Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 Season Edition

[SprDaVE]

Elliotte Friedman, 32 thoughts

"I heard their offer to Calgary was comparable to New Jersey's," Friedman said. "But I think because of the politics there, I think Toronto was going to have to blow anyone else out of the water to get that player."

NHL Rumour Roundup: Maple Leafs made comparable offer for Markstrom

The New Jersey Devils were the winners of the Jacob Markstrom sweepstakes but they certainly had competition for his services, including from the Maple Leafs.

www.sportsnet.ca

Yeah so we didn't really offer anything remotely comparable. I don't disagree with your point that there's some pettiness from the Flames owner, plenty of people brought it up, but it seems like the Leafs are able to trade with them if we can offer a competitive offer. I don't think we had a Bahl level player to offer objectively. And the pick they got was higher.

And zero rumours about Pittsburgh blacklisting us because of Dubas as far as I know.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Yeah so we didn't really offer anything remotely comparable. I don't disagree with your point that there's some pettiness from the Flames owner, plenty of people brought it up, but it seems like the Leafs are able to trade with them if we can offer a competitive offer. I don't think we had a Bahl level player to offer objectively.

And zero rumours about Pittsburgh blacklisting us because of Dubas as far as I know.

Friedman: the offer was comparable
you: yeah so it wasn't comparable

??

Anyways I never said anything about blacklisting. I said if offers are remotely comparable, they are not going to want to work with Toronto. When the Leafs have to overpay to get a deal done, it doesn't make sense to go down that road. I doubt they make a deal with either team anytime soon and will sort of be forced to look at other sellers to make a deal with reasonable value.

 

[SprDaVE]

Frederic is interesting, and would be a good add, I'm just not sure that Boston is willing to throw the towel in at this point. That seems a bit premature to me. Swayman hasn't been good, and maybe they need a coaching change, and they are still in a playoff spot. Selling off at this point doesn't seem likely. I'd like to modify the team sooner, than later, and I don't think Boston is there yet.

Yeah I never would count out that team. Swayman will probably heat up and it will help them a lot. Missing training camp is rough for a lot of players.

Frederic would be a good target though if it ever comes to that.

 

[SprDaVE]

Friedman: the offer was comparable
you: yeah so it wasn't comparable

??

Anyways I never said anything about blacklisting. I said if offers are remotely comparable, they are not going to want to work with Toronto. When the Leafs have to overpay to get a deal done, it doesn't make sense to go down that road. I doubt they make a deal with either team anytime soon.

I'm just using logic and my own opinion as to what we were offering. Comparable in the sense that they offered their 1st and a young player? Or comparable that they offered a 23 year old 6'6" LHD with 100+ NHL games under their belt? Would they have prefered Liljegren? Robertson? Minten maybe? Niemela? But decided Bahl will do? Friedman speculates it could be in part a politics decision. The conclusion to me is that the Leafs did not have a Bahl level player to trade.

To win a hockey trade against different bidders, you typically do have to overpay. If they aren't accepting the best deal based on politics, that's pretty much a blacklisting.