Trade and Free Agency Thread - 2021/22 - Post Deadline

[hockeywiz542]

Can the Blackhawks solve the Maple Leafs' Petr Mrazek problem?

A deal featuring Petr Mrazek makes a lot of sense for both sides. Let’s explore why.

theathletic.com

What the Blackhawks would want to take him on

Powers: The Blackhawks would seek assets in return for Mrazek. They probably understand they’re unlikely to pry a first-round draft pick from the Leafs, but they’ll be expecting something in that next tier of draft picks and/or prospects. Freeing an elite team like the Leafs of $3.8 million in cap space for two seasons, especially when the cap isn’t likely to increase, is quite significant. Spent wisely, that additional cap space could certainly help the Leafs get that much closer to contending for a Stanley Cup.

What the Leafs would be willing to give up

Siegel: That’s the biggest question of all. We do have some precedent to work with. Back in 2019, this front office sent a first round pick to the Hurricanes to take on the pricey last year of Patrick Marleau’s contract ($6.25 million cap hit). It was a high cost to pay, a mess Dubas had to clean up from his predecessor. The pick became Seth Jarvis. The Leafs won’t want to do that again. Just this past season, mind you, the Leafs gave the Coyotes a conditional pick — a third in 2023 or a second in 2025 — to get rid of Nick Ritchie’s contract, which had another year left at $2.5 million on the cap. The Leafs did get snarly defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin back in the trade. Perhaps they look to bring back an asset in some sort of Mrazek swap. Mrazek’s deal is both pricier and longer than Ritchie’s. So, what cost might they be amenable to? You can be sure the Leafs will want to protect their first round pick at all costs. A second rounder seems like a reasonable place to start. The Leafs don’t have one again until 2024 at the moment. They could couple that pick with a B-level prospect like Nick Abruzzese. Maybe they even add a roster player like Justin Holl to the deal. That would create even more cap space. Chicago could spin Holl off for another asset at next year’s trade deadline. In that scenario, perhaps the Blackhawks send back a cheap, useful young-ish player in the deal. If not, a second and a prospect feels like the right price to pay. Anything more and the Leafs might be better off looking elsewhere, or simply buying out Mrazek’s contract.

 

[ACC1224]

For me he just looked like a boy playing against men.
Not a young man playing against men, a boy.

Perhaps it is the too much hype scenario.

I'm with you. I don't see Robertson as developing into anything special, seems mostly wishful thinking by some fans.
Yes, I hope I'm wrong about that.

 

[LeafChief]

Mrazek for Borgstrom + Khaira

Mrazek for Connolly (Buyout - 1.16M per for 2 years) + 5th rd. Pick

I'd do the Borgstrom + Khaira one in a heartbeat. Both contracts fully buriable. Khaira might not play again. If he does, he's a cheap 4th line option. Borgstrom would be an asset for the Marlies with a chance to play himself back into the NHL.

 

[Nineteen67]

Mrazek for Borgstrom + Khaira

Mrazek for Connolly (Buyout - 1.16M per for 2 years) + 5th rd. Pick

Why not just buyout Mrazek 1 mill this year and then drops to 800-900 k for 2 yrs.

 

[Magic Man]

I'd do the Borgstrom + Khaira one in a heartbeat. Both contracts fully buriable. Khaira might not play again. If he does, he's a cheap 4th line option. Borgstrom would be an asset for the Marlies with a chance to play himself back into the NHL.

That one makes the most sense for what Toronto is trying to do. They take back bad cap that doesn't prevent them from adding to the roster. It kind of follows the same path as the the Ritchie trade, except the contracts are more expensive because the contract they're trading is. In each situation one of them also has a serious injury they're recovering from and may not play.

(Dzingel - 750K, Hutton - 750K, Total - 1.5M) for (Ritchie - 2.5M per for 2 seasons - 5M total)
(Borgstrom - 1M, Khaira - 975K, Total - 1.975M) for (Mrazek - 3.8M per for 2 seasons - 7.6M total)

The other one is kind of a last resort option, I think I'd rather the cap space, even if the Leafs have to add a mid round pick. But, it shortened the potential buyout from four years with Mrazek (1.03M, .83M, 1.43M, 1.43M) to two years with Connolly (1.16M, 1.16M) for roughly the same cap hit per season, while adding an asset.

 

[Americanadian]

That one makes the most sense for what Toronto is trying to do. The take back bad cap that doesn't prevent them from adding to the roster. It kind of follows the same path as the the Ritchie trade, except the contracts are more expensive because the contract they're trading is. In each situation one of them also has a serious injury they're recovering from and may not play.

(Dzingel - 750K, Hutton - 750K, Total - 1.5M) for (Ritchie - 2.5M per for 2 seasons - 5M total)
(Borgstrom - 1M, Khaira - 975K, Total - 1.975M) for (Mrazek - 3.8M per for 2 seasons - 7.6M total)

The other one is kind of a last resort option, I think I'd rather the cap space, even if the Leafs have to add a mid round pick. But, it shortened the potential buyout from four years with Mrazek (1.03M, .83M, 1.43M, 1.43M) to two years with Connolly (1.16M, 1.16M) for roughly the same cap hit per season, while adding an asset.

I don't see the incentive for Chicago to do the Borgstrom/Khaira deal. The Connolly deal straight up makes sense.

 

[Magic Man]

Why not just buyout Mrazek 1 mill this year and then drops to 800-900 k for 2 yrs.

You can bury Borgstrom and Khaira without cap penalty and Connolly shortens the buyout by 2 years. This makes them more cap friendly options than just buying out Mrazek.

 

[MatthewNylander]

Why not just buyout Mrazek 1 mill this year and then drops to 800-900 k for 2 yrs.

Mrazek buyout according to cap friendly

Cap hit would be $1,033,000 this year
$833,000 for 23-24
$1,433,000 for 24-25
$1,433,000 for 25-26

 

[Magic Man]

I don't see the incentive for Chicago to do the Borgstrom/Khaira deal. The Connolly deal straight up makes sense.

The incentive for Chicago is they get a goalie upgrade by giving away negative value contracts as their lure.

The other options are overpaying free agents or trading assets for a goalie, they're rebuilding, gambling on Mrazek isn't a terrible idea. Not every team will have given up on Mrazek. The same way they didn't with Nick Ritchie. That immediately worked out for Arizona.

 

[VanW27]

Mrazek for Connolly as a base makes sense. I would imagine we'd still need to add something of significance though. Chicago is rebuilding and has no 1st rounder this year but does have two 2nds and three 3rds, we have a 1st but only two other picks (3rd and 7th).

I know people don't love trading down (shiny first rounder), but there could be a deal that makes sense there:

eg.

Mrazek + Leafs 1st (25th) for Connolly + Hawks 2nd (38th) + 2 x3rds

Hawks get a first and dump Connolly who they've buried in the minors.

We dump Mrazek and while we do give up a 1st we get to restock our pick cupboard a bit and depending on your views 25 vs 38 may not be a big difference.


A deal like that depends a lot on teams draft strategies and draft boards though.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Can the Blackhawks solve the Maple Leafs' Petr Mrazek problem?

A deal featuring Petr Mrazek makes a lot of sense for both sides. Let’s explore why.

theathletic.com

What the Blackhawks would want to take him on

Powers: The Blackhawks would seek assets in return for Mrazek. They probably understand they’re unlikely to pry a first-round draft pick from the Leafs, but they’ll be expecting something in that next tier of draft picks and/or prospects. Freeing an elite team like the Leafs of $3.8 million in cap space for two seasons, especially when the cap isn’t likely to increase, is quite significant. Spent wisely, that additional cap space could certainly help the Leafs get that much closer to contending for a Stanley Cup.

What the Leafs would be willing to give up

Siegel: That’s the biggest question of all. We do have some precedent to work with. Back in 2019, this front office sent a first round pick to the Hurricanes to take on the pricey last year of Patrick Marleau’s contract ($6.25 million cap hit). It was a high cost to pay, a mess Dubas had to clean up from his predecessor. The pick became Seth Jarvis. The Leafs won’t want to do that again. Just this past season, mind you, the Leafs gave the Coyotes a conditional pick — a third in 2023 or a second in 2025 — to get rid of Nick Ritchie’s contract, which had another year left at $2.5 million on the cap. The Leafs did get snarly defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin back in the trade. Perhaps they look to bring back an asset in some sort of Mrazek swap. Mrazek’s deal is both pricier and longer than Ritchie’s. So, what cost might they be amenable to? You can be sure the Leafs will want to protect their first round pick at all costs. A second rounder seems like a reasonable place to start. The Leafs don’t have one again until 2024 at the moment. They could couple that pick with a B-level prospect like Nick Abruzzese. Maybe they even add a roster player like Justin Holl to the deal. That would create even more cap space. Chicago could spin Holl off for another asset at next year’s trade deadline. In that scenario, perhaps the Blackhawks send back a cheap, useful young-ish player in the deal. If not, a second and a prospect feels like the right price to pay. Anything more and the Leafs might be better off looking elsewhere, or simply buying out Mrazek’s contract.

I just like how they think the Leafs have to pay significantly more than anyone has ever had to pay to move a guy like Mrazek.

Chicago specifically did not get a 2nd + prospect value when they took on Connolly, and Mrazek has better contract value (i.e. Connolly was no longer NHL caliber and Mrazek is still useful).

Frankly, Chicago could benefit from Mrazek as much as we could dumping him too, so I would not be surprised if they don't want any kind of real sweetener. Chicago needs two goalies. They likely won't be able to get a legit starter in there, and when they compare the prices vs. the upside of the alternatives, they may think a guy like Mrazek is a better bet (especially since we would not ask for anything in return).

He is not old. His track record is solid and the money is not ridiculous considering that track record. He could easily turn it around next year and then suddenly they are looking at a solid return on their investment (not much unlike they got with Fleury). Worst case, he is still a good stop gap.

 

[supermann_98]

It's definitely not a reach. I'd consider Marner a good skater despite missing explosiveness. Skating is more than just pure speed. It also includes edges, agility, pivoting, control and strength.

Robertson won't speed or power you out with his skating a lot, but he's more than capable of out maneuvering you and he has no problems keeping up with fast players because he's definitely not slow either.

I agree his skating has improved significantly and he can be a good player at his current "top speed" because of his agility and edgework, but his strength on his skates is pretty brutal. Not saying he falls down due to a gust of wind but almost anytime he's fighting a guy for the puck he ends up on the ice, which is how he blew his knee out on his last injury when his weight buckled his leg under him

 

[ToneDog]

I just like how they think the Leafs have to pay significantly more than anyone has ever had to pay to move a guy like Mrazek.

Chicago specifically did not get a 2nd + prospect value when they took on Connolly, and Mrazek has better contract value (i.e. Connolly was no longer NHL caliber and Mrazek is still useful).

Frankly, Chicago could benefit from Mrazek as much as we could dumping him too, so I would not be surprised if they don't want any kind of real sweetener. Chicago needs two goalies. They likely won't be able to get a legit starter in there, and when they compare the prices vs. the upside of the alternatives, they may think a guy like Mrazek is a better bet (especially since we would not ask for anything in return).

Leafs are more desperate to dump Mrazek than Hawks are for a goalie. $8.6m will buy you a pretty good UFA goalie.

 

[showtime8]

I just like how they think the Leafs have to pay significantly more than anyone has ever had to pay to move a guy like Mrazek.

Chicago specifically did not get a 2nd + prospect value when they took on Connolly, and Mrazek has better contract value (i.e. Connolly was no longer NHL caliber and Mrazek is still useful).

Frankly, Chicago could benefit from Mrazek as much as we could dumping him too, so I would not be surprised if they don't want any kind of real sweetener. Chicago needs two goalies. They likely won't be able to get a legit starter in there, and when they compare the prices vs. the upside of the alternatives, they may think a guy like Mrazek is a better bet (especially since we would not ask for anything in return).

He is not old. His track record is solid and the money is not ridiculous considering that track record. He could easily turn it around next year and then suddenly they are looking at a solid return on their investment (not much unlike they got with Fleury). Worst case, he is still a good stop gap.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I wouldn't mind a Mrazek for Connelly swap. I don't understand how he goes from a 20 goal scorer in full seasons to being sent down a couple years later.

I think both sides could argue about adding some pieces. Chicago is going to say that Mrazek didn't look good for 3/4 of the season and has an extra year. They could essentially just bury him for one more year and be done with his contract. Even get a 6th round pick at this years deadline. Toronto could argue that it's tough to find goaltending in the league and while he hasn't been great, they wouldn't have to use Lankinen and Chicago is going nowhere fast.

An even swap works for both sides.

Leafs are more desperate to dump Mrazek than Hawks are for a goalie. $8.6m will buy you a pretty good UFA goalie.

You also have to consider where the Blackhawks are as an organization. They traded Hagel because of the return and they've got decisions to make with Toews and Kane and turning over the roster.

Sure they could overpay for a guy on a 1 or 2 year deal to bridge them to someone else.

 

[pspot]

honestly what's different with mrazek than a year ago when Dubas signed him? he had staying healthy flags then. If he thought it made sense at that point then just go with it instead of giving up assets a year later to do something else. Don't bring back campbell and pair someone with Mrazek

 

[ToneDog]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I wouldn't mind a Mrazek for Connelly swap. I don't understand how he goes from a 20 goal scorer in full seasons to being sent down a couple years later.

I think both sides could argue about adding some pieces. Chicago is going to say that Mrazek didn't look good for 3/4 of the season and has an extra year. They could essentially just bury him for one more year and be done with his contract. Even get a 6th round pick at this years deadline. Toronto could argue that it's tough to find goaltending in the league and while he hasn't been great, they wouldn't have to use Lankinen and Chicago is going nowhere fast.

An even swap works for both sides.



You also have to consider where the Blackhawks are as an organization. They traded Hagel because of the return and they've got decisions to make with Toews and Kane and turning over the roster.

Sure they could overpay for a guy on a 1 or 2 year deal to bridge them to someone else.

If I was Hawks GM I'd be shopping for a goalie and double back to Mrazek if I can't find one. Hawks are not winning anything soon so they probably don't even have to overpay for a bridge guy. I'd dig in an wait for Dubas to give me the sweetener I want.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I wouldn't mind a Mrazek for Connelly swap. I don't understand how he goes from a 20 goal scorer in full seasons to being sent down a couple years later.

I think both sides could argue about adding some pieces. Chicago is going to say that Mrazek didn't look good for 3/4 of the season and has an extra year. They could essentially just bury him for one more year and be done with his contract. Even get a 6th round pick at this years deadline. Toronto could argue that it's tough to find goaltending in the league and while he hasn't been great, they wouldn't have to use Lankinen and Chicago is going nowhere fast.

An even swap works for both sides.

The Leafs would probably point out that Connolly, other than 3 years, has been a fringe NHLer or worse his entire career, and was not even good enough to crack a rebuilding team's roster, while Mrazek just had one really down year (mostly hampered by numerous injuries) but has had a solid track record of success the rest of his career.

Connolly is guaranteed dead money. Mrazek is not. Leafs would rather have the useful asset than the dead money, so unless Chicago includes some kind of sweetener or the Leafs find a third team to dump Connolly to, I don't think we consider it.

 

[ULF_55]

He's literally been a boy, playing against men. He's young, he's small, and he has to work on his core strength, and balance. He gets knocked down, and around too much. I don't expect a power forward by any stretch, but he really needs to work on his core, and leg strength. Even a small guy like Marner has incredible strength. There was video of Marner a few years ago squatting 375 lbs. Robertson also needs some luck, and time to have a good hockey summer, free of injury, to work on his deficiencies... really, this summer should be exactly that for him.

I really don't have expectations for him, but if he puts the time in the gym, and works on his game this off season, we should know what we have in him next year.

Different boys have different timelines for becoming men.

He's also a September born, so except for a couple of weeks could have be drafted a year later.

This year 49 players drafted in 2019 or later played 10 games or more, 37 played more than 20.
Most were 1st. or 2nd. round picks, although there were some others, and a few overages.

It would be good if he could play some good games for the Leafs this year, but even if it takes a couple more years in the minors it wouldn't be the end of the world.

It really is up to him, the Leafs have quite a few openings.

 

[ToneDog]

honestly what's different with mrazek than a year ago when Dubas signed him? he had staying healthy flags then. If he thought it made sense at that point then just go with it instead of giving up assets a year later to do something else. Don't bring back campbell and pair someone with Mrazek

The difference is that he has had back to back injury plagues seasons and he wasn't exactly the second coming of Domenic Hasek in the games he played. Pairing someone with Mrazek might be worse than pairing him with Soup. Soup was making $1.65m. That won't buy you a potential UFA #1G. Giving Mrazek 3x3.8m was insurance for Soup walking but I doubt Leafs want for it to play out that way after seeing what they saw last year from Mrazek. Can't wait to see how Dubas wiggles his way out from this mistake.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

honestly what's different with mrazek than a year ago when Dubas signed him? he had staying healthy flags then. If he thought it made sense at that point then just go with it instead of giving up assets a year later to do something else. Don't bring back campbell and pair someone with Mrazek

Mrazek didn't have health issues when we signed him. He broke his thumb and needed surgery, and he came back from it. Sure, he has had a few other minor things here or there, but so does every other goalie.

The groin issues he has had this year are more concerning, especially since they have happened three separate times.

 

[LeafChief]

I'm fascinated by the 'Leafs fans' in this thread that are hoping for the Leafs to have to pay to dump Mrazek.

Florida dumping Connolly is a perfect example of how it really won't cost as much as people think if the Leafs choose to go that route.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm fascinated by the 'Leafs fans' in this thread that are hoping for the Leafs to have to pay to dump Mrazek.

Florida dumping Connolly is a perfect example of how it really won't cost as much as people think if the Leafs choose to go that route.

Who are all these fans 'hoping'?

 

[LeafChief]

Has anyone been able to clarify if bonuses are still paid out July 1 (with the draft and free agency being pushed back this year)?

Paying out Kerfoot's bonus on July 1 and being able to trade him before the draft at a salary of $750k should get us back quite the return after the season he just had.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Has anyone been able to clarify if bonuses are still paid out July 1 (with the draft and free agency being pushed back this year)?

Paying out Kerfoot's bonus on July 1 and being able to trade him before the draft at a salary of $750k should get us back quite the return after the season he just had.

They are still paid out July 1.

He also has a NTC kicking in at that time, but I doubt that will matter much.

 

[Nineteen67]

You can bury Borgstrom and Khaira without cap penalty and Connolly shortens the buyout by 2 years. This makes them more cap friendly options than just buying out Mrazek.

OK. So Mrazek is 4 yr buyout.

Mrazek buyout according to cap friendly

Cap hit would be $1,033,000 this year
$833,000 for 23-24
$1,433,000 for 24-25
$1,433,000 for 25-26

Oh my.