Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 Season Edition

[Stephen]

Moving on from Kampf seems like the easiest but smartest move to help our cap situation. His usage has decreased dramatically under Berube.

He just had his best game of the season in an expanded role vs Boston...

 

[Stephen]

I think Liljegren was a proven defender who wasn't admired by his new coach. Robertson while cheaper and having potential has not performed at Liljegren's level in the NHL. He's an undersized, unproven winger, not a normal sized, proven, RHD.

If you put Reaves on waivers and he is claimed then there is no heavyweight on the roster and teams will have extra room to bully the Leafs better players. I think you can see a difference in the way Marner and Matthews are reacting in scrums for example. They are actually fighting back. I think that's a trickle down effect. Many of the players are now scrappy players, when Marner and Matthews are in a scrum now they can toss an extra gloved punch or shove and they know someone else on the ice will be able to fight their battle for them. Reaves is a part of that, without him, they lose a bit of that edge with the likes of Rempe and Xhekaj running around. I like the idea of the star players skating and dangling with a bit of swagger under this management, they were often out gunned in a physical sense under Dubas and the team had to play scared and were less likely to engage. I want them confident out there.

I think they would miss Reaves if he were to go, they don't need a project like Robertson.

The damning thing about Liljegren is Conor Timmins stole his lunch.

In an interview he said, the coach likes it when you play simple, and that's what Timmins has done. Plus he's got comparable finesse skills to Liljegren, is bigger and skates better and they're about the same age and is cheaper. If internal competition is real, Timmins just beat him to the punch.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Frank Seravalli reports Maple Leafs may opt to place Matt Benning on waivers

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs m...

theleafsnation.com

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have no choice but to put defenceman Matt Benning on waivers in the coming days as part of their attempts to get out of the roster clog.

During Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Seravalli was asked by co-host Tyler Yaremchuk how Auston Matthews’ recent injury impacts their roster for the next little bit. He noted that Toronto’s captain is not expected to play at all this weekend, which should give Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving some time to figure out who they need to move off their roster when they have to make a decision.

“They’re at 23 men right now, and therein lies the problem. Cap wise, the Leafs are totally fine. Roster wise, they’ve got to unload two players in order to bring [Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar] back onto the roster,” Seravalli said. “The first and easiest way to do that would probably be to put Matt Benning on waivers. I think they’ve tried to find a taker for him, but the extra year on his deal has prevented that.”

Benning was acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on October 30 with the San Jose Sharks. He has practiced with the team since the transaction but has yet to make an appearance for the Leafs and there are no indications at the time of filing that will change anytime soon.

The Leafs have reportedly been trying to find a taker for Benning since the Liljegren trade given his high cap hit and lack of playing time, but being on the books for this season and next has clearly made it difficult to pull off. Seravalli believes the likely outcome is Benning gets placed on waivers in the near future where he will likely pass though despite having a reasonable cap hit of $1.25 million.

“Could they trade Nick Robertson? Yes, it remains a possibility. Teams have had interest, but the Leafs would prefer to not do that,” Seravalli said regarding who the Leafs may move to free up space.

“I’ll tell you one other thing that they wouldn’t like to do. You might look at their lineup and say, ‘Hey, well Philippe Myers, he’s only played one game this season. You could just put him on waivers.’ The Leafs really don’t want to do that. They think with his size that they’re on the cusp of figuring something out to be a quiet, stay at home defenceman and a cheap option for them in their bottom pair. They’re not ready to give up on him.”

Seravalli added that the Leafs may have no choice but to place Myers on waivers, but they would prefer not to because they don’t think he will clear. The team appears to view him in high regard, so much so that he not only was able to remain on the roster past training camp but also beat out Liljegren for a spot. If Toronto is truly committed to keeping Myers, they will have to get creative in finding away to free themselves from the roster clog that doesn’t involve the 27-year-old.

 

[Jacquestrapless]

I've never heard of a highly regarded 7th D-man, but ok.

 

[Roo]

Why is Myers so valuable if he doesn’t play? Insurance policy for Hakanpaa’s knee?

 

[horner]

Frank Seravalli reports Maple Leafs may opt to place Matt Benning on waivers

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs m...

theleafsnation.com

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have no choice but to put defenceman Matt Benning on waivers in the coming days as part of their attempts to get out of the roster clog.

During Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Seravalli was asked by co-host Tyler Yaremchuk how Auston Matthews’ recent injury impacts their roster for the next little bit. He noted that Toronto’s captain is not expected to play at all this weekend, which should give Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving some time to figure out who they need to move off their roster when they have to make a decision.

“They’re at 23 men right now, and therein lies the problem. Cap wise, the Leafs are totally fine. Roster wise, they’ve got to unload two players in order to bring [Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar] back onto the roster,” Seravalli said. “The first and easiest way to do that would probably be to put Matt Benning on waivers. I think they’ve tried to find a taker for him, but the extra year on his deal has prevented that.”

Benning was acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on October 30 with the San Jose Sharks. He has practiced with the team since the transaction but has yet to make an appearance for the Leafs and there are no indications at the time of filing that will change anytime soon.

The Leafs have reportedly been trying to find a taker for Benning since the Liljegren trade given his high cap hit and lack of playing time, but being on the books for this season and next has clearly made it difficult to pull off. Seravalli believes the likely outcome is Benning gets placed on waivers in the near future where he will likely pass though despite having a reasonable cap hit of $1.25 million.

“Could they trade Nick Robertson? Yes, it remains a possibility. Teams have had interest, but the Leafs would prefer to not do that,” Seravalli said regarding who the Leafs may move to free up space.

“I’ll tell you one other thing that they wouldn’t like to do. You might look at their lineup and say, ‘Hey, well Philippe Myers, he’s only played one game this season. You could just put him on waivers.’ The Leafs really don’t want to do that. They think with his size that they’re on the cusp of figuring something out to be a quiet, stay at home defenceman and a cheap option for them in their bottom pair. They’re not ready to give up on him.”

Seravalli added that the Leafs may have no choice but to place Myers on waivers, but they would prefer not to because they don’t think he will clear. The team appears to view him in high regard, so much so that he not only was able to remain on the roster past training camp but also beat out Liljegren for a spot. If Toronto is truly committed to keeping Myers, they will have to get creative in finding away to free themselves from the roster clog that doesn’t involve the 27-year-old.

Robertson game has been coming around in the past 2 games you can see the confidence coming out in his game.

 

[rumman]

The damning thing about Liljegren is Conor Timmins stole his lunch.

In an interview he said, the coach likes it when you play simple, and that's what Timmins has done. Plus he's got comparable finesse skills to Liljegren, is bigger and skates better and they're about the same age and is cheaper. If internal competition is real, Timmins just beat him to the punch.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

i think the ideal trade this year would be like the one Vegas pulled off to get Hertl.

Need to find a youngish C signed to a long term deal who is maybe underperforming a bit on a team that is not gonna make use of them in their window.

Not sure who that is.

Cozens? Though most Sabres fans think he would be better on the wing.

Troy Terry. I think he plays wing sometimes as well.

Josh Norris. Always injured and doubt Sens trade with us.

Any other candidates?

 

[TMLAM34]

i think the ideal trade this year would be like the one Vegas pulled off to get Hertl.

Need to find a youngish C signed to a long term deal who is maybe underperforming a bit on a team that is not gonna make use of them in their window.

Not sure who that is.

Cozens? Though most Sabres fans think he would be better on the wing.

Troy Terry. I think he plays wing sometimes as well.

Josh Norris. Always injured and doubt Sens trade with us.

Any other candidates?

My dream would be McTavish, but I highly doubt Anaheim moves him.

I’d keep an eye on Cozens. Good player but definitely not living up to expectations. In an ideal situation, I do think he’s better suited on the wing as well but he can definitely still play center. Maybe being around Matthews, Tavares, etc they can help him improve his faceoffs.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Buffalo has a knack for giving up players who find success elsewhere .. Cozens is intriguing

 

[TMLAM34]

Buffalo has a knack for giving up players who find success elsewhere .. Cozens is intriguing

It would cost a lot, but he’s someone I would pay quite a bit for. I’d probably even include Cowan if we’re confident Cozens can be that longer term 2C.

Matthews - Cozens (Trade) - Evans (Free Agency) - Minten

Would be my ideal down the middle. Size, two-way play, young, etc.

 

[TMLAM34]

Would love to acquire Evans earlier via trade as well, I’m not that big on Holmberg as some are around here.

McMann - Evans - Robertson could be a real solid energy third line.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I can't see any way this management and coaching team want to move Kampf and/or Reeves. And I would be leary of moving any centre we have.

I think it's way more likely Holmberg, Robertson or Benning get moved.

You have to trust this management group though. What a job they've done in just over a year reshaping the team.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Frank Seravalli reports Maple Leafs may opt to place Matt Benning on waivers

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs m...

theleafsnation.com

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have no choice but to put defenceman Matt Benning on waivers in the coming days as part of their attempts to get out of the roster clog.

During Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Seravalli was asked by co-host Tyler Yaremchuk how Auston Matthews’ recent injury impacts their roster for the next little bit. He noted that Toronto’s captain is not expected to play at all this weekend, which should give Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving some time to figure out who they need to move off their roster when they have to make a decision.

“They’re at 23 men right now, and therein lies the problem. Cap wise, the Leafs are totally fine. Roster wise, they’ve got to unload two players in order to bring [Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar] back onto the roster,” Seravalli said. “The first and easiest way to do that would probably be to put Matt Benning on waivers. I think they’ve tried to find a taker for him, but the extra year on his deal has prevented that.”

Benning was acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on October 30 with the San Jose Sharks. He has practiced with the team since the transaction but has yet to make an appearance for the Leafs and there are no indications at the time of filing that will change anytime soon.

The Leafs have reportedly been trying to find a taker for Benning since the Liljegren trade given his high cap hit and lack of playing time, but being on the books for this season and next has clearly made it difficult to pull off. Seravalli believes the likely outcome is Benning gets placed on waivers in the near future where he will likely pass though despite having a reasonable cap hit of $1.25 million.

“Could they trade Nick Robertson? Yes, it remains a possibility. Teams have had interest, but the Leafs would prefer to not do that,” Seravalli said regarding who the Leafs may move to free up space.

“I’ll tell you one other thing that they wouldn’t like to do. You might look at their lineup and say, ‘Hey, well Philippe Myers, he’s only played one game this season. You could just put him on waivers.’ The Leafs really don’t want to do that. They think with his size that they’re on the cusp of figuring something out to be a quiet, stay at home defenceman and a cheap option for them in their bottom pair. They’re not ready to give up on him.”

Seravalli added that the Leafs may have no choice but to place Myers on waivers, but they would prefer not to because they don’t think he will clear. The team appears to view him in high regard, so much so that he not only was able to remain on the roster past training camp but also beat out Liljegren for a spot. If Toronto is truly committed to keeping Myers, they will have to get creative in finding away to free themselves from the roster clog that doesn’t involve the 27-year-old.

Yeah I think we need to keep Myers around for when Timmins goes down.

 

[SprDaVE]

i think the ideal trade this year would be like the one Vegas pulled off to get Hertl.

Need to find a youngish C signed to a long term deal who is maybe underperforming a bit on a team that is not gonna make use of them in their window.

Not sure who that is.

Cozens? Though most Sabres fans think he would be better on the wing.

Troy Terry. I think he plays wing sometimes as well.

Josh Norris. Always injured and doubt Sens trade with us.

Any other candidates?

Troy Terry is a winger. He has a total of 40 faceoffs since 2020. If you want to target a center from the Ducks, you're probably aiming for Zegras (a winger lately) or Strome. I think Zegras could explode offensively soon. He's not super expensive cap wise, he's a RFA after his current deal too. He's probably the closest to a Hertl you can get that's probably attainable.

Cozens would be really good but I have zero doubt in my mind the Sabres would not trade him to the Leafs. Same for Norris from the Sens.

 

[Tony Romo]

My dream would be McTavish, but I highly doubt Anaheim moves him.

I’d keep an eye on Cozens. Good player but definitely not living up to expectations. In an ideal situation, I do think he’s better suited on the wing as well but he can definitely still play center. Maybe being around Matthews, Tavares, etc they can help him improve his faceoffs.

McTavish could be interesting. He's an RFA this summer, if the contract negotiations go a bit side ways, they could consider it. I just don't really know what we could offer.


Also, how much are we giving Ekblad/Bennett this offseason?

 

[TMLAM34]

Troy Terry is a winger. He has a total of 40 faceoffs since 2020. If you want to target a center from the Ducks, you're probably aiming for Zegras (a winger lately) or Strome. I think Zegras could explode offensively soon. He's not super expensive cap wise, he's a RFA after his current deal too. He's probably the closest to a Hertl you can get that's probably attainable.

Cozens would be really good but I have zero doubt in my mind the Sabres would not trade him to the Leafs. Same for Norris from the Sens.

Zegras would be a decent target if we’re willing to bet his offensive game would take off here. But he’s not a center, you’re better off putting Willy down the middle than Zegras. Zegras would probably slot in the 2LW spot. He would also probably be pretty cheap to acquire.

 

[Stephen]

Buffalo has a knack for giving up players who find success elsewhere .. Cozens is intriguing

Buffalo is the leagues farm team for future cup winning parts or at least cup contending parts. ROR, Eichel, Reinhart, Ullmark, Kane, Bogosian, ouch.

 

[Stephen]

Frank Seravalli reports Maple Leafs may opt to place Matt Benning on waivers

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs m...

theleafsnation.com

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have no choice but to put defenceman Matt Benning on waivers in the coming days as part of their attempts to get out of the roster clog.

During Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Seravalli was asked by co-host Tyler Yaremchuk how Auston Matthews’ recent injury impacts their roster for the next little bit. He noted that Toronto’s captain is not expected to play at all this weekend, which should give Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving some time to figure out who they need to move off their roster when they have to make a decision.

“They’re at 23 men right now, and therein lies the problem. Cap wise, the Leafs are totally fine. Roster wise, they’ve got to unload two players in order to bring [Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar] back onto the roster,” Seravalli said. “The first and easiest way to do that would probably be to put Matt Benning on waivers. I think they’ve tried to find a taker for him, but the extra year on his deal has prevented that.”

Benning was acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on October 30 with the San Jose Sharks. He has practiced with the team since the transaction but has yet to make an appearance for the Leafs and there are no indications at the time of filing that will change anytime soon.

The Leafs have reportedly been trying to find a taker for Benning since the Liljegren trade given his high cap hit and lack of playing time, but being on the books for this season and next has clearly made it difficult to pull off. Seravalli believes the likely outcome is Benning gets placed on waivers in the near future where he will likely pass though despite having a reasonable cap hit of $1.25 million.

“Could they trade Nick Robertson? Yes, it remains a possibility. Teams have had interest, but the Leafs would prefer to not do that,” Seravalli said regarding who the Leafs may move to free up space.

“I’ll tell you one other thing that they wouldn’t like to do. You might look at their lineup and say, ‘Hey, well Philippe Myers, he’s only played one game this season. You could just put him on waivers.’ The Leafs really don’t want to do that. They think with his size that they’re on the cusp of figuring something out to be a quiet, stay at home defenceman and a cheap option for them in their bottom pair. They’re not ready to give up on him.”

Seravalli added that the Leafs may have no choice but to place Myers on waivers, but they would prefer not to because they don’t think he will clear. The team appears to view him in high regard, so much so that he not only was able to remain on the roster past training camp but also beat out Liljegren for a spot. If Toronto is truly committed to keeping Myers, they will have to get creative in finding away to free themselves from the roster clog that doesn’t involve the 27-year-old.

They just took Benning on at San Jose’s request. It would have been nice to flip him for a low pick.

 

[Skullz]

Yeah Cozens would be a phenomenal addition, but I can't see BUF trading him here. I would be prepared to offer a ton to make that happen though. A big 23 year old RH center with great two-way ability solves so many issues both present and future for us.

Zegras has had a couple down years and injury issue: if Anaheim is looking to move off him for cheap, we should be all over that too.

Need to find a way to add young talent to the roster.

 

[Stephen]

Yeah Cozens would be a phenomenal addition, but I can't see BUF trading him here. I would be prepared to offer a ton to make that happen though. A big 23 year old RH center with great two-way ability solves so many issues both present and future for us.

Zegras has had a couple down years and injury issue: if Anaheim is looking to move off him for cheap, we should be all over that too.

Need to find a way to add young talent to the roster.

My prediction is Zegras is going to be a total write off for Anaheim in 1.5 years and you could scoop him up as a reclamation if you wanted to go that route, which I don't.

From the Buffalo pantry, I'd be interested in Cozens as others have suggested, but also Bowen Byram. Targeting both or either of those guys would be hard to pull off with Buffalo. I assume it would take a combination of our top layer of prospects and picks to get it done valuewise, but does Buffalo want more youth?

 

[notdoneyet]

I wonder what it would cost to get pinto out of Ottawa
23 good size shoots right
I think he is underrated

 

[1specter]

I wonder what it would cost to get pinto out of Ottawa
23 good size shoots right
I think he is underrated

Any trade with Ottawa will require us to overpay

 

[seanlinden]

Why is Myers so valuable if he doesn’t play? Insurance policy for Hakanpaa’s knee?

Pretty much this. If it becomes clear that Hakanpaa is finished, then he becomes your 7th defenceman. The Leafs have for years burned picks aquiring depth defencemen. They're in a spot now with OEL, McCabe and Tanev where it's kind of like "acquire high end, or do nothing at all".

 

[stickty111]

Frank Seravalli reports Maple Leafs may opt to place Matt Benning on waivers

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs m...

theleafsnation.com

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have no choice but to put defenceman Matt Benning on waivers in the coming days as part of their attempts to get out of the roster clog.

During Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Seravalli was asked by co-host Tyler Yaremchuk how Auston Matthews’ recent injury impacts their roster for the next little bit. He noted that Toronto’s captain is not expected to play at all this weekend, which should give Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving some time to figure out who they need to move off their roster when they have to make a decision.

“They’re at 23 men right now, and therein lies the problem. Cap wise, the Leafs are totally fine. Roster wise, they’ve got to unload two players in order to bring [Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar] back onto the roster,” Seravalli said. “The first and easiest way to do that would probably be to put Matt Benning on waivers. I think they’ve tried to find a taker for him, but the extra year on his deal has prevented that.”

Benning was acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on October 30 with the San Jose Sharks. He has practiced with the team since the transaction but has yet to make an appearance for the Leafs and there are no indications at the time of filing that will change anytime soon.

The Leafs have reportedly been trying to find a taker for Benning since the Liljegren trade given his high cap hit and lack of playing time, but being on the books for this season and next has clearly made it difficult to pull off. Seravalli believes the likely outcome is Benning gets placed on waivers in the near future where he will likely pass though despite having a reasonable cap hit of $1.25 million.

“Could they trade Nick Robertson? Yes, it remains a possibility. Teams have had interest, but the Leafs would prefer to not do that,” Seravalli said regarding who the Leafs may move to free up space.

“I’ll tell you one other thing that they wouldn’t like to do. You might look at their lineup and say, ‘Hey, well Philippe Myers, he’s only played one game this season. You could just put him on waivers.’ The Leafs really don’t want to do that. They think with his size that they’re on the cusp of figuring something out to be a quiet, stay at home defenceman and a cheap option for them in their bottom pair. They’re not ready to give up on him.”

Seravalli added that the Leafs may have no choice but to place Myers on waivers, but they would prefer not to because they don’t think he will clear. The team appears to view him in high regard, so much so that he not only was able to remain on the roster past training camp but also beat out Liljegren for a spot. If Toronto is truly committed to keeping Myers, they will have to get creative in finding away to free themselves from the roster clog that doesn’t involve the 27-year-old.

Frank already back peddling on Robertson. It went from he will be traded by the end of camp to he will be traded to it's possible he's still traded.