Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 Season Edition

[Gabriel426]

Miller @ 8m would be much better than Marner & his contract

Miller @8mil is better than any of our 10mil plus guys contract.
Would take 4 JT Miller @8mil than AM, MM, Willie and JT. Come to think of it, our big four salaries are enough for FIVE JT Miller @8mil, lol.

 

[TMLAM34]

Are more trades coming as the Maple Leafs attempt to get under the salary cap? - The Athletic

Where things get more interesting is when Järnkrok nears his return, which is expected to be shortly after Hakanpää and Dewar are back in the lineup. Assuming they will be waiving and demoting Dakota Mermis when he recovers from jaw surgery, they will again have enough cap room to activate Järnkrok but not a roster spot.

At this point, a forward will have to go. The likeliest candidates, given the roles they’ve had so far and how they’ve played, would be:

Holmberg: He’s been given plenty of opportunity by Berube, but he’s made some key mistakes, his underlying numbers are awful and he’s been sitting games. He only makes $800,000, but given what little he’s accomplished at the NHL level, could he clear waivers and give them some more Marlies call-up depth? Possibly.

Robertson: There was a trade request in the offseason. And he has only one point in 11 games, along with two healthy scratches. He’s only 23 years old and has produced well in the AHL, so he could fetch the most of this group in a trade. But expect more of a Liljegren-like return than anything exciting. It’s still possible he figures it out and becomes a more effective depth contributor, although the clock is ticking.

Kämpf: That $2.4 million cap hit through 2026-27 looms large. Kämpf’s minutes are down to a career-low 11:15 a game now, and he’s been a healthy scratch once. He hasn’t been relied on to kill penalties the way he has in the past, and Dewar (or Lorentz) arguably can replace what he does for half the price.

The most compelling scenario here by far is Kämpf. Flipping Holmberg or Robertson for a pick opens enough room for Järnkrok to come back and puts the Leafs roughly $1 million under the cap, enough breathing room that they could make another depth addition at some point.

But if the Leafs can find a home for Kämpf, even if there’s not much of anything in return, they’ll be dramatically under the cap (to the tune of almost $2.6 million) and still have decent depth beyond their top 12 forwards and top six defencemen.

...........

If there’s a home for Kämpf, you dump the deal, take the cap space, evaluate your forward depth and go big on an impact centreman before the deadline.

Best case? The player they add is good enough that he elevates the third line to the point the Leafs can count on it for secondary scoring and better defensive play than what we’ve witnessed from down the lineup to date.

That would go a long way to fixing some of Toronto’s main problems.

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

 

[LeafEgo]

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

Could do but it would cost something of value to replace him adequately and for cheaper. Could also use that capital to get the savings through retention. Depends what's available, he's decent in the playoffs.

 

[TMLAM34]

Could do but it would cost something of value to replace him adequately and for cheaper. Could also use that capital to get the savings through retention. Depends what's available, he's decent in the playoffs.

I mean we have Dewar, who can easily replace Kampf. If you asked me that a year or two ago, I might have had a different answer but under Berube Kampf hasn’t really brought much to the table.

 

[LeafEgo]

I mean we have Dewar, who can easily replace Kampf. If you asked me that a year or two ago, I might have had a different answer but under Berube Kampf hasn’t really brought much to the table.

That might be a good answer but not counting on it until we see it.

Per 82 in the playoffs:
Kampf 10 7 17 0
Dewar 0 6 6 -19

Kampf did well one year playing top 6 minutes. He's a pretty safe bet and has been with the club a while for what it's worth.

 

[aingefan]

View attachment 927315

Let’s see if that’s as meaningful to the players as missing out on the Sphere and U2.

 

[rumman]

Are more trades coming as the Maple Leafs attempt to get under the salary cap? - The Athletic

Where things get more interesting is when Järnkrok nears his return, which is expected to be shortly after Hakanpää and Dewar are back in the lineup. Assuming they will be waiving and demoting Dakota Mermis when he recovers from jaw surgery, they will again have enough cap room to activate Järnkrok but not a roster spot.

At this point, a forward will have to go. The likeliest candidates, given the roles they’ve had so far and how they’ve played, would be:

Holmberg: He’s been given plenty of opportunity by Berube, but he’s made some key mistakes, his underlying numbers are awful and he’s been sitting games. He only makes $800,000, but given what little he’s accomplished at the NHL level, could he clear waivers and give them some more Marlies call-up depth? Possibly.

Robertson: There was a trade request in the offseason. And he has only one point in 11 games, along with two healthy scratches. He’s only 23 years old and has produced well in the AHL, so he could fetch the most of this group in a trade. But expect more of a Liljegren-like return than anything exciting. It’s still possible he figures it out and becomes a more effective depth contributor, although the clock is ticking.

Kämpf: That $2.4 million cap hit through 2026-27 looms large. Kämpf’s minutes are down to a career-low 11:15 a game now, and he’s been a healthy scratch once. He hasn’t been relied on to kill penalties the way he has in the past, and Dewar (or Lorentz) arguably can replace what he does for half the price.

The most compelling scenario here by far is Kämpf. Flipping Holmberg or Robertson for a pick opens enough room for Järnkrok to come back and puts the Leafs roughly $1 million under the cap, enough breathing room that they could make another depth addition at some point.

But if the Leafs can find a home for Kämpf, even if there’s not much of anything in return, they’ll be dramatically under the cap (to the tune of almost $2.6 million) and still have decent depth beyond their top 12 forwards and top six defencemen.

...........

If there’s a home for Kämpf, you dump the deal, take the cap space, evaluate your forward depth and go big on an impact centreman before the deadline.

Best case? The player they add is good enough that he elevates the third line to the point the Leafs can count on it for secondary scoring and better defensive play than what we’ve witnessed from down the lineup to date.

That would go a long way to fixing some of Toronto’s main problems.

Kampf might be the highest paid of the bunch, but he’s also the most consistent, everyone’s had chances to show they belong, time to get rid of those who can’t perform game in, game out……..

Miller @8mil is better than any of our 10mil plus guys contract.
Would take 4 JT Miller @8mil than AM, MM, Willie and JT. Come to think of it, our big four salaries are enough for FIVE JT Miller @8mil, lol.

Word.

 

[ITM]

There’s no chance O’Reilly comes here he didn’t like this time here hence why he didn’t sign here . O’Reilly is washed

Doesn't look washed to me. He's 33 years old and in the second year of a four-year contract paying him $4.5M.

And circumstances change. When O'Reilly was here it was Dubas' club and Keefe's team. With Treliving at the helm and the coach he won a Cup with behind a bench, I don't understand the reflex to say "there's no chance" ROR comes here. If things get bad enough in Nashville, there's fewer ideal scenarios for him, provided winning the Cup is still a goal.

Worth a shot I say.

 

[mydnyte]

Are more trades coming as the Maple Leafs attempt to get under the salary cap? - The Athletic

Where things get more interesting is when Järnkrok nears his return, which is expected to be shortly after Hakanpää and Dewar are back in the lineup. Assuming they will be waiving and demoting Dakota Mermis when he recovers from jaw surgery, they will again have enough cap room to activate Järnkrok but not a roster spot.

At this point, a forward will have to go. The likeliest candidates, given the roles they’ve had so far and how they’ve played, would be:

Holmberg: He’s been given plenty of opportunity by Berube, but he’s made some key mistakes, his underlying numbers are awful and he’s been sitting games. He only makes $800,000, but given what little he’s accomplished at the NHL level, could he clear waivers and give them some more Marlies call-up depth? Possibly.

Robertson: There was a trade request in the offseason. And he has only one point in 11 games, along with two healthy scratches. He’s only 23 years old and has produced well in the AHL, so he could fetch the most of this group in a trade. But expect more of a Liljegren-like return than anything exciting. It’s still possible he figures it out and becomes a more effective depth contributor, although the clock is ticking.

Kämpf: That $2.4 million cap hit through 2026-27 looms large. Kämpf’s minutes are down to a career-low 11:15 a game now, and he’s been a healthy scratch once. He hasn’t been relied on to kill penalties the way he has in the past, and Dewar (or Lorentz) arguably can replace what he does for half the price.

The most compelling scenario here by far is Kämpf. Flipping Holmberg or Robertson for a pick opens enough room for Järnkrok to come back and puts the Leafs roughly $1 million under the cap, enough breathing room that they could make another depth addition at some point.

But if the Leafs can find a home for Kämpf, even if there’s not much of anything in return, they’ll be dramatically under the cap (to the tune of almost $2.6 million) and still have decent depth beyond their top 12 forwards and top six defencemen.

...........

If there’s a home for Kämpf, you dump the deal, take the cap space, evaluate your forward depth and go big on an impact centreman before the deadline.

Best case? The player they add is good enough that he elevates the third line to the point the Leafs can count on it for secondary scoring and better defensive play than what we’ve witnessed from down the lineup to date.

That would go a long way to fixing some of Toronto’s main problems.

Just move Jarn as soon as he is healthy. Holmberg will get squat in return, and Robertson has had little puck luck and not given a 'real' chance with better players ala McMann who also has been sucking.
Kampf for all his hate, is actually playing well.

 

[rumman]

Doesn't look washed to me. He's 33 years old and in the second year of a four-year contract paying him $4.5M.

And circumstances change. When O'Reilly was here it was Dubas' club and Keefe's team. With Treliving at the helm and the coach he won a Cup with behind a bench, I don't understand the reflex to say "there's no chance" ROR comes here. If things get bad enough in Nashville, there's fewer ideal scenarios for him, provided winning the Cup is still a goal.

Worth a shot I say.

Leafs could afford several great players if they were bright enough to move off of JT and Marner……..

 

[SprDaVE]

Just move Jarn as soon as he is healthy. Holmberg will get squat in return, and Robertson has had little puck luck and not given a 'real' chance with better players ala McMann who also has been sucking.
Kampf for all his hate, is actually playing well.

Playing well seems like a really low bar for Kampf. He's been pretty invisible. He does well on the PK but for his cap hit, he's pretty bad. If he was making well below 2M I think he'd be considered ok for what he provides.

Holmberg is a pretty average all around player making below 1M and Robertson is young with plenty of upside in a tough start to the season also making peanuts.

In a cap world you have to consider their caps vs efficiency.

 

[weems]

I could see where they move Kampf and put Dewar in that spot.
It would almost be similar to the Liljegren/Timmins thing, where they most likely think that there's not that big of a gap between the two players but one is considerably cheaper. Now the question would be how capable is Dewar defensively because Kampf does bring real value there.

 

[mydnyte]

Playing well seems really like a low bar for Kampf. He's been pretty invisible. He does well on the PK but for his cap hit, he's pretty bad. If he was making well below 2M I think he'd be considered ok for what he provides.

Holmberg is a pretty average all around player making below 1M and Robertson is young with plenty of upside in a tough start to the season also making peanuts.

In a cap world you have to consider their caps vs efficiency.

i'd be open to move them both. Jarn and Kampf
that opens lots o $$ and maybe we can get a young player in return that has people blocking them as well ...most teams has this issue with at least a player or 2

 

[SprDaVE]

I could see where they move Kampf and put Dewar in that spot.
It would almost be similar to the Liljegren/Timmins thing, where they most likely think that there's not that big of a gap between the two players but one is considerably cheaper. Now the question would be how capable is Dewar defensively because Kampf does bring real value there.

It's possible that's an option. I'd probably just waive Reaves for now and create a more dependable 4th line.

i'd be open to move them both. Jarn and Kampf
that opens lots o $$ and maybe we can get a young player in return that has people blocking them as well ...most teams has this issue with at least a player or 2

I'd move Kampf in an instant if you can without taking any salary. Dallas gave away Faksa for the same reason in the off-season. Not sure you'll find a team willing to take Kampf anytime soon though.

 

[weems]

It's possible that's an option. I'd probably just waive Reaves for now and create a more dependable 4th line.



I'd move Kampf in an instant if you can without taking any salary. Dallas gave away Faksa for the same reason in the off-season. Not sure you'll find a team willing to take Kampf anytime soon though.

I just don't think they would waive Reaves.
We should probably accept that he will stay for at least this season but now should only be a spot starter.

 

[rumman]

I could see where they move Kampf and put Dewar in that spot.
It would almost be similar to the Liljegren/Timmins thing, where they most likely think that there's not that big of a gap between the two players but one is considerably cheaper. Now the question would be how capable is Dewar defensively because Kampf does bring real value there.

It's possible that's an option. I'd probably just waive Reaves for now and create a more dependable 4th line.



I'd move Kampf in an instant if you can without taking any salary. Dallas gave away Faksa for the same reason in the off-season. Not sure you'll find a team willing to take Kampf anytime soon though.

The Reeves issue needs to be addressed one way or another……

 

[SprDaVE]

I just don't think they would waive Reaves.
We should probably accept that he will stay for at least this season but now should only be a spot starter.

You're probably right but I think there's a small chance they do it, especially when Jarnkrok is close to ready. He might be put in a Wayne Simmonds role.

Holmberg might not be a great loss on waivers but he's a versatile cheap player, and keeping a more expensive, older and useless slow skating slug over him seems unwise. But I do also think they'd keep Reaves so perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part.

 

[WTFMAN99]

You're probably right but I think there's a small chance they do it, especially when Jarnkrok is close to ready. He might be put in a Wayne Simmonds role.

Holmberg might not be a great loss on waivers but he's a versatile cheap player, and keeping a more expensive, older and useless slow skating slug over him seems unwise. But I do also think they'd keep Reaves so perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part.

I could see them doing the Reaves/Simmonds thing again this year and maybe next year he's LTIRetired or AHL.

Holmberg I think is going to just run out of real estate due to roster spots + cap, Colorado needs forwards, they might give us something like a 5th for him.

 

[barilko05]

You're probably right but I think there's a small chance they do it, especially when Jarnkrok is close to ready. He might be put in a Wayne Simmonds role.

Holmberg might not be a great loss on waivers but he's a versatile cheap player, and keeping a more expensive, older and useless slow skating slug over him seems unwise. But I do also think they'd keep Reaves so perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part.

At this point, Holmberg appears to a jack of all trades and a master of none. I think he's playing himself off this team if he doesn't start showing up more often. But I agree. Keeping Reaves at this point over him is a non-starter. Reaves has been a non-factor this year. Lorentz has been the driver of that 4th line. A young-ish, 4th line agitator would make it so much better. Someone who can handle themselves down low, cycle and keep the play going, and take care of the rats when we need him to. And PK too. For all intents and purposes...a younger Lorentz.

 

[Magic Man]

I hope they trade Robertson for a Liljegren style package. Between the trade request and lack of production he is the odd man out for me.

Reaves is a heavyweight enforcer, he isn't very good, but he fills a role. The team under Treliving and Berube's leadership will likely want to protect him from the wire.

Kampf may benefit from burning this season off his contract. Heading into the summer with a price tag of 2.4M per for 2 years won't be that bad relative to FA contracts being handed out. He is also further along than Holmberg or Robertson, so he will bring more to the table for a winning team. Might make sense to kick it down the road a little bit.

Holmberg hasn't been very productive, but he is more rounded than Robertson and he won't land as much in trade.

 

[Gabriel426]

Doesn't look washed to me. He's 33 years old and in the second year of a four-year contract paying him $4.5M.

And circumstances change. When O'Reilly was here it was Dubas' club and Keefe's team. With Treliving at the helm and the coach he won a Cup with behind a bench, I don't understand the reflex to say "there's no chance" ROR comes here. If things get bad enough in Nashville, there's fewer ideal scenarios for him, provided winning the Cup is still a goal.

Worth a shot I say.

Send them Robbie and Kampf/Calle plus picks.
He would look good playing on a line with McMann and MM.
Let Knies play with AM and Domi.

 

[SprDaVE]

I hope they trade Robertson for a Liljegren style package. Between the trade request and lack of production he is the odd man out for me.

Reaves is a heavyweight enforcer, he isn't very good, but he fills a role. The team under Treliving and Berube's leadership will likely want to protect him from the wire.

Kampf may benefit from burning this season off his contract. Heading into the summer with a price tag of 2.4M per for 2 years won't be that bad relative to FA contracts being handed out. He is also further along than Holmberg or Robertson, so he will bring more to the table for a winning team. Might make sense to kick it down the road a little bit.

Holmberg hasn't been very productive, but he is more rounded than Robertson and he won't land as much in trade.

The difference here is that Robertson is below 900k and younger which some untapped potential and Liljegren was a 3M stuck in the pressbox. I don't disagree he hasn't produced nearly enough and I'm sure the Leafs would be more than fine to trade him if they get the value they want but I think we have to be careful because he will likely burst out of his cold streak and he can bring a lot of value scoring goals. His trade value will differ based on opinions but I assume it would be better value than what Liljegren returned... or at least a return that isn't just for a pure pick or two.

Reaves might be a heavyweight enforcer but right now he's just heavyweight. He doesn't fight, he can't skate and can't be counted on to be a good 5 on 5 player. We all like the idea of Reaves but it just hasn't been very good. He hits a lot, which is good, but not sure that outweights the lack of puck ability, skating ability and even being an intimidating presence.

 

[Magic Man]

The difference here is that Robertson is below 900k and younger which some untapped potential and Liljegren was a 3M stuck in the pressbox. I don't disagree he hasn't produced nearly enough and I'm sure the Leafs would be more than fine to trade him if they get the value they want but I think we have to be careful because he will likely burst out of his cold streak and he can bring a lot of value scoring goals. His trade value will differ based on opinions but I assume it would be better value than what Liljegren returned... or at least a return that isn't just for a pure pick or two.

Reaves might be a heavyweight enforcer but right now he's just heavyweight. He doesn't fight, he can't skate and can't be counted on to be a good 5 on 5 player. We all like the idea of Reaves but it just hasn't been very good. He hits a lot, which is good, but not sure that outweights the lack of puck ability, skating ability and even being an intimidating presence.

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.

 

[SprDaVE]

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.

Fair point about RHD vs winger, but I think Robertsons value is still to a point where last year should not be discounted at his age, cap cost and potential. We're far too quick to give up on those kind of players and it's not always a good decision, so the trade has to fulfill some form of need instead of just picks. Liljegrens cap hit needed to be removed for cap space purposes.

I don't think Reaves makes any sort of difference. We're still seeing players take runs at ours one way or another regardless if he's on the ice, press box or on the bench. Last game was a good example of how ineffective he is. It isn't about not having physical players or even a pure enforcer, but he's 38 years old and struggling, you need to take the hit in physicality and adjust until you can replace it. It's not like we don't have players that can drop the mitts either with Domi, McCabe, Hakanpaa, Benoit, Lorentz, etc.

I cannot disagree enough about keeping Reaves over any sort of functional cheaper/younger player or even a 23 year old that scored 15 goals last season in a depth role. We know what Reaves is. If you're adamant about carrying a face puncher, there are probably cheaper, younger and/or better options to find.

 

[Menzinger]

Doesn't look washed to me. He's 33 years old and in the second year of a four-year contract paying him $4.5M.

And circumstances change. When O'Reilly was here it was Dubas' club and Keefe's team. With Treliving at the helm and the coach he won a Cup with behind a bench, I don't understand the reflex to say "there's no chance" ROR comes here. If things get bad enough in Nashville, there's fewer ideal scenarios for him, provided winning the Cup is still a goal.

Worth a shot I say.

I think he went to Nashville for the living conditions (weather, tax rate, US loca for his American family, ectl).than anything else. I'm not inside his head so can't say for sure he'd refuse coming back one way or the other, but I don't think Toronto the city had what he wanted (warm weather, low pressure and low taxes)