Even if you wanted to bring him back you would have to talk to him before a trade so you know he's OK coming back here
The last thing you would want is a guy who doesn't want to play here who becomes a malcontent
Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 Season Edition
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Even if you wanted to bring him back you would have to talk to him before a trade so you know he's OK coming back here
The last thing you would want is a guy who doesn't want to play here who becomes a malcontent
thusk
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ULF_55
Moderator
You don't get in a bidding war for every depth player in the league.
Make your offer and move on.
WTFMAN99
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Okay so I don't think anything happens in season but this off-season my absolute top #1 target is Jonathan Kovacevic, 6'5 right shot defenseman, one of the top defensive pairings in the league is Sieganthaler and him, he's an Ontario boy too.
Rielly-Kovacevic
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Timmins
Benoit
(Very good top 4)
Why could he be available? They have big money invested in Hamilton, they just signed Pesce to big money, Nemec and Casey are right shots in the pipeline and they gotta sign Luke Hughes.
Rielly-Kovacevic
McCabe-Tanev
OEL-Timmins
Benoit
(Very good top 4)
Why could he be available? They have big money invested in Hamilton, they just signed Pesce to big money, Nemec and Casey are right shots in the pipeline and they gotta sign Luke Hughes.
thusk
Registered User
Nelson if available a TDL will draw a lot of interest for sure but not sure he will be available
Granlund with SJ no retention slot
remaining, that will make thing harder to deal him
after whose the top target on the list?
Bjusgtad, gourde, Dvorak.. and Bjusgtad coming with a contract every team can handle with salary cap so could certainly become #1 target of a lot of team who want upgrade at C with no salary cap space. Where i thibk it could go as high than a 1st
leafsfan5
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My dream is Nelson but realistically even if he's made available, we don't have the 1st rounder required to compete with other teams. Will probably end up similar for Gourde
Bjugstad seems like a good option, I wish we got in on Eller but from what Friedman reported he wanted to go back to Washington
Bjugstad seems like a good option, I wish we got in on Eller but from what Friedman reported he wanted to go back to Washington
conFABulator
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How much are you willing to put in a trade for Kovacevic? He would be a good target no doubt. He eats big minutes and has good numbers. He is not young and the last time he was traded it was this past June for a 2026 4th round pick. Has his value increased? He makes almost nothing. Myers would be part of package going back I assume, what of value do we add? Is Niemela too much? A 3rd rounder? Good it be Myers and Kampf if Keefe wants him over there?
Reilly Kovacevic
McCabe Tanev
OEL Timmins
Benoit Hakanpaa
...pretty good balance of RD and LD, pretty good depth, nice size, and enough skill and snarl.
WTFMAN99
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I don't think they'll trade him in-season but I would trade a decent amount.
At worst, he's my #1 target this off-season to finish off the top 4.
Maybe 3.5M x 4 years?
thusk
Registered User
Did you ever watched him play?!?!?!
Kovacevich is not an upgrape over benoit or Hakanpaa... i don't he would make leafs line up even if leafs would trade for him, would be a complete waste of asset
He can look good in a specific and determinated role but hes nothing more than a depht D.
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Habs made a mistake letting Kovacevic go, he was somehow a +13 on that team last season. If he keeps trending this way he is going to get paid in free agency, the time to go for him was last off-season, on a league minimum deal.
WTFMAN99
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I wonder if something like 3.5M x 4 years gets it done in the off-season, solid #4
LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Management looks to be setting the table to use some serious LTIR at the deadline. Depending on where they are in the standings at that time, it would be a very smart play.
Unfortunately for the rest of the league, once the Leafs do it there will be a new rule in place for next season so it can never be done again.
Unfortunately for the rest of the league, once the Leafs do it there will be a new rule in place for next season so it can never be done again.
Maybe. But I push for the Zadorov deal if I'm Kovacevic and keep trending this way. Teams love big RHD + salary cap going up.
thusk
Registered User
Whst the hell going on in this topic about Kovacevic like a solid top 4 option or whatever...
Its nothing more than a depht player like Benoit or Holl or Kulak where they been put in the right spot can give you good thing but still a pretty limited Dman. If anyone is enough stupid to sign him 3,5M and +, go ahead but he will become a pretty awful contract.
Its nothing more than a depht player like Benoit or Holl or Kulak where they been put in the right spot can give you good thing but still a pretty limited Dman. If anyone is enough stupid to sign him 3,5M and +, go ahead but he will become a pretty awful contract.
WTFMAN99
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I don't think Kovacevic can get that.
My rationale is Zadorov got eyes from playing on Vancouver, mentioning he wanted to play for Toronto and his agent (Milstein) is pretty loud and gets eyes on him. He also ends up on highlight reels for big hits and some fights. He also put up unusually high offensive numbers in the playoffs.
Kovacevic will drop the gloves but for a 6'5 guy, he generally averages around a hit a game. He's playing in New Jersey which results in him flying under the radar, I am surprised Montreal didn't even get more for him.
So I won't outright dismiss the idea of a 5x5 offer for Kovacevic occurring, I just think there might be a perfect storm to get him for less. I could get my brain around a 4 year deal to something around 4.5-4.75M range if I had to though. I hope he had some Leafs pajamas growing up.
conFABulator
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Is he UFA this off-season?
I was going to ask if he was an upgrade on Benoit or Timmins. No, I haven't really watched him other than when we play a team he is on and he has never stood out for me.
He is getting 21 minutes a night right now on the Devils and we still don't have a partner for Reilly. Sounds like he could be it at the right price. Getting him for Kampf and Myers would interest me. Though I have been looking for ways to get Kampf off the books recently.
WTFMAN99
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thusk
Registered User
I'm a leafs fan but i living in QC, So i still watch MTL game a lot so i saw Kovacevic played a lot 2 previous season and heard media and whatever talked about him...He's not a top 4 D...
Holl already played 21 minutes/ night, do that make him a good top 4 RHD. Hes maybe got a better shot than Holl and probably that's it. I don't think he would be a better partner for rielly than what Holl was....
I still prefer keep my asset and still with Benoit-timmins and hakanpaa as 5/6/7 and focusing somewhere who will really make leafs a better team
ULF_55
Moderator
thusk
Registered User
Like i said depend of what market would look like... If he become the best option for majority of team looking to upgrade at C, yes a team can be enough desesperate to do it. I doesn't say its gonna happen...
I'm pretty sure we don't have a first this season because of the McCabe trade and im not keen on trading our 1st next season at this TDL either
We need to be smart with how we use our assets, look for fit rather than who's the biggest name available
We have plenty of depth so every pick and cap dollar needs to go towards filling that 3C hole and we should explore chucking some guys overboard we don't intend to keep around and trying to grab a few more late round lottery tickets at the draft
Frost, Dvorak, Bjugstad, Gourde, Granlund should all have there tyre's kicked
We need to be smart with how we use our assets, look for fit rather than who's the biggest name available
We have plenty of depth so every pick and cap dollar needs to go towards filling that 3C hole and we should explore chucking some guys overboard we don't intend to keep around and trying to grab a few more late round lottery tickets at the draft
Frost, Dvorak, Bjugstad, Gourde, Granlund should all have there tyre's kicked
I’d honestly lean to using minten there before trading any high piccs he’ll have Willy on his wing I think he’ll do just fine
I'd give Minten a good long look to, if he's good he solves a bunch of problems but I'm just looking ahead just in case it doesn't work out
He's still young, I wouldn't want to hamper his development if he's not ready
He’s too smart to not be ready he has the body already we need a defensive center hi iq and can chip in he looks like he hits every need
