THN: Leafs in conversations with Jake McCabe about an extension.

[mjd1001]

$5m is a bit high for me. Yeah, I like him as a decent 2nd pair guy or as a good 3rd pair guy. I just don't want to tie up $5 in him..I'd rather have that money available to add, possibly someone better, at the deadlline each of the next few years, even if its a rental.

IMO, $5m of space at the trade deadline gets you potentially a better rental than a 32, 33, or 34 year old McCabe will be.

 

[Roo]

Someone had suggested waiting till the offseason to ensure last year wasn’t a one off. I think this, plus the potential for better defensemen coming to market via ufa (Theodore, ekblad, gavrikov, lindgren, provorov, etc.) means waiting is the right approach. You also get to see if the younger guys like Lilly and Timmins can become more than what they are today.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

I’d rather wait until end of season. At best he plays lights out and we pay him 6M per (gladly would if he repeats last year or improves)

 

[sxvnert]

Like McCabe but I would rather put that 5m+ towards the many other D available in next years free agency. If hes willing to take the Tanev package (6yr @ 4m) then I would be interested.

 

[Menzinger]

The leafs are the anti-vegas

Zero cut-throat approach, no advance planning and long-term roster building

MCabe getting 5-6M for ages 32-37
Tanev getting 6 years 4.5M for ages 35-40
OEL getting 3.5M for 35-38 age

We just sign our guy and don't look at shrewed deals before hand or alternate options.

These three deals have huge fail potential.

We should have been aggresive and sold on McCabe looking to acquire a younger player of a similar mould or signing a younger player in F/A this summer

We have Danford as our only NHL potential D-prospect but he is 3+ years away likely.

I would have liked to not get Tanev and instead bring Pesce, Roy or Walker and then trade for another D-man like Wil Borgen (give him 5 years 5M as hes only 27/28)

The problem is what if Pesce Roy, Walker ect simply don't have any interest in signing in Toronto?

While I don't disagree some of the current deals can potentially hurt the Leafs down the road,. sometimes the decision is go with the second or even third preferred choice or in not getting anything at all

 

[hamzarocks]

The problem is what if Pesce Roy, Walker ect simply don't have any interest in signing in Toronto?

While I don't disagree some of the current deals can potentially hurt the Leafs down the road,. sometimes the decision is go with the second or even third preferred choice or in not getting anything at all

The risk is that tanev has 6 and OEL 4 years starting from tommorrow and they are I think 35 and 34 years old with extensive injury issues in their careers.

They can become quickly boat anchors which kills current and future flexability and destroys future moves we can make due to having to much committed to guys that cant play top 4 roles.

The job of the GM and management is to entice and sell players to come here at rates which can work to allow the team to contend for most of the contract window.

Treliving sits on his ass this whole summer. He didnt do anything but sign 2 mid 30 D-man and is praying that plus a coaching chance is all that is jeeded to change 8 years of failures with this group.

Treliving is allergic to making trades and will have potentially ~5.2M in dead/wasted cap space in lilijgren and jarnkrok if both are off of Berubes playing roster (as it currently seems)

Treliving is managing like Nonis did. He is fortunate to have a top 6ish; top 20ish and top 30ish player signed fven if at very high AAVs.

We tried doing the Tanev and OEL deals in the past via Clarkson, Bolland & Franson (gave them 5 and 6 year terms but luckily both walked/declined)

Having McCabe join Tanev, & OEL in contracts which are very long, into their 30s and could see sharp ajlnd heavy decline makes me very worried for beyond this year.

We don't have really any young promising D-men besides maybe Danford (if he takes a nice steo this year in his D+1).

If we win or go at least to an ECF then atleast the deals will look solid, but there is heavy risk building a team how Treliving is going

 

[Roo]

LTIR.. the leafs ticket to paying players and not having it count against the cap. We have the cash, and use it… so what’s the problem? It’s not your money… and It’s not like it’s some unproven strategy for this team. They know exactly what they are doing when signing these deals.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Leafs are good at overpaying everynbody

 

[seanlinden]

The leafs are the anti-vegas

Zero cut-throat approach, no advance planning and long-term roster building

MCabe getting 5-6M for ages 32-37
Tanev getting 6 years 4.5M for ages 35-40
OEL getting 3.5M for 35-38 age

We just sign our guy and don't look at shrewed deals before hand or alternate options.

These three deals have huge fail potential.

We should have been aggresive and sold on McCabe looking to acquire a younger player of a similar mould or signing a younger player in F/A this summer

We have Danford as our only NHL potential D-prospect but he is 3+ years away likely.

I would have liked to not get Tanev and instead bring Pesce, Roy or Walker and then trade for another D-man like Wil Borgen (give him 5 years 5M as hes only 27/28)

This. (although I do believe Pesce & Roy both made it clear they were not interested in coming to Canada).

Like Tanev I get -- he's EXACTLY what this team needed, so you take the risk on a deal that isn't too rich, but is too long, to get a perfect partner for Morgan Rielly.

OEL -- seemed like a colosally stupid idea from Day 1... you've got Liljegren -- DEVELOP HIM. Not willing to develop him? use him in a trade.

McCabe is a GREAT $2m defenceman who anchors a 3rd pair or plays "2nd fiddle" on a 2nd pair. He's probably the perfect #5 given his ability to play either the left or right side of the ice along with his well rounded game. Him & Benoit, him & Hakanpaa, him & Timmins even, should all do very well as a third pair.

But, you're now talking about making him a $5-6m defenceman as his play likely declines.... it seems incredibly shortsighted. As a team, you've gotta be looking to get better every year. Where is our D supposed to improve when only 1 guy is under the age of 30?

If they are / were indeed willing to dish out $5m for McCabe -- why not do so THIS year for Nikita Zadorov instead of OEL? At least then, you'd be in a situation where Zadorov is kind of a natural McCabe replacement.


Call me crazy... but I think the decision needs to be "it's McCabe or OEL and you only get one"... understanding that your D a year from now needs to look something like this:

Rielly-Tanev
Acquisition-McCabe or OEL
Benoit-Timmins / Niemla / some other "project"

 

[Evilhomer]

LTIR.. the leafs ticket to paying players and not having it count against the cap. We have the cash, and use it… so what’s the problem? It’s not your money… and It’s not like it’s some unproven strategy for this team. They know exactly what they are doing when signing these deals.

I find it interesting that more people don't seem to realize this. These contracts are irrelevant. The Leafs have proven time and time again that they will simply get rid of contracts when they become an issue.

 

[mjd1001]

I think management is looking at a 2 year window (this and next) to get it done. If not in the next 2 years, there may be a partial 'reset' year, with trading some dead weight (even if you don't get much) and possibly a buyout.

I don't think there is as much throught in the front office as there is on this forum for what happens 3+ years from now.

 

[therealkoho]

I find + - to be far more important that people think. The top teams almost always lead in + and the best teams best players are heavy plus players. I do not think that it should be ignored

I re-read my post, I still can't find where I said that plus minus should be ignored. I'll come back to it later, I mean it's probably there somewhere!

The problem is what if Pesce Roy, Walker ect simply don't have any interest in signing in Toronto?

While I don't disagree some of the current deals can potentially hurt the Leafs down the road,. sometimes the decision is go with the second or even third preferred choice or in not getting anything at all

LeaFland means waiting for a bus that may never show up.

 

[ULF_55]

McCabe was very effective until the league emphasized speed and free flow. Bye bye canopener.

Marketing the games speed even more could once again make McCabe v2 obsolete within a couple years.

NHL likes to tweak the rules, and it is usually to benefit speed.

 

[Menzinger]

McCabe was very effective until the league emphasized speed and free flow. Bye bye canopener.

Marketing the games speed even more could once again make McCabe v2 obsolete within a couple years.

NHL likes to tweak the rules, and it is usually to benefit speed.

All true. But imo this team is at the point where it really needs to prioritize playoff guys as much as possible and the NHL will always (stupidly) tacitly change the rule enforcement in the post season that gives physical D men an advantage in their own zone