GDT: Trades & Free Agency -- Off-season edition

[Clark4Ever]

Looking at Saros' career stats, this past season was good, but he had a significant decline in save percentage compared to previous years:

Year	Team	League	GP	W	L	T	OT	MIN	SHA	GA	GAA	SV %	SO	G	A	PTS	PIM
2023-24	Nashville	NHL	64	35	24	-	5	3625	1845	173	2.86	.906	3	0	2	2	2
2022-23	Nashville	NHL	64	33	23	-	7	3810	2099	171	2.69	.919	2	0	1	1	0
2021-22	Nashville	NHL	67	38	25	-	3	3932	2107	173	2.64	.918	4	0	0	-	0
2020-21	Nashville	NHL	36	21	11	-	1	2052	1073	78	2.28	.927	3	0	0	0	2
2019-20	Nashville	NHL	40	17	12	-	4	2177	1142	98	2.70	.914	4	0	0	0	0
2018-19	Nashville	NHL	31	17	10	-	2	1696	870	74	2.62	.915	3	0	0	0	0
2017-18	Nashville	NHL	26	11	5	-	7	1497	810	61	2.45	.925	3	0	3	3	0
2017-18	Milwaukee	AHL	9	3	5	-	1	542	277	26	2.88	.906	1	-	-	-	-
2016-17	Nashville	NHL	21	10	8	-	3	1200	614	47	2.35	.923	1	0	1	1	0

 

[thusk]

Looking at Saros' career stats, this past season was good, but he had a significant decline in save percentage compared to previous years:

Year	Team	League	GP	W	L	T	OT	MIN	SHA	GA	GAA	SV %	SO	G	A	PTS	PIM
2023-24	Nashville	NHL	64	35	24	-	5	3625	1845	173	2.86	.906	3	0	2	2	2
2022-23	Nashville	NHL	64	33	23	-	7	3810	2099	171	2.69	.919	2	0	1	1	0
2021-22	Nashville	NHL	67	38	25	-	3	3932	2107	173	2.64	.918	4	0	0	-	0
2020-21	Nashville	NHL	36	21	11	-	1	2052	1073	78	2.28	.927	3	0	0	0	2
2019-20	Nashville	NHL	40	17	12	-	4	2177	1142	98	2.70	.914	4	0	0	0	0
2018-19	Nashville	NHL	31	17	10	-	2	1696	870	74	2.62	.915	3	0	0	0	0
2017-18	Nashville	NHL	26	11	5	-	7	1497	810	61	2.45	.925	3	0	3	3	0
2017-18	Milwaukee	AHL	9	3	5	-	1	542	277	26	2.88	.906	1	-	-	-	-
2016-17	Nashville	NHL	21	10	8	-	3	1200	614	47	2.35	.923	1	0	1	1	0

he just had a bad start but he's the reason #1 why nashville came back strong and made the playoff

 

[notdoneyet]

And if I'm the leafs I tell Ferris a contract offer is not coming and leak it to the media, and let's see how long Mitch likes having to deal with the constant questions that would come at him from the TO media machine every single game and morning practice regarding his lack of a contract and zero contract discussions with the team, he'd love that I'm sure

Won’t bother him
He will just say the same thing that matthews and nylander said
I leave that all up to my agent

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

No way I want a goalie as the main piece of a Marner trade if we do move him. Goalies have terrible trade market value and you can probably get a decent stop-gap for Hildeby for a 3rd or 4th round pick at the most if you can't sign one.

I need a top young C/RW and RD combo that can play in the league to even consider it.

 

[Duffman955]

What would Nashville need to include to Saros to make you comfortable with a Marner trade?

Fabbro, Glass, 1st?


Other potential landing spots:

Seattle: Wright + Oleksiak + 1st
Utah: Crouse + Keller + ?

 

[tony135420]

And if I'm the leafs I tell Ferris a contract offer is not coming and leak it to the media, and let's see how long Mitch likes having to deal with the constant questions that would come at him from the TO media machine every single game and morning practice regarding his lack of a contract and zero contract discussions with the team, he'd love that I'm sure

This is a terrible idea. Marner, like him or not, is an All Star elite talent. You don't refuse to offer any contract in hopes he asks for a trade then leak to media to make yourselves look bad. Just offer him what you think he's worth to your team. Low ball him if that's how you can fit him in, but doing nothing is probably a bad move. Ferris will have a field day in the media with that.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

What would Nashville need to include to Saros to make you comfortable with a Marner trade?

Fabbro, Glass, 1st?


Other potential landing spots:

Seattle: Wright + Oleksiak + 1st
Utah: Crouse + Keller + ?

A goalie cannot be the center piece of the trade. Even if it was Askarov would be the guy I'd be asking for. Players of Marner's calibre never get traded. The two closest in value would likely be Tkachuk and Eichel in recent years and both are less productive players.

Tkachuk returned a guy coming off a 100 point season and a top 4 RHD(that plays left).

Eichel coming off major back surgery still returned a young C/RW pair that both projected to play in the top 6 at the time and a 1st round pick.

The return needs to be huge.

 

[Torontonian]

What would Nashville need to include to Saros to make you comfortable with a Marner trade?

Fabbro, Glass, 1st?


Other potential landing spots:

Seattle: Wright + Oleksiak + 1st
Utah: Crouse + Keller + ?

Scenario 1: Saros + L'Heurex or Molendyk + 1st (2025)
Scenario 2: Wright + Borgan or Larsson (both need extension and pay raise) + 1st. (2025)
Scenario 3: Schmaltz (I think hes a quality almost PPG winger past 3 years) + 1st (2025)

Utah is a hard team to make a trade with, apart from Keller/Schmaltz/Crouse and firsts they don't really have anything desirable and I think Schmaltz fits alot better then Keller would.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Goaltending will be a fun one for us to solve. So we're looking for a tandem goalie who can play 35-45 games and not sink the season. Well also want a veteran #3 like Jones who can play 10-15 games for injury relief.

I believe there is only 1 or 2 goalies in UFA that could be a fit. Otherwise we need to seek a trade

 

[Peasy]

Scenario 1: Saros + L'Heurex or Molendyk + 1st (2025)
Scenario 2: Wright + Borgan or Larsson (both need extension and pay raise) + 1st. (2025)
Scenario 3: Schmaltz (I think hes a quality almost PPG winger past 3 years) + 1st (2025)

Utah is a hard team to make a trade with, apart from Keller/Schmaltz/Crouse and firsts they don't really have anything desirable and I think Schmaltz fits alot better then Keller would.

Hayton would be the guy I'd want out of Utah. I think he could develop into a solid 2 way 2C in the right situation. Yotes jerked him around so much and never gave him any stability. Could see after him getting moved and it turning into a similar situation as Bennett.

Yotes got Cooley for sure as a C, and then Bjugstad played great for them last year. Plus they still have Connor Geekie around. If they can convince Bjugstad to stay around longer, maybe they would be open to dealing Hayton. But Mitch would ofc have to agree to go there which could be tough.

 

[TMLAM34]

Scenario 1: Saros + L'Heurex or Molendyk + 1st (2025)
Scenario 2: Wright + Borgan or Larsson (both need extension and pay raise) + 1st. (2025)
Scenario 3: Schmaltz (I think hes a quality almost PPG winger past 3 years) + 1st (2025)

Utah is a hard team to make a trade with, apart from Keller/Schmaltz/Crouse and firsts they don't really have anything desirable and I think Schmaltz fits alot better then Keller would.

I think Utah has a lot more to offer than just Keller/Schmaltz/Crouse… There’s Hayton, McBain, Doan, Guenther, Geekie and Lamoureux. Now maybe all those names might not be available but there’s a lot of young players to like from Utah. They also have their 1st along with 4 2nd round picks (one being ours) in next years draft assuming a deal gets done after Marner gets his bonuses.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Goaltending will be a fun one for us to solve. So we're looking for a tandem goalie who can play 35-45 games and not sink the season. Well also want a veteran #3 like Jones who can play 10-15 games for injury relief.

I believe there is only 1 or 2 goalies in UFA that could be a fit. Otherwise we need to seek a trade

If we don't get an ECHL affiliate for next year I would just let Hildeby be the 3G option. Akhtiamov and Peksa will also need games next year after Peksa just played 19 games after years of 56 and 40 plus games the previous two seasons.

A decent enough tandem guy should be available pretty cheap.

 

[OVO16]

Saros is getting extended according to Lebrun so there's no point of making these hypothetical deals.

 

[mydnyte]

for all the trade Marner talk, I'm pretty sure his ice time and responsibility will actually go UP under Berube.
I doubt he will be traded unless HE asks for it.
Any coach would want Marner and his 200 foot all situation ability.

In the playoffs he was smothered after looking for someone to pass to, and, finding nobody open ever (coaching issue more than anything, as Matthews/Nylander know how to get open but Bert was useless).
Marner just needs to be instructed to just drive the play himself and stop looking for a pass.
Once he becomes more selfish with the puck, he will become a much more dangerous player (like McDavid after losing the Hart to Matthews, he decided to just shoot the puck himself and take it to the net on his own, rather than pass all the time...no idea why he stopped this season).

 

[SprDaVE]

Saros is getting extended according to Lebrun so there's no point of making these hypothetical deals.

Then let's call about Askarov

 

[SprDaVE]

If we don't get an ECHL affiliate for next year I would just let Hildeby be the 3G option. Akhtiamov and Peksa will also need games next year after Peksa just played 19 games after years of 56 and 40 plus games the previous two seasons.

A decent enough tandem guy should be available pretty cheap.

The Leafs will 99% have an ECHL affiliate in some way. You can also loan out players to the AHL/ECHL if they really can't find a new team.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

for all the trade Marner talk, I'm pretty sure his ice time and responsibility will actually go UP under Berube.
I doubt he will be traded unless HE asks for it.
Any coach would want Marner and his 200 foot all situation ability.

In the playoffs he was smothered after looking for someone to pass to, and, finding nobody open ever (coaching issue more than anything, as Matthews/Nylander know how to get open but Bert was useless).
Marner just needs to be instructed to just drive the play himself and stop looking for a pass.
Once he becomes more selfish with the puck, he will become a much more dangerous player (like McDavid after losing the Hart to Matthews, he decided to just shoot the puck himself and take it to the net on his own, rather than pass all the time...no idea why he stopped this season).

That...is definitely a matter of opinion.

 

[Torontonian]

I think Utah has a lot more to offer than just Keller/Schmaltz/Crouse… There’s Hayton, McBain, Doan, Guenther, Geekie and Lamoureux. Now maybe all those names might not be available but there’s a lot of young players to like from Utah. They also have their 1st along with 4 2nd round picks (one being ours) in next years draft assuming a deal gets done after Marner gets his bonuses.

When I say less to offer, I mean trying to fill our needs going forward in getting either a top tier goalie or a top 4 dman in the trade. Both Nashvile and Seattle could do that for us from the scenarios I posted. Utah has a lot of quality forward pieces but I don't think Toronto will exactly be looking for younger NHLers like Hayton/Doan/Guenther etc, unless it's like a Wright from Seattle where he can breakout into a high end forward for us.

 

[mydnyte]

That...is definitely a matter of opinion.

its not an opinion, to suggest otherwise is naive...
Marner is on the 1st PK, 1st PP, a great 5 on 5, and 4 on 4 player, and is always on the ice the last min to protect a lead, or if we need a goal to tie it up.
Marner is the most relied upon skater on our roster in all situations

 

[TheGreenTBer]

its not an opinion, to suggest otherwise is naive...
Marner is on the 1st PK, 1st PP, a great 5 on 5, and 4 on 4 player, and is always on the ice the last min to protect a lead, or if we need a goal to tie it up.
Marner is the most relied upon skater on our roster in all situations

...and my point is that if he truly were an all-situations player he probably wouldn't allegedly be on the trading block.

 

[rumman]

its not an opinion, to suggest otherwise is naive...
Marner is on the 1st PK, 1st PP, a great 5 on 5, and 4 on 4 player, and is always on the ice the last min to protect a lead, or if we need a goal to tie it up.
Marner is the most relied upon skater on our roster in all situations

With those credentials he should return a boat load of assets when he’s traded………

 

[Skullz]

Welcome to trying a trade a player with a full NMC, UFA in a years time and getting dumped on pretty heavily through the fanbase and through the hockey world in general. Marner is great though and should have a ton of value... should... To me he should be a Maple Leaf next year really but we're basically throwing away the player because it's not working.

I think you're exaggerating quite a bit that Nashville has nothing of value outside of Saros and his value should suck. I get that we're Leaf fans here and our bias is severely tilted one way but try to look at it from their side.

Yes there's truth to that. Honestly if the trade isn't there I think we need to keep him, as upset as people will be by that.

What I mean by NSH has nothing of value is that they don't have assets to fit our areas of need that they are willing to trade. Josi and Forsberg would be amazing, but we aren't getting them. If i trade Marner I want a very good D or C as the central return.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Big offseason ahead:

• Potential Marner trade
• Need a notable goalie
• Overhaul of defense
• Lilegren decision
• New coach and assistants
• Domi, Bert, DeWar, Robertson, Lyub contracts? Edmundson is gone I'm sure
• Draft someone in the 1st round for the 2nd year in a row!

 

[SprDaVE]

Yes there's truth to that. Honestly if the trade isn't there I think we need to keep him, as upset as people will be by that.

What I mean by NSH has nothing of value is that they don't have assets to fit our areas of need that they are willing to trade. Josi and Forsberg would be amazing, but we aren't getting them. If i trade Marner I want a very good D or C as the central return.

I think they have pretty interesting assets outside of just looking at Saros that could give the Leafs a lot of future assets such as picks and a couple solid young players that could replenish a lot of depth.

When trading the best player in a trade, it's very hard to make it out on top unless you can find a situation where a 1 for 1 works for both sides. I am not sure the Leafs will find a partner that have as good of a C or D to trade for Marner, so you'll likely have to resort to more quantity than quality.

 

[SprDaVE]

Big offseason ahead:

• Potential Marner trade
• Need a notable goalie
• Overhaul of defense
• Lilegren decision
• New coach and assistants
• Domi, Bert, DeWar, Robertson, Lyub contracts? Edmundson is gone I'm sure
• Draft someone in the 1st round for the 2nd year in a row!

It might be an unfair expectation but I hope Treliving and gang are aggressive and obviously make better decisions this off-season than the last. There's a lot of important decisions and a good crop of defenseman slated to hit UFA -- they can't screw it up.

There shouldn't be any excuses for Treliving this time around to really put his mark on the team, fix the holes and round out the team so that they can finally get through the slump.