Trades & Free Agency Thread: 2024-2025 - Trade Deadline Approaches

[Dekes For Days]

His contract is set to expire this summer, making him arguably the top pending UFA in the league.

Second best pending UFA*

Seravalli reports that the Avs are hoping to keep Rantanen’s price tag below the $12.6MM that Nathan MacKinnon makes. However, Rantanen’s camp is more interested in taking aim at Leon Draisaitl’s record-breaking contract, one that begins next season and carries a $14MM cap charge. Suffice it to say, that’s a pretty significant cap to try to bridge

If this was actually true, ~1.4m isn't really that big of a gap to bridge over half a year.

 

[jaric1862]

More LD?

LD usually cost less to acquire. Dumoulin is one of the better targets

 

[LeafEgo]

If this was actually true, ~1.4m isn't really that big of a gap to bridge over half a year.

It's big if Avs keep a hard line at Macks 12.6 - that's over 10M bucks they won't budge on.

If Avs relent then they'll find a number that works, which they should probably do if they have to.

 

[Dekes For Days]

It's big if Avs keep a hard line at Macks 12.6 - that's over 10M bucks they won't budge on.
If Avs relent then they'll find a number that works, which they should probably do if they have to.

All lines are hard until it risks a deal. It's nothing more than negotiation tactics. I can't imagine them failing to reach some kind of agreement if the gap is that small in January.

 

[LeafSteel]

If we make a deal with Chi and dont get Murphy I will be a salty little child.

When the McCabe trade broke, I initially thought it was Murphy coming to us, but no complaints on McCabe.

Would love to circle back to Chicago and package for Donato and Murphy, and if the price is right, Taylor Hall.

 

[ULF_55]

Avalanche And Mikko Rantanen Not Making Progress In Extension Discussions​

January 17, 2025

Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen has been one of the top-scoring players in the NHL over the past several seasons. His contract is set to expire this summer, making him arguably the top pending UFA in the league. Colorado has been trying to re-sign him but to this point, obviously no deal has been reached yet.

It doesn’t seem like the two sides are particularly close either. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported in a recent segment on Amazon Prime (Twitter link) that the two sides are believed to effectively be at a stalemate in their discussions.

Seravalli reports that the Avs are hoping to keep Rantanen’s price tag below the $12.6MM that Nathan MacKinnon makes. However, Rantanen’s camp is more interested in taking aim at Leon Draisaitl’s record-breaking contract, one that begins next season and carries a $14MM cap charge. Suffice it to say, that’s a pretty significant cap to try to bridge

The 28-year-old had a very strong first half of the season, picking up 25 goals and 37 assists in his first 46 games though a league-high 13 empty-net points help inflate those totals a bit. Nonetheless, Rantanen finds himself on pace to surpass the 100-point mark for the third straight year while surpassing his career high of 105, putting himself in a great position heading into his first time potentially testing the market.

Hard to argue against his position.
This would be 3rd. year in a row over 100 points.

Over his contract he's:
9th. in NHL points
6th. in goals


Next year how much more will Kyle Connor be looking at?
Over his contract he's Top 15 player, Top 4 in even strength goals.

 

[Americanadian]

LD usually cost less to acquire. Dumoulin is one of the better targets

They cost less to acquire because they’re so abundant. The Leafs have struggled to get the puck from defense to offense the past few years in the playoffs. Running 2 LHD pairs makes that difficult.

 

[Stephen]

It's big if Avs keep a hard line at Macks 12.6 - that's over 10M bucks they won't budge on.

If Avs relent then they'll find a number that works, which they should probably do if they have to.

Yeah $1.4 extra million would equate to $11 million or so over 8 years, or 10% the value of the players ask.

I’d be tempted to throw my hat in the ring if I were the Leafs.

 

[Stephen]

Hard to argue against his position.
This would be 3rd. year in a row over 100 points.
View attachment 962980


Over his contract he's:
9th. in NHL points
6th. in goals


Next year how much more will Kyle Connor be looking at?
Over his contract he's Top 15 player, Top 4 in even strength goals.

His two best point production years basically align at the Auston Matthews level and is a 50 goal scorer in his own right. If he was part of our big core big star concept he would be raising the level here.

 

[ACC1224]

It's big if Avs keep a hard line at Macks 12.6 - that's over 10M bucks they won't budge on.

If Avs relent then they'll find a number that works, which they should probably do if they have to.

Shouldn’t the cap percentage when Mackinnon signed he the measure not the dollars?

 

[ULF_55]

Shouldn’t the cap percentage when Mackinnon signed he the measure not the dollars?

Very tough situation if they have an internal Cap.

MacKinnon went full term, at 14.3 according to Capwages.

So calculated against the 92.5, or the rumoured higher, negotiated Cap?
Easily calculates above Mac's actual dollars, but do they play around with signing bonuses and deferred?

And of course the Landeskog $7mm knocking on the door wouldn't help.
...
Would Canucks meet his demand?
How about Calgary, so they keep up with the Oilers?

JT Miller ++
NaZ Kadri ++

 

[LeafEgo]

Shouldn’t the cap percentage when Mackinnon signed he the measure not the dollars?

Yeah but he ain't the same value as Mack, so it kinda works here. 12.5 seems like a good number for him, but if he's aggressive and doesn't care that much about staying in Colorado they'll have to pay him more.

 

[Americanadian]

I wonder if OEL could be a cap balancing piece at the deadline.

I’ve liked him but having him and Rielly is redundant - especially with neither of them on the PP. Berube/Tre seemed to think he could play top 4D and PP when they signed him but it clearly hasn’t worked. None of Rielly/McCabe/OEL should be on their off side.

There was smoke around Lindgren being on the block in NY. If he is moved I could see a OEL/Borgen swap working for all parties this season and beyond.

 

[thewave]

I wonder if OEL could be a cap balancing piece at the deadline.

I’ve liked him but having him and Rielly is redundant - especially with neither of them on the PP. Berube/Tre seemed to think he could play top 4D and PP when they signed him but it clearly hasn’t worked. None of Rielly/McCabe/OEL should be on their off side.

There was smoke around Lindgren being on the block in NY. If he is moved I could see a OEL/Borgen swap working for all parties this season and beyond.

Rielly is murdering us out there. He isn't even NHL worthy

 

[Stephen]

Rielly is murdering us out there. He isn't even NHL worthy

Man, the Rielly situation is such a headache. Longest serving Leaf with a bulletproof contract till the next decade, good guy reputation who always escaped the scrutiny of quality control. Exhibit A of what unlimited job security and tenure can do to a guy. He's asleep at the wheel of his own career.

 

[Americanadian]

Rielly is murdering us out there. He isn't even NHL worthy

I also want Rielly gone but I don’t see the avenue to that happening unless it’s a buyout.

Man, the Rielly situation is such a headache. Longest serving Leaf with a bulletproof contract till the next decade, good guy reputation who always escaped the scrutiny of quality control. Exhibit A of what unlimited job security and tenure can do to a guy. He's asleep at the wheel of his own career.

That Rielly contract might be the biggest blunder Dubas made.

 

[LeafChief]

Some of you have been really big on bringing Crouse in over the last few years. He's having an absolutely horrendous season.

What a disaster that would have been.

 

[TorMapleJays]

Soon.

 

[Dekes For Days]

If he was part of our big core big star concept he would be raising the level here.

If he was part of our team, he would be our 3rd best player. He wouldn't have the EN points, PP TOI, and playoff production that has inflated perception of him. He'd be much more like Nylander than somebody raising the level beyond Matthews and Marner.

Shouldn’t the cap percentage when Mackinnon signed he the measure not the dollars?

Yeah, but if you're trying to argue some arbitrary limit as a negotiation tactic, may as well choose the lowest one that's more aligned with what they should actually be making. If you can get him to buy into the whole ra ra team thing, you can avoid the hard conversations about why he's not worth more anyway.

MacKinnon went full term, at 14.3 according to Capwages.

Mackinnon got 15.27%. That would be 14.1m under a 92.5m cap.
Of course, Mackinnon was a better player than Rantanen when he signed.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Man, the Rielly situation is such a headache. Longest serving Leaf with a bulletproof contract till the next decade, good guy reputation who always escaped the scrutiny of quality control. Exhibit A of what unlimited job security and tenure can do to a guy. He's asleep at the wheel of his own career.

I still say that's something Tree needs to explore this off-season, won't be sexy though LAK/CGY/VAN/SEA are likely the only spots he'd consider.

Some of you have been really big on bringing Crouse in over the last few years. He's having an absolutely horrendous season.

What a disaster that would have been.

Also known as buying low right now versus paying a premium.

 

[Stephen]

If he was part of our team, he would be our 3rd best player. He wouldn't have the EN points, PP TOI, and playoff production that has inflated perception of him. He'd be much more like Nylander than somebody raising the level beyond Matthews and Marner.

Mikko Rantanen is better player than Mitch Marner, put away your notions from 2019.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Mikko Rantanen is better player than Mitch Marner, put away your notions from 2019.

Mikko Rantanen is a worse player than Mitch Marner, just like he was in 2019.

 

[thewave]

Soon. View attachment 963117

We all wish. If you could assure me that was happening Marner would be done at the end of this season. If you could make it happen quicker, well.

If you can imagine.

I wish NMCs never existed though and we could do a Marner Rielly 1st Cowan for McDavid and Nurse. Nurse is just there to make it somewhat realistic both the D are struggling immensely.

 

[Americanadian]

Some of you have been really big on bringing Crouse in over the last few years. He's having an absolutely horrendous season.

What a disaster that would have been.

Similar to the two Leafs who have underperformed the most compared to last year(Rielly and Benoit) - he had his first child right before the season started. Very likely weighing down the performance of all 3 players.

 

[thewave]

Mikko Rantanen is a worse player than Mitch Marner, just like he was in 2019.

No lol