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

[Kiwi]

I'd have a decent amount of interest. I assume Treliving does too. Timmins straight up maybe? We lose a RHD but Soucy is a competent RD as far as I know.

I'd want to send some salary back or get Van to retain a bit
$3.25M is a decent wack of change

 

[Kurtz]

I don't watch Edmonton much but isn't Bouchard's reputation that he is horrid defensively? And wants $10mil/season on his next deal? Sure he'd be great on the PP but we might be looking at a better but a lot more expensive Tyson Barrie.

 

[ULF_55]

I don't watch Edmonton much but isn't Bouchard's reputation that he is horrid defensively? And wants $10mil/season on his next deal? Sure he'd be great on the PP but we might be looking at a better but a lot more expensive Tyson Barrie.

He's okay defensively, but obviously his strength is offense.

He's like their other top offensive players not named RNH.

 

[4thline]

I'd have a decent amount of interest. I assume Treliving does too. Timmins straight up maybe? We lose a RHD but Soucy is a competent RD as far as I know.

Makes a lot of sense- as a partner to either Rielly or OEL. All depends on whether he returns to form.
The potential payoff on a cheap to acquire Soucy with an extra year (especially with retention) is pretty appealing.

 

[Kurtz]

I seem to recall reading that Van is looking for a forward right now. Maybe something around Domi for Soucy?

 

[thusk]

I disagree a whole lot. Teams that need top goaltending for 2.5M will trip over each other to get them. Vegas in particular has no goaltenders signed next season. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Flames, Utah, Sharks, etc should have all interest in a goaltender that can either be the top guy or help their other goaltender like we did this season.

And this is mostly off-season talk. Hildeby will be 24 years old by next season. I'm not 100% sure of waiver status either but that's another hurdle. He's very good and for me he's more than good enough to be the back-up going into next season with Woll getting the bulk of starts. And you can get another journeyman goaltender to compete.

We can debate the value and fine details, it's all subjective, but for me they need to make a decision on their goaltending this off-season to strengthen the lineup. But knowing Treliving, they'll do nothing about it, let Stolarz probably walk and hope it works out.

Nothing i saw from Hildeby right now make me feel confortable to get him as back up next year and i think he still waiver exempt next season.

Leafs goalie issue finally over with a pretty good tandem, so why should they destroy it when they finally been able to fix it. Tandem with Stolarz/ Woll was working pretty well... Since Stolarz injury, Woll was not as dominant by playing probably too much... So why should we want to change that, nothing we opposite team will be able to spend on Stolarz will really make leafs better... I don't see any of those because none of those would bring a Bouchard or any top NHL player.

 

[Gabriel426]

That's a matter of opinion, then.

But I think committing more money and time to this group, particularly if they don't do anything this spring, is silly, and I don't get the stubbornness to change. Especially after you still couldn't give me an example of a team winning with 3 or 4 forwards making this much.



Well, you could've fooled me, it seems like you are and have been very interested in him.

Anyway, even if they sign Manrer, it doesn't sound like you have much confidence in Treliving to fill the roster out anyway.

So, perhaps they should be extra careful and not overpay Mitch. and you can say it's misleading, but I think most would say it paints a pretty good picture of where he stands offensively. Mostly because of underplaying what the others are doing.

And I'll keep going back to it; that level of performance is not replicated in the postseason, and this has not success with this core. Something has to give.



Yeah, it wasn't a good pick. And why am I worried? Because I want them to pick a better player with more upside than a guy who's likely a 3rd pair D if he even makes it.

O'Reilly didn't want to stay in a big market, so it's not really on Treliving is it?

But these recurring jabs at him, particularly in contrast to how you view Dubas, are interesting; why so quick to defend one and not the other?


Again, more anti-Tre, pro-Dubas stuff, interesting for someone who "doesn't care."

But no, Dubas got played. To say otherwise is certainly a choice. He lost on basically every main front. Term, AAV and signing bonuses

Most of this is due to the Tavares signing. However, Matthews' AAv relative to his term and Manrer's AAV were not good. Then, when you add that these guys got mostly paid in lumpsum signing bonuses as their "salary" to get around certain tax implications, the fact those deals weren't better is disappointing. His mishandling of Nylander was waiting until December to sign him, which basically made that season a write-off because he never caught up.

Also, being dictated to by Manrer's agent by saying, "Mitch goes last," is another issue.

Perhaps you can put it down to him being a rookie GM, but his handling of those was not optimal; but I'm sure you'll say differently.

Then, I'll bring up what Mackinnon and Barkov made on their 2nd contracts...



Based on?


Yes, because the moment Mackinnon jumped to $13.6m, they knew putting a team together would be difficult. And here the Leafs are trying to possibly have two $13m dollar players and Nylander @ 11.5. All while having nowhere near to success of that team.

Also, you can have a positional/player downgrade and still have a net team gain if you are smart about how you build said team. I suppose that the lack of acceptance is what this debate is about, but those ideas are not exclusive to each other, and it's something that the Leafs should give some thought to rather than persisting with NBA-style team construction if again they fail to do anything in the playoffs, even though really, that should've been done in '23.


Yes, of course, it does. Because it is a shorter yet more important format of playing, that's how it works.

As for the "outplaying" of the opposition - it hasn't manifested in much success, has it? And again, 36 games in the playoffs is not a small sample size; I'm sorry.



Sure, but it's not nothing when you continually get beaten, even if it is by small margins. And irrespective of your or my feelings of the players or even their performance (which we differ on), the mental and emotional side of these players and as a group is something that has to come into question, which is also why I'm very hesitant just to lay down and pay Marner whatever he wants.

Is it slightly unfair to him? Maybe, but as his agent once said, "Mitch goes last," and as it stands the most flexibility at this time is with him.


Which player has been paid for the pace they scored at rather than the rough average of what they've put up in the past, particularly on a 3rd contract?

You're paying for what they've done, not what they hypothetically/almost did a few times.

Agree with you.
If the big four actually had playoffs success, like a Cup or two, they should absolutely bring them back but that’s really not the case.

The question of can 45.4mil on four forwards win is insteresting, since McD, Mack, Barkov and Tkachuk are pretty much getting paid 45.4mil. If we swap those four with our four, would the Leafs win a Cup or still be first round fodders due to lack of depth, defense, goalie, coaching, fans and Toronto Traffic.

 

[LeafChief]

Folks, Edmonton is not trading Bouchard to us.

 

[Fogelhund]

Folks, Edmonton is not trading Bouchard to us.

Noting... there is lot's of talk that they should explore trading him... and what would their needs be? A goalie, and a replacement but cheaper Offensive D. Maybe depth C as well.

I'm not saying that they would trade with us, but if he's on the table, don't you think we should ask?

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[Rare Jewel]

Agree with you.
If the big four actually had playoffs success, like a Cup or two, they should absolutely bring them back but that’s really not the case.

The question of can 45.4mil on four forwards win is insteresting, since McD, Mack, Barkov and Tkachuk are pretty much getting paid 45.4mil. If we swap those four with our four, would the Leafs win a Cup or still be first round fodders due to lack of depth, defense, goalie, coaching, fans and Toronto Traffic.

Well, that's a better group of four, isn't it?

But still, I have some big questions about how you're going to build a team around them.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Not commenting on the proposed deal at all, but in no world is Ristolainen a top pairing defenseman

That was where the poster had him in the lineup....

 

[SprDaVE]

Makes a lot of sense- as a partner to either Rielly or OEL. All depends on whether he returns to form.
The potential payoff on a cheap to acquire Soucy with an extra year (especially with retention) is pretty appealing.

I seem to recall reading that Van is looking for a forward right now. Maybe something around Domi for Soucy?

I'd be more than fine with trading them a fresh Kampf and Timmins to make the salaries work.

I'm not sure what to expect to be honest but I think there's something there.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Agree with you.
If the big four actually had playoffs success, like a Cup or two, they should absolutely bring them back but that’s really not the case.

The question of can 45.4mil on four forwards win is insteresting, since McD, Mack, Barkov and Tkachuk are pretty much getting paid 45.4mil. If we swap those four with our four, would the Leafs win a Cup or still be first round fodders due to lack of depth, defense, goalie, coaching, fans and Toronto Traffic.

I think the problem is that if we compare McD, Mack, Barkov, and Tkachuk with Matty, Mitch, Willy, and JT, we lose on three of the four, particularly in the playoffs.