The Core: Keep 1, trade 4, and help rebalance the team

[Boxscore]

This is more of a fun exercise to provoke discussion. However, if you were Shanahan/Dubas and were given a mandate from the top to keep one core player and trade four of them for equivalent players, what would you do?

The rules:

1. Players can be of any position, as long as they are comparable in terms of age, contract, career accomplishments and production, etc. All NTC's have vanished.

2. These trades need to be "realistic" and not blatantly lopsided in the Leafs favor (i.e., Nylander for Point or Pastrnak or Rielly for Makar, Hedman, etc.)

3. The combined, annual cap hit of the "Core 5" cannot exceed what it is now, which is $45.5 million. If it's lower, it's a bonus.

4. Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are off-limits. And Nathan MacKinnon or Leon Draisaitl are only in play if Auston Matthews is being traded.

5. If one of the players you are acquiring is a UFA, you need to add a 65% increase to their cap hit.

So, out of the "Core 5" of Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, Rielly -- keep 1 and trade 4.

Here's my vision...

Keep: Auston Matthews ($11.64 million) and give him the captain's C.

Trade:
1. Mitch Marner for Mikko Rantanen ($9.25 million)
2. John Tavares for Mark Scheifele ($6.1 million)
3. William Nylander for Ivan Provorov ($6.75 million)
4. Morgan Rielly for Seth Jones ($5.4 million + 60% increase = $9 million)

My new Core 5 is...

1c -- Matthews
1RW -- Rantanen
2c -- Scheifele
1LD -- Provorov
1RD -- Jones

New Core 5 cap hit = $42.8 million (a savings of 2.7 million).

My goal was to build around Matthews as our franchise player. I wanted to give him a top-line, playmaking winger who can pass extremely well to replace Marner in Mikko Rantanen.

I also wanted to stay deep up the middle so I swapped Tavares with Scheifele. While he's not necessarily as offensively-gifted as Tavares, Scheifele hovers around a PPG and brings some versatility, leadership and much-needed jam to the club.

I swapped Nylander for a boost on D in Provorov -- two, young, affordable (sometimes inconsistent) players who are the same age and salary, just different positions. I took this opportunity to deal from a position of strength to address a position of weakness.

Finally, I swapped Rielly for a big, righthanded, minute-muncher in Jones who can run a powerplay. Since Jones is a UFA, his salary is bumped up to $9 million.

Click to read more...

 

[hotpaws]

if the leagues GM's are smoking crack i'd do

Mathews for McD
Tavares-Marner for Couts-Provorov-Konecny
Rielly for Jones

McD - Nylander
Couts - Willie

and a top D pair in

Provorov - Jones

 

[Chief Berube]

Our D improves but our wing situation gets worse. Something we have had a problem with for a little bit of time now. How do you suggest we address that depth scoring from the wing issue now that Willie, Hyman, Jumbo and simmonds are gone? We probably lose Kerfoot (part-time winger)too further impacting our depth scoring.

 

[Boxscore]

Our D improves but our wing situation gets worse. Something we have had a problem with for a little bit of time now. How do you suggest we address that depth scoring from the wing issue now that Willie, Hyman, Jumbo and simmonds are gone? We probably lose Kerfoot (part-time winger)too further impacting our depth scoring.

I think we need to see what Robertson and Amirov show in camp and give them every opportunity to "wow" us. The top line features Matthews and Ranatanen which should be 80-90 goals in the bank between them. Then you promote/add a complementary player to that line. You see what you have with some kids, then play the market.

I agree that Scheifele would need to be supported with a winger who can skate and finish. This is where I give Robertson and Amirov the chance to earn the job in camp and preseason. I think both bring very promising skill sets to the table, and if they are willing to work hard, learn, adapt and be mentored -- Scheifele can make the transition easier on them. If one of them can score 25-30 goals soon, the loss of Nylander will not be as devastating. Not to mention, Scheifele brings some intangibles that we need.

Also consider that Jones and Provorov will add some production from the back-end. If Rielly was feasting on the powerplay and putting up 55-60 points, with his toolbox, Jones should be 60-65 in the bank. Provorov and Sandin can anchor PP2.

Even though the "wings" get shallower on paper, we need to consider the overall picture. Winning games is what matters. Maybe we score a hair less, but we likely prevent goals from being scored against us as well. And, the wildcards are Robertson and Amirov -- if one of them takes the bull by the horns, we are even more dangerous than we've thought.

Finally, I also think giving Matthews the C will help the vibe of the team. I think this was always supposed to be his team, and now he's officially given the torch.

 

[The Iceman]

You want to add a play making winger by trading Marner?
Willy for Provorov? Fire Philly's GM
Why are you giving Jones a raise? He is under contract.
Tavares has a no movement

Besides that looks good as in keep Matthews.

 

[Boxscore]

if the leagues GM's are smoking crack i'd do

Mathews for McD
Tavares-Marner for Couts-Provorov-Konecny
Rielly for Jones

McD - Nylander
Couts - Willie

and a top D pair in

Provorov - Jones

You broke Rule 4.

 

[hotpaws]

You broke Rule 4.

My bad , swap McD with Mackinnin .

 

[Boxscore]

You want to add a play making winger by trading Marner?

I meant, you replace Marner with a winger who is ALSO a top-end playmaker.

Willy for Provorov? Fire Philly's GM

Maybe. This one was tricky. However, Philly is a mess and do not score nearly enough. Nylander would help them significantly.

Why are you giving Jones a raise? He is under contract.

Because acquiring him for Rielly would need to be contingent on an extension. So, in this exercise, I gave him a 65% raise and extended him.

Tavares has a no movement

Rule #1 -- "all NTC's have vanished."

Again, this is more of an exercise to have some fun and provoke discussion. If you feel landing Provorov for Willie is too ambitious, I'd love to see your plan based on the above criteria.

 

[mac nylander]

This'll be fun


Nylander stays

1)Matthews for MacK
2)Marner and a bag of pucks to get matt & brady tkachuk (multiple team trade)
3)trade Reilly for assets

4)Tavares: Not sure how to trade him @ 11M AAV TBH .. I would bite the bullet on vlasic for the lower cap hit of 7M (expecting him to be reliable for the remainder of his contract)

Sign D.hamilton

Top 6
ufa/rfa- Mack - tkachuk
ufa/rfa - Nylander -tkachuk

D
Vlasic - Hamilton
Muzzin - brodie
Holl- Sandin
lily - bogo

G - Campbell

 

[Boxscore]

Marner and a bag of pucks to get matt & brady tkachuk

When I was cashing in the Marner chip, my choice came down to Rantanen or one of the Tkachuk kids. I decided to go Rantanen and addressed the jam with Scheifele. I think either Tkachuk would be a treat in Toronto -- our modern day Wendel.

However, unless we're moving BOTH Marner and Nylander, I don't see how both Tkachuk boys are realistic, even in this exercise!

 

[Beneven Stanciano]

Right off, I would try to trade Marner & a Defenseman to Anaheim for John Gibson and one of Haydn Fleury or Cam Fowler. I would start with the lowest defensman on the Leafs and move up to see what they bite on. Bogo, Dermott, Holl, & Muzzin I wouldn't move.
Anaheim has enough jam on their team that Marner can probably do his thing and feel 'backed up'. If anyone sweats on him they'll get mugged.
I am appreciating where Nylander is taking his game, but in the spirit of the thread I would try to trade Nylander and a prospect or pick to Washington to see if I can get Tom Wilson from them.
I would keep Tavares & Matthews because I think they would be a great 1/2 tandem.
I think acquiring the above players would help open up some room for the rest of the team, especially Wilson.
After that I would want to see how that plays out and try to make smaller necessary adjustments from there.

 

[Boxscore]

I would try to trade Nylander and a prospect or pick to Washington to see if I can get Tom Wilson from them.

Now this is a very interesting idea.

 

[7even]

Rantanen is at least as good a player as Marner without the playoff drama and makes $2M less, Colorado's never doing that.

Provorov is really good. Jones isn't, but why would Columbus swap a pending UFA for a pending UFA in the first place

 

[Gabriel426]

Surprised not one person mentioned trading for Hedman, Kuch and Point.
I will just swap those three with Marner, JT and Reilly.

The last one would be AM for Mack.

 

[The Iceman]

This'll be fun



D
Vlasic - Hamilton
Muzzin - brodie
Holl- Sandin
lily - bogo

G - Campbell

Do you know Vlasic is $7 million x 5 until he is 39?
And your top 4D will earn min $25 million/season

 

[Guided by Veseys]

Marner and signed Rielly and Kerfoot for Petterson and Miller. (Canucks would probably only do Matthews/Rielly though)
Matthews for signed Seth Jones and signed Laine.
can’t trade Tavares cuz nmc.
now room to sign Hyman.
Hyman-Petterson-Nylander
Miller-Tavares-Laine
Plus Jones on top pairing.
That’s a goood team.

 

[Boxscore]

why would Columbus swap a pending UFA for a pending UFA in the first place

Because Jones made it clear he has no interest in resigning there. They at least have a chance to win over Rielly and get him to commit long-term.

 

[Lightsol]

Marner and signed Rielly and Kerfoot for Petterson and Miller. (Canucks would probably only do Matthews/Rielly though)
Matthews for signed Seth Jones and signed Laine.
can’t trade Tavares cuz nmc.
now room to sign Hyman.
Hyman-Petterson-Nylander
Miller-Tavares-Laine
Plus Jones on top pairing.
That’s a goood team.

More like that's a team that probably misses the playoffs, but isn't terrible enough to get a decent draft pick...

 

[mac nylander]

When I was cashing in the Marner chip, my choice came down to Rantanen or one of the Tkachuk kids. I decided to go Rantanen and addressed the jam with Scheifele. I think either Tkachuk would be a treat in Toronto -- our modern day Wendel.

However, unless we're moving BOTH Marner and Nylander, I don't see how both Tkachuk boys are realistic, even in this exercise!

I would say possibly Marner to CAL for matt then Calgary would send something to OTT while we still package a good deal for Brady

Do you know Vlasic is $7 million x 5 until he is 39?
And your top 4D will earn min $25 million/season

Which I put the parenthesis around "expecting him to be reliable until expiry", just thought san jose at the top of my head because I know they wanted tavares. So this is just a pull a trigger without thinking move while immediately shaving 4m off the cap. IDK if he's even good still lmao

But yes, 25m to our top 4 .. which is a pretty nice top 4(if muzzin stays healthy for once), don't forget we save approx 9m AAV from moving Matthews and Tavares for Mackinnon and Vlasic. Which we could use to round out our top 9 a little bit better.

*also I would entertain moving Muzzin too but he wasn't apart of the rules so I didn't bother.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

More like that's a team that probably misses the playoffs, but isn't terrible enough to get a decent draft pick...

Two first line centres (Petterson, Tavares)
One elite second line centre (Miller)
One rocket contender winger (Laine)
Two elite wingers (Nylander, Hyman)
One Norris level D (Jones)
Slight downgrade at centre possibly (Petterson has a better postseason track record tho and could be signed to a good contract)
Miller and Laine more than make up for one Marner.
Jones easily light years over Rielly.
Sorry but you’re wrong there.