are two pairs in comfortable with. Get this years Schenn for Rielly and Gio can be #7.