Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 Season Edition

[TMLAM34]

Frost scratched. Would love to see Tre go out and acquire him. Take a gamble on a center given we are very weak in that position and not many of them are available. I would think Robertson + 2nd + prospect for Frost would do it.

When healthy -

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Pacioretty - Tavares - Marner
McMann - Frost - Nylander
Lorentz - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Hakanpaa
OEL - Timmins
Benoit

Stolarz - Woll

 

[SprDaVE]

Frost scratched. Would love to see Tre go out and acquire him. Take a gamble on a center given we are very weak in that position and not many of them are available. I would think Robertson + 2nd + prospect for Frost would do it.

When healthy -

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Pacioretty - Tavares - Marner
McMann - Frost - Nylander
Lorentz - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Hakanpaa
OEL - Timmins
Benoit

Stolarz - Woll

Not sure his value is that strong. He's being healthy scratched and hasn't exactly played well.

I'd have interest but not sure he fits the size, physical and/or 2-way capable boxes the Leafs will likely covet.

 

[TMLAM34]

Not sure his value is that strong. He's being healthy scratched and hasn't exactly played well.

I'd have interest but not sure he fits the size, physical and/or 2-way capable checkmarks the Leafs will likely covet.

He’s not big or overly physical but he’s a sound two-way player. Given he’s still young and the lack of available centres in the league, his value will probably be more than it really should be.

 

[SprDaVE]

He’s not big or overly physical but he’s a sound two-way player. Given he’s still young and the lack of available centres in the league, his value will probably be more than it really should be.

I just don't think he's in the 3 good assets ballpark to acquire. He's closer to Liljegren value territory to me. If that's the best they can do for 3 good assets, they probably should just keep Domi as the center.

 

[SprDaVE]

One trade in the off-season I brought forward was Robertson (trade request) and Timmins or Liljegren for O'Connor and a late pick or a depth defenseman like Ludvig (he was on the Pens at the time). Obviously things changed since then.

I still think O'Connor would be a very good target, he's big and fast similar to McMann. He's a pending UFA so there's a risk about his extension but probably wouldn't be super hard if he fits. If they continue to struggle, he'd be high on my list of targets -- especially if the Leafs still plan on trading Robertson.

 

[TMLAM34]

I just don't think he's in the 3 good assets ballpark to acquire. He's closer to Liljegren value territory to me. If that's the best they can do for 3 good assets, they probably should just keep Domi as the center.

I mean if it costs less, the better. I’d be fine with going as far as what I previously mentioned given centre is a position of need and I think the potential for Frost is still there. Hayton is another centre I’d have interest in but would assume he’d cost more than Frost and not sure if Utah has any interest in dealing him.

 

[Americanadian]

Islanders’ need LD depth badly. They also could use scoring depth. With the upcoming roster jam I can see a Benoit+Robertson for a 3rd or maybe even a 2nd making sense. I could see Lou liking Benoit and the term on his deal. I’m not so sure about Robertson.

The Leafs have 3 good NHL LD and they should lean into that by putting them on 3 pairs. Rifai is probably just as good as Benoit if another LD is needed. 3LD is also the most abundant position in the league.

I also think a Keefe reunion with Kampf would be mutually beneficial. Bastian for Kampf would save the Leafs 1M on the cap this year and 2.4M going forward. Bastian can play 4RW over Reaves. Dewar/Holmberg can take Kampf’s role.

These 2 deals would leave the Leafs with:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Jarnkrok
Lorentz-Dewar-Bastian
Holmberg-Reaves

Rielly-Hakanpaa
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Timmins
Myers

Still a 23 man roster but with more money and draft assets to play with.

 

[Fogelhund]

Islanders’ need LD depth badly. They also could use scoring depth. With the upcoming roster jam I can see a Benoit+Robertson for a 3rd or maybe even a 2nd making sense. I could see Lou liking Benoit and the term on his deal. I’m not so sure about Robertson.

The Leafs have 3 good NHL LD and they should lean into that by putting them on 3 pairs. Rifai is probably just as good as Benoit if another LD is needed. 3LD is also the most abundant position in the league.

I also think a Keefe reunion with Kampf would be mutually beneficial. Bastian for Kampf would save the Leafs 1M on the cap this year and 2.4M going forward. Bastian can play 4RW over Reaves. Dewar/Holmberg can take Kampf’s role.

These 2 deals would leave the Leafs with:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Jarnkrok
Lorentz-Dewar-Bastian
Holmberg-Reaves

Rielly-Hakanpaa
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Timmins
Myers

Still a 23 man roster but with more money and draft assets to play with.

Jarnkrok is still a question mark if he's going to play... I wouldn't be penciling him in quite yet. Hakanpaa... a guy who was objectively not very good last year, is coming off an extended layoff, and surgery/injury on our first pairing? That's a pump the brakes moment if I've ever seen one.

 

[Americanadian]

Jarnkrok is still a question mark if he's going to play... I wouldn't be penciling him in quite yet. Hakanpaa... a guy who was objectively not very good last year, is coming off an extended layoff, and surgery/injury on our first pairing? That's a pump the brakes moment if I've ever seen one.

I’d prefer:
Rielly-Tanev
McCabe-Timmins
OEL-Hakanpaa

Rielly has historically played well with players of Hakanpaa’s mold. I wouldn’t put him up there in game 1 but I can see that pairing come playoffs assuming McCabe-Tanev stay together. Either way - Hakanpaa was signed to play games and if you can turn Benoit into an actual asset you should. He has 1 good not great season under his belt and 3LD is the easiest position to fill.

As far as Jarnkrok goes - I’m assuming the playoff forward lineup has Domi on the wing and a new 3C. Opening up cap space and acquiring assets for roster players makes this outcome easier. If Domi is on the wing then you don’t need Jarnkrok.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-X-Marner

 

[TMLAM34]

Bastian is someone I’d have interest in through trade or free agency this upcoming off-season.

A fourth line with Lorentz and Bastian would be such a pain in the ass to play against.

 

[seanlinden]

Frost scratched. Would love to see Tre go out and acquire him. Take a gamble on a center given we are very weak in that position and not many of them are available. I would think Robertson + 2nd + prospect for Frost would do it.

When healthy -

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Pacioretty - Tavares - Marner
McMann - Frost - Nylander
Lorentz - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Hakanpaa
OEL - Timmins
Benoit

Stolarz - Woll

The decision to scratch Frost is an interesting one given that I believe he was their first line centre last week.

That being said, while I'm sure "everything is on the table in Philly"... I feel like they look at their centre group and probably say to themselves, if we're trading Frost, we've gotta do a 1-for-1 hockey swap of a similarly struggling player, but one who has reasonable offensive upside at the centre position... simply because the guys behind him (Couts, Laughton, Poehling) are all more of your prototypical grinding centres.

I don't think Philly would be all that interested in Robertson. To get Frost, I think the ask is probably Minten, and I'm not sure I do that from the Leafs POV.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I don't think Kampf is going anywhere. He's quite an important player for us.

 

[arso40]

I’d prefer:
Rielly-Tanev
McCabe-Timmins
OEL-Hakanpaa

Rielly has historically played well with players of Hakanpaa’s mold. I wouldn’t put him up there in game 1 but I can see that pairing come playoffs assuming McCabe-Tanev stay together. Either way - Hakanpaa was signed to play games and if you can turn Benoit into an actual asset you should. He has 1 good not great season under his belt and 3LD is the easiest position to fill.

As far as Jarnkrok goes - I’m assuming the playoff forward lineup has Domi on the wing and a new 3C. Opening up cap space and acquiring assets for roster players makes this outcome easier. If Domi is on the wing then you don’t need Jarnkrok.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-X-Marner

Timmins is not ready for top 4 minutes in my opinion anyway that’s insane

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Islanders’ need LD depth badly. They also could use scoring depth. With the upcoming roster jam I can see a Benoit+Robertson for a 3rd or maybe even a 2nd making sense. I could see Lou liking Benoit and the term on his deal. I’m not so sure about Robertson.

The Leafs have 3 good NHL LD and they should lean into that by putting them on 3 pairs. Rifai is probably just as good as Benoit if another LD is needed. 3LD is also the most abundant position in the league.

I also think a Keefe reunion with Kampf would be mutually beneficial. Bastian for Kampf would save the Leafs 1M on the cap this year and 2.4M going forward. Bastian can play 4RW over Reaves. Dewar/Holmberg can take Kampf’s role.

These 2 deals would leave the Leafs with:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Pacioretty-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Jarnkrok
Lorentz-Dewar-Bastian
Holmberg-Reaves

Rielly-Hakanpaa
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Timmins
Myers

Still a 23 man roster but with more money and draft assets to play with.

If the Islanders aren't going to sign him, the guy I would target is Brock Nelson. If they retained 50% and we dumped Kampf we could add one of the best 5 on 5 goal scoring centers of the last few seasons.

Would be expensive but would add an immediate scoring punch. Doesn't huet that he is also 6'4" and a decent skater.

I don't think Kampf is going anywhere. He's quite an important player for us.

He isn't any better than Holmberg and is worse than Dewar.

I don't mind Kampf but when we're hoping for 0-0 hockey from our 4th line, there are much cheaper options both internally and externally.

 

[Americanadian]

Timmins is not ready for top 4 minutes in my opinion anyway that’s insane

He’s not ready in the same way Benoit wasn’t last year.

 

[Puckstuff]

OEL- Tanev
Rielly - Hakanpaa
Benoit - McCabe / McCabe - Timmins

Timmins probably has the edge on Benoit but that Benoit-McCabe pair was really solid in the regular season last year.

 

[SprDaVE]

The decision to scratch Frost is an interesting one given that I believe he was their first line centre last week.

That being said, while I'm sure "everything is on the table in Philly"... I feel like they look at their centre group and probably say to themselves, if we're trading Frost, we've gotta do a 1-for-1 hockey swap of a similarly struggling player, but one who has reasonable offensive upside at the centre position... simply because the guys behind him (Couts, Laughton, Poehling) are all more of your prototypical grinding centres.

I don't think Philly would be all that interested in Robertson. To get Frost, I think the ask is probably Minten, and I'm not sure I do that from the Leafs POV.

It depends entirely on their goals for a trade. Not to say Robertson is high on their list but to get a top prospect like Minten seems a stretch as well. I'd put Frost's value in the same ballpark as Liljegren -- a former 1st round pick with interesting skillset and potential that has struggled to consistently put it together and now is sitting out games while healthy.

 

[SprDaVE]

If the Islanders aren't going to sign him, the guy I would target is Brock Nelson. If they retained 50% and we dumped Kampf we could add one of the best 5 on 5 goal scoring centers of the last few seasons.

Would be expensive but would add an immediate scoring punch. Doesn't huet that he is also 6'4" and a decent skater.


He isn't any better than Holmberg and is worse than Dewar.

I don't mind Kampf but when we're hoping for 0-0 hockey from our 4th line, there are much cheaper options both internally and externally.

Getting them to retain 50% on top of taking on a long-term cap dump like Kampf would be expensive to do. We don't have a 1st round pick to get that done. Plenty of contenders would gladly give up their 1st for a 50% retained Nelson I suspect.

Kampf has been just... there this season. He looks solid on the PK (finally made a good play last game) but a ghost 5 on 5 or at any point during the game.

 

[Evilhomer]

If the Islanders aren't going to sign him, the guy I would target is Brock Nelson. If they retained 50% and we dumped Kampf we could add one of the best 5 on 5 goal scoring centers of the last few seasons.

Would be expensive but would add an immediate scoring punch. Doesn't huet that he is also 6'4" and a decent skater.

I doubt Lou will give up on the season.

 

[seanlinden]

It depends entirely on their goals for a trade. Not to say Robertson is high on their list but to get a top prospect like Minten seems a stretch as well. I'd put Frost's value in the same ballpark as Liljegren -- a former 1st round pick with interesting skillset and potential that has struggled to consistently put it together and now is sitting out games while healthy.

Fair point... but I feel like there's a bit of a difference in the Liljegren vs. Frost discussion, in that the Flyers don't need to trade Frost; whereas the Leafs needed to trade Liljegren with all the guys on LTIR.

The Flyers don't have any roster or cap issues that I'm aware of. While they have healthy scratched Frost, I think that's more of a "John Tortorella" thing just like he scratched Sean Coutourier last year, and he's likely to be back in the lineup their next game. Liljegren, had fully lost his spot.

I think it's also "easier" for an acquiring team, just by virtue of the fact that he's a centre (and there are 12 forward spots vs 6 D), to think to themselves, "he may be my #2 or #3 centre, but if that doesn't work out, I can get use out of him on the wing".... whereas Liljegren, has a much more "specific" fit.

It's somewhat unfortunate that there couldn't have been a deal done around Frost for Liljegren; as I think that's a much easier deal to justify for Philly, versus "let's dump Frost for a collection of picks". Teams don't dump players for picks unless they have to, or are already writing themselves off. Philly's not going to write themselves off ~15 games into the season.

 

[OVO16]

Kampf is a fine player for who he is, but as others have said his salary is a problem and there are cheaper options that can give us what Kampf does.

I think Keefe and Bérubé likes him mainly because he has a lot of Size, because he's not a feisty or physical player at all. Size and "long stick" as NHL coaches love to say

I thought for sure Kampf would be gone over the offseason. Surprising for sure

 

[arso40]

He’s not ready in the same way Benoit wasn’t last year.

Benoit is a basic take the body defender who’s usually in the right spots hence the reason Timmins has been leaning on him for defensive advice if you watch the leafs games Timmins makes a mistake every game he just hasn’t been burned for it better quality of opponents will expose that let him handle bottom pair minutes for a year before thinking of changing anything

 

[BertCorbeau]

So who are you looking at from Pittsburgh now that Dubas has gone open season?

Drew O’Connor is a name for me.

Eller is another for a depth centre upgrade

 

[OVO16]

So who are you looking at from Pittsburgh now that Dubas has gone open season?

Drew O’Connor is a name for me.

Eller is another for a depth centre upgrade

A deal centered around Drew O'Conner and Robertson makes sense. I can see Dubas interested in Robertson from a youth and skill perspective

 

[Dreakmur]

He isn't any better than Holmberg and is worse than Dewar.

What makes Dewar better? Is it the same hope that a month ago made Holmberg better before he showed that he definitely was not?

I don't mind Kampf but when we're hoping for 0-0 hockey from our 4th line, there are much cheaper options both internally and externally.

0-0 in rough matchups is an absolute win.