Trades and UFA’s - Trade Deadline Edition

[horner]

That is why iam glad that dubas is gone. It seemed like he was going all in every year.
He never had a good read on the team .

 

[horner]

I don't mind if the focus is on restocking the cupboards, clearing out some contracts where possible and setting the table for a strong offseason. Or just standing pat. Ultimately, I don't mind if Minten, Cowan and picks are traded to bring in prime age core pieces, but it's all about timing, fit, opportunity and really making those correct investments rather than spending premium assets on Foligno and friends year and year.

Simply put we need good players on ELC contracts with the way our cap is built.
Now we need a coach Berube to bring out the best in these players

We already have
Woll
Knies
Holmberg
McMann
Robertson I think he gets traded
Cowen
Minten
Hildeby
Grebyonkin

With these players now we can concentrate on defence
TDL
3rd rd pk +
Prospect I would trade
Robertson
Abruzzese
Niemela
We need a a physical dman that can PK

Keep our 1st till the offseason once we know where we are going to end up.

See what is available @ UFA season
If we need to then use our 1st for a dman

Until JT is gone we don't have alot of wiggle room

 

[Kief Richards]

All kinds of proposed trades in a league that does very little trading. Seems we try to fix big holes every year around trade deadline, (with very little to no success). This team needs to be constructed a little differently in the off season, perhaps. We need to build defense and change a few spots for more competitive, will to win players.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

Honestly selling at the deadline and therefore telling this team they aren't good enough may be a good message to send. Every year the players/team are backed massively with significant assets being traded for rentals with 1 playoff series win in like 7 years to show for it

 

[Stephen]

Honestly selling at the deadline and therefore telling this team they aren't good enough may be a good message to send. Every year the players/team are backed massively with significant assets being traded for rentals with 1 playoff series win in like 7 years to show for it

Feels like 2019-20 all over again leading up to the Babcock firing. They were also considering selling Barrie at the deadline before the pandemic shut down.

Would also be helpful to try and get some college and European free agents to help fill some gaps. Another Bozak, Mikheyev, Barabanov would be quite welcome.

 

[Fogelhund]

Do you think Treliving is capable of making a logical decision though? I could see him not spending assets but I don't see him admitting defeat and selling off assets.

I'm not even sure Treliving is making the decisions.... It's probably Shanahan still... Treliving just does the work.

 

[Fogelhund]

Feels like 2019-20 all over again leading up to the Babcock firing. They were also considering selling Barrie at the deadline before the pandemic shut down.

Would also be helpful to try and get some college and European free agents to help fill some gaps. Another Bozak, Mikheyev, Barabanov would be quite welcome.

I mean, I really doubt we would actually be sellers, but it could be a really good thing too. Move out some bodies for futures, picks and prospects, and then just give our guys a shot at playing in the NHL. You've got Steeves, and Abruzzese who are 23 and 24... let them play, and see if they can play at the NHL level. Give Robertson and Knies PP time... Let Holmberg play, maybe extended at C as well.

Give Kokkonen and Rifai some time too...

We will never know what they can do at the NHL level, until you give them some time.

Then as you say, intelligently restock, sign the right UFA's, College guys, and Euros. Look how many teams regressed, and then went on to success. Tampa, Colorado... just to name two recent examples.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Simply put we need good players on ELC contracts with the way our cap is built.
Now we need a coach Berube to bring out the best in these players

We already have
Woll
Knies
Holmberg
McMann
Robertson I think he gets traded
Cowen
Minten
Hildeby
Grebyonkin

With these players now we can concentrate on defence
TDL
3rd rd pk +
Prospect I would trade
Robertson
Abruzzese
Niemela
We need a a physical dman that can PK

Keep our 1st till the offseason once we know where we are going to end up.

See what is available @ UFA season
If we need to then use our 1st for a dman

Until JT is gone we don't have alot of wiggle room

Next year almost all cap space should go to addressing backend, up front the prospects you listed and a couple of vets who can kill penalties should round out the forward group.

Given how UFA went this year, i dont have a lot of faith that Tre understand roster construction, he just grabbed some guys that in isolation are either ok or he hoped would work out, but they didn't fit with the team we had. Can chaulk that up to being new and not understanding the team hopefully, if not yikes.

year after you take JT's money and the rising cap to round out the forwards.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

I'm not even sure Treliving is making the decisions.... It's probably Shanahan still... Treliving just does the work.

I think it's been Shanahan teams since the beginning hence why Dubas left as he wanted final say on all matters and likely wasn't getting it here

 

[stickty111]

I'm not even sure Treliving is making the decisions.... It's probably Shanahan still... Treliving just does the work.

Much like Dubas, Brad is a puppet for Shanny. Dubas wanted to stop being a puppet and got let go.

 

[Scion]

Surprisingly the Leafs have done a better job of creating off the rush and defending the rush than the Avalanche.

 

[Fogelhund]

Much like Dubas, Brad is a puppet for Shanny. Dubas wanted to stop being a puppet and got let go.

Exactly my point.

 

[stickty111]

Exactly my point.

Dubas could have won a cup here and he probably is still let go. The problem was power, not results and that was proven this off season.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm not even sure Treliving is making the decisions.... It's probably Shanahan still... Treliving just does the work.

Didn't he leave Calgary because of interference? It's hard to imagine he'd come here just to be told what to do.

 

[Avilaj07]

I would love if we could somehow trade Marner to L.A and get Byfield as part of the package. Kid is going to be a stud and is just starting to break out.

To Toronto-
Byfield
Clarke
Moore

To Kings-
Marner
Robertson
Niemela
Jarnkrok

 

[4thline]

I'm not even sure Treliving is making the decisions.... It's probably Shanahan still... Treliving just does the work.

Eh, I don't think Shanny is or was "making the decisions" on that kind of scale. I highly doubt that he was shaping the bottom 6, interfering at the draft board, choosing what UFA's to sign with remaining cap space, etc etc etc.

But what is almost certain at this point, is that decisions regarding the core 4 were outside of the scope of the GM's portfolio.

LouLam gone because he was going to play hardball
Babcock gone to assuage players instead of a trade to make example of malcontent(s)
Dubas gone when he lost belief in the core and wanted to change it up.
Treliving immediately doubling down and paying premiums to do so.

One rule- we keep the stars.
I wouldn't even call that interference if it's communicated upfront- it's setting the strategic direction of the team and providing the lines to colour inside.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Didn't he leave Calgary because of interference? It's hard to imagine he'd come here just to be told what to do.

IIRC entire board was getting involved and it was a pain in the ass. So...kind of but not the same level as Shanny's overhead I think.

Hierarchy is very interesting in different areas...like Aqualini was very meddlesome for the longest time. Melnyk was an absolute jackass in all levels.

Always surprisingly, the Agile approach isn't taken as much tbh.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Aren't jobs on the line though?

Is this the beginning of a re-tool then? How does that make sense?

TOR looks no different now then when they supposedly went all-in when Dubas was around.

Why would BT acquire Bertuzzi, Domi, etc. only to be hovering around .500?

I don't mind them holding on to 1st round picks/prospects, but TOR still doesn't need to move major assets to improve in places.

 

[Sypher04]

Honestly, as shit as we’ve been, it’s too early to talk about being sellers at the deadline. And in a lot of ways, I have a hard time thinking they’ll do it regardless.

But yeah, if we are barely holding a playoff spot come that point or outside as a bubble team, then we should clear out the expiring contracts like Bertuzzi, Domi and Brodie at least and bring in whatever assets you can to help us fix the team in the offseason.

Truthfully I don’t think our fortunes change dramatically replacing any of those guys with internal options.

As much as missing the playoffs would be a massive failure for this season, and especially with the talent on this roster, it’s not like Matthews needs an extension this summer and could be influenced by this. Just fix it quickly and get back on track next year, and 4 years from now when negotiating again no one will care that we had 1 blip year out of the postseason.

My preference, overwhelmingly, is that they try to improve this team at the deadline with acquisitions of non-rental assets that can help us build toward a winner, but who knows what’s out there available and at what cost. I also don’t wanna see us tie up our cap space with pricey acquisitions, when a comparable player maybe could be had in FA in the summer, so it’s a fine line

 

[LaPlante94]

Much like Dubas, Brad is a puppet for Shanny. Dubas wanted to stop being a puppet and got let go.

Dubas got let go for trying to snake his boss out of their job

 

[Fogelhund]

""

Hmmm....

Merzlikins + Peeke @50% for Samsonov + Reaves?

 

[Sypher04]

""

Hmmm....

Merzlikins + Peeke @50% for Samsonov + Reaves?

Definitely interested what we would have to add, but I would at least explore it.

 

[Malachi Crunch]

Today I found out that Draisaitl lives in the Toronto area in the offseason (his gf is from here).

Here's a far-fetched idea:

Say the Leafs stink for the rest of the year and Edmonton gets eliminated from the playoffs quickly.

If both teams need a change, what about signing Drai as a free agent this summer and trading Marner? (maybe trade him to Edmonton)

This scenario would also be influenced by whether Drai wants to leave Edmonton. (which he might if they bomb again)

 

[Fogelhund]

Definitely interested what we would have to add, but I would at least explore it.

The question is... would we need to add? Columbus reduces their long-term commitments, and moves two guys who want out. Samsonov is UFA at the end of the year.... ya.. they take on Reaves, but that's not a big deal compared to the rest of the dough.

Apparently it's been know that Merzlinkins has been available all year, and there has been no takers so far.... I'm not really sure what to think of him, he hasn't been great the past couple of years, but is that him, or the team? That's where I would hesitate, and leave it up to pro scouts to decide what he really is.

Today I found out that Draisaitl lives in the Toronto area in the offseason (his gf is from here).

Here's a far-fetched idea:

Say the Leafs stink for the rest of the year and Edmonton gets eliminated from the playoffs quickly.

If both teams need a change, what about signing Drai as a free agent this summer and trading Marner? (maybe trade him to Edmonton)

This scenario would also be influenced by whether Drai wants to leave Edmonton. (which he might if they bomb again)

Big challenge is Drai is going to want more than we could really afford to pay, you'd think. He's going to want $12-14 mil....

 

[ACC1224]

Today I found out that Draisaitl lives in the Toronto area in the offseason (his gf is from here).

Here's a far-fetched idea:

Say the Leafs stink for the rest of the year and Edmonton gets eliminated from the playoffs quickly.

If both teams need a change, what about signing Drai as a free agent this summer and trading Marner? (maybe trade him to Edmonton)

This scenario would also be influenced by whether Drai wants to leave Edmonton. (which he might if they bomb again)

Bigger question is why would Marner waive to go to Edmonton?