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

[Fogelhund]

Nylander's contract (13%) would be equivalent of 14.75M in the 2027-28 season.

Marner's ask is going to be 14M+. If we can't bring him down below 12.5M-12M they need to let him walk.

We worry about the $ far too much. If this is a winning team, the $ don't matter. If these players aren't winners, they walk, and it doesn't matter how much the ask is.

 

[WTFMAN99]

He was brought up a lot as a buy low player. He's not expensive right now, he's a capable center and from the area. He isn't perfect or amazing. We don't have have a 40 point 25 year old center. We'll see how he does in Calgary but I suspect he'll fit in nicely and it'll be another opportunity lost.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Frost-88
Patches/Saad/Robertson-JT-Marner

I actually think Frost at centre would have been a welcome addition because of his playmaking abilities from the middle of the ice. JT and Matthews strengths leans towards their shooting prowess, they aren't traditional playmaking centres like a Crosby or McDavid, so he would pass to his flanks, the top 9 above seems pretty balanced.

Kind of counting on Domi coming alive with Matthews in that scenario too but love this for Calgary.

 

[LeafChief]

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Saad - Bjustad - Nylander
Lorentz - Dewar - Pacioretty

You can bring in Saad + Bjustad at the cost of a 3rd.

 

[The Podium]

Marner coming up for renewal sucks right now, just as much as it would suck for year 3 of those projections, he'd simply be making what he is exactly right now for a few more years which is advantageous to us, him making 10.93M when the cap is 95.5M and 104.5M helps.

On the other hand, if we suck this year and they want to make a break from him, there is certainly cap space to make changes.

It’s better to have him signed and make a major move then let him walk for cap space

Also on the flip side Nylander current deal will be a 9 mill equivalent in only 2 short years.

 

[ULF_55]

Marner's new ask is 15.5M

Looks like about a 25% increase ... hmmmm?

Too bad Draisaitl already agreed to his deal? And he went 8 years? I suppose housing costs being so much lower it's like making $16mm in Toronto.

 

[WTFMAN99]

It’s better to have him signed and make a major move then let him walk for cap space

Also on the flip side Nylander current deal will be a 9 mill equivalent in only 2 short years.

If Marner signs, it'll be with a NMC just like Nylander and Matthews so I doubt much would change in terms of major moves. I'm personally fine with him walking for only cap space as the return if the team comes up short in the post-season again, especially if he isn't doing well.

What else can you do with a roster that continually comes up short? Rielly has a NMC and okay...JT could walk but big hole at centre then.

Looks like about a 25% increase ... hmmmm?

Too bad Draisaitl already agreed to his deal? And he went 8 years? I suppose housing costs being so much lower it's like making $16mm in Toronto.

Don't think it matters much, it might be a bit more but it's a better place to live and they're paid in USD, that goes *so far* right now with the current exchange rate.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Also on the flip side Nylander current deal will be a 9 mill equivalent in only 2 short years.

Yay!, we just need everyone else to sign deals based on the 23/24 cap and will be cooking.

 

[The Podium]

If Marner signs, it'll be with a NMC just like Nylander and Matthews so I doubt much would change in terms of major moves. I'm personally fine with him walking for only cap space as the return if the team comes up short in the post-season again, especially if he isn't doing well.

What else can you do with a roster that continually comes up short? Rielly has a NMC and okay...JT could walk but big hole at centre then.



Don't think it matters much, it might be a bit more but it's a better place to live and they're paid in USD, that goes *so far* right now with the current exchange rate.

NMC only work if you let them. Many examples of players strong armed into lifting there’s if that’s what the team wants.

Yay!, we just need everyone else to sign deals based on the 23/24 cap and will be cooking.

Well… that was my point. The deals should’ve all been signed already.

 

[leafan11]

Nylander's contract (13%) would be equivalent of 14.75M in the 2027-28 season.

Marner's ask is going to be 14M+. If we can't bring him down below 12.5M-12M they need to let him walk.

Ageed, also they overpaid on Marner once based on projected cap increases, they can’t do it again. What if another pandemic happens ? Bird flu is right around the corner potentially.

 

[ULF_55]

If Marner signs, it'll be with a NMC just like Nylander and Matthews so I doubt much would change in terms of major moves. I'm personally fine with him walking for only cap space as the return if the team comes up short in the post-season again, especially if he isn't doing well.

What else can you do with a roster that continually comes up short? Rielly has a NMC and okay...JT could walk but big hole at centre then.

Don't think it matters much, it might be a bit more but it's a better place to live and they're paid in USD, that goes *so far* right now with the current exchange rate.

I think they have 3 more kicks at the can.

Matthews should have all the Leafs records by then, well all the non-winning records, and so if he's even healthy enough to re-sign they could just let him walk. He isn't aging well as it is.

Re-sign the drivers.

 

[WTFMAN99]

NMC only work if you let them. Many examples of players strong armed into lifting there’s if that’s what the team wants.



Well… that was my point. The deals should’ve all been signed already.

Yeah, they won't be signing him for 8 years with that intent.

NMC basically works this way - "I don't want to waive, don't bother me"

You don't have the waiver threat like NYR could use with Trouba.

It's literally not a discussion.

I think they have 3 more kicks at the can.

Matthews should have all the Leafs records by then, well all the non-winning records, and so if he's even healthy enough to re-sign they could just let him walk. He isn't aging well as it is.

Re-sign the drivers.

That'll be a whole new era.

Marner, who knows where it goes

Matthews coming up for renewal, age curve suggests he won't be the guy to bring us to a cup and there is no nostalgia/emotional pull if he had.

Nylander would be under contract and can either choose to stay through a rebuild or be moved to a better situation.

Next few years are basically it, Matthews contract is the competitive window.

 

[Fogelhund]

NMC only work if you let them. Many examples of players strong armed into lifting there’s if that’s what the team wants.



Well… that was my point. The deals should’ve all been signed already.

It does happen, but not very often, and then you are stuck negotiating with one team that the player will waive to. It's just not particularly ideal, which is why it rarely happens.

 

[horner]

Knies-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Frost-88
Patches/Saad/Robertson-JT-Marner

I actually think Frost at centre would have been a welcome addition because of his playmaking abilities from the middle of the ice. JT and Matthews strengths leans towards their shooting prowess, they aren't traditional playmaking centres like a Crosby or McDavid, so he would pass to his flanks, the top 9 above seems pretty balanced.

Kind of counting on Domi coming alive with Matthews in that scenario too but love this for Calgary.

That the type of center you need someone who can dish the puck.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Well… that was my point. The deals should’ve all been signed already.

Yes, but it's not really realistic to sign everyone because you still have to work within the cap of the given year, but my point is that as the cap grows, so do salaries in general and that $2m cut from Nylander pretty easily gets eaten up by having to pay others because let's be honest, GMs rarely know when to say no.

 

[The Podium]

I think they have 3 more kicks at the can.

Matthews should have all the Leafs records by then, well all the non-winning records, and so if he's even healthy enough to re-sign they could just let him walk. He isn't aging well as it is.

Re-sign the drivers.

This place is getting ridiculous. The guy who scored more goals last season than anyone in 30+ years is not aging well?

What this fan base needs to realize is there are really only 2 options. Gamble on this core figuring it out or blowing it up and starting over. And the reality is the gamble is more likely to pay off than a rebuild.

Letting Marner or Matthews walk for cap space won’t make this team better. You don’t find their replacements outside of the draft.

 

[thusk]

Weird take.

Pelletier has 21 career NHL points. Frost is bigger, is a C, and has a career high 46 points... they aren't the same. Frost isn't having a great year, but that's typical for Torts. Frost is the piece Leafs fans wouldn't mind having as a 3C... good value for that.

Farabee had 50 points last year... struggling under Torts this year, and he's suddenly a cap dump? LOL

Kuzmenko had 74 pts 2 year ago and...???

Farabee is in the same category of Josh Anderson with a wordt physical, Its kind of risky player and pretty bad in term quality/Price sorry...If hes doing the same thing a anderson did in MTL, Philadelphia is the winner of that trade whatever what just to get rid of him.

Frost have some upside but did he really deserve the risk to consider it like huge win or steal by Calgary, not at all.

 

[WTFMAN99]

This place is getting ridiculous. The guy who scored more goals last season than anyone in 30+ years is not aging well?

What this fan base needs to realize is there are really only 2 options. Gamble on this core figuring it out or blowing it up and starting over. And the reality is the gamble is more likely to pay off than a rebuild.

Letting Marner or Matthews walk for cap space won’t make this team better. You don’t find their replacements outside of the draft.

So if I have this right, we should pay a winger that hasn't won any major award in the league, isn't a career pt/game player in the playoffs perhaps the highest salary in the league for a winger and that will suddenly become a winning formula when it hasn't been for pretty much a decade at this point?

 

[The Podium]

So if I have this right, we should pay a winger that hasn't won any major award in the league, isn't a career pt/game player in the playoffs perhaps the highest salary in the league for a winger and that will suddenly become a winning formula when it hasn't been for pretty much a decade at this point?

As opposed to letting a 90+ point winger walk and replacing him with 2 overpaid free agents who end up being anchor contracts?

You let players walk if you have internal replacements that need to be paid. You don’t let them walk to replace them with subpar cast offs from other teams.

In a different world where the Leafs had a super star winger prospect coming to the end of his ELC, than ya sign me up. But with no replacements you’re just setting yourself up to make bad bets and start the slow death of this era.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Letting Marner or Matthews walk for cap space won’t make this team better. You don’t find their replacements outside of the draft.

It wouldn't just be about that because, at this point, it's also about whether the group works irrespective of their salaries.

 

[ACC1224]

So if I have this right, we should pay a winger that hasn't won any major award in the league, isn't a career pt/game player in the playoffs perhaps the highest salary in the league for a winger and that will suddenly become a winning formula when it hasn't been for pretty much a decade at this point?

Won't Rantanan be the highest paid winger?

As opposed to letting a 90+ point winger walk and replacing him with 2 overpaid free agents who end up being anchor contracts?

You let players walk if you have internal replacements that need to be paid. You don’t let them walk to replace them with subpar cast offs from other teams.

In a different world where the Leafs had a super star winger prospect coming to the end of his ELC, than ya sign me up. But with no replacements you’re just setting yourself up to make bad bets and start the slow death of this era.

 

[Rare Jewel]

So if I have this right, we should pay a winger that hasn't won any major award in the league, isn't a career pt/game player in the playoffs perhaps the highest salary in the league for a winger and that will suddenly become a winning formula when it hasn't been for pretty much a decade at this point?

Yeah, and I'm sure many have done the Puckpedia exercise. If Mitch is at 14, it makes the next 2 years anyway pretty difficult to build around, and they just don't have that time to waste.

Also, there's only one semi-realistic guy I'd give higher AAV to than Matthews.

 

[Rare Jewel]

As opposed to letting a 90+ point winger walk and replacing him with 2 overpaid free agents who end up being anchor contracts?

Or.. just don't do that. Get one FA @ 50% of the cost to cover 70ish% of Marner's offence and then allocate the rest of the money to other parts of the team.

 

[WTFMAN99]

As opposed to letting a 90+ point winger walk and replacing him with 2 overpaid free agents who end up being anchor contracts?

You let players walk if you have internal replacements that need to be paid. You don’t let them walk to replace them with subpar cast offs from other teams.

In a different world where the Leafs had a super star winger prospect coming to the end of his ELC, than ya sign me up. But with no replacements you’re just setting yourself up to make bad bets and start the slow death of this era.

It wouldn't just be about that because, at this point, it's also about whether the group works irrespective of their salaries.

That is a big concern, Matthews and 88 are already signed too.

Also why are they going to be overpaid anchors? Ehlers and Boeser at 8ish each vs Marner at 13-14-15M? It's a change with the core and they're good players.

Won't Rantanan be the highest paid winger?

Let's see.

Yeah, and I'm sure many have done the Puckpedia exercise. If Mitch is at 14, it makes the next 2 years anyway pretty difficult to build around, and they just don't have that time to waste.

Also, there's only one semi-realistic guy I'd give higher AAV to than Matthews.

Rantanen or Boeser+Ehlers would be interesting alternatives to Marner

Even if Rantanen and Marner work out to be relatively similar on the AAV, it is a change to the core.

 

[Taylor Halls Teeth]

Won't Rantanan be the highest paid winger?

No if Shanny is around it will still be Mitch. If you have never held the line in a salary negotiation you have no power to negotiate. This summer will just be an updated version of Dubas first year with the top four guys inflated to match the new cap. They just need to do some winning in this playoff so we can stop worrying about what they can't afford to do.

 

[Madap]

This place is getting ridiculous. The guy who scored more goals last season than anyone in 30+ years is not aging well?

What this fan base needs to realize is there are really only 2 options. Gamble on this core figuring it out or blowing it up and starting over. And the reality is the gamble is more likely to pay off than a rebuild.

Letting Marner or Matthews walk for cap space won’t make this team better. You don’t find their replacements outside of the draft.

How are those the only two options? How many teams have 3 elite players like we do? Not many, if any, and somehow these teams find ways to win in the playoffs while we embarrass ourselves year after year.

Only 2 options hahahaha