Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[stats1]

This team is quickly getting old and slower

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

OEL and Liljegren will play pp 2 as well and improve it quite a bit. OEL was a better pp QB in Florida then montour was. I don't mind these moves considering we can't move Tavares. I'd love to see a Tavares extension at 4 years 3 million so we can add a 2c next year and he slides into 3c.

 

[NJG]

Based on what exactly? We’ve lost no one of value up front. We’ve upgraded the blueline and goaltending was terrible last year

People are just over dramatic as per usual.

 

[Tony Romo]

Eh idk I feel like we might struggle a bit more then usual in the regular season this year.

Everyone says this every year but we had borderline unplayable goaltending last year and still finished with healthy space in a playoff spot in the hardest decision.

One thing about our players, they can do well in the regular season.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Feels like we could be going back to mediocrity

 

[SprDaVE]

I find it crazy we got Berube as a head coach, and we haven't gotten him Berube type of players

He had plenty of these kind of players in his time there. They were a decently rounded team, especially on defense.

Where are the trades to free up cap space?

That's the biggest issue out of all of this. Not being active 2 weeks ago up until this past weekend was a major head scratcher. It won't get any better.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Based on what exactly? We’ve lost no one of value up front. We’ve upgraded the blueline and goaltending was terrible last year

I think the division is getting tighter. We don't have any money for a Bertuzzi replacement and still need help down the middle. I don't like how we spent our money on the defense....still have questions in goal. I just don't love what we are doing at all. Could see either Tampa or one of the young teams creep on us.

 

[ULF_55]

Like to be prepared ...

 

[Dragao6]

People are just over dramatic as per usual.

samsonov is gone
that's already an improvement no?

 

[Sypher04]

I would've much rather have paid extra for Montour at this point. Balances out handedness and can have a puck mover paired with a stay at home type on every pair. OEL just makes 0 sense unless he plays RD well

Doesn’t seem like we have ever been considered a legitimate destination for Montour.

I think the one we will regret not paying up for is Zadorov. Not because he’s especially good, but just because we seemingly are going to have to deal with him in Boston. Will depend what the contact looks like as well though in the end.

 

[Americanadian]

If the Leafs keep saying no, they won't sign anyone.

This is what's happening in Carolina. They wouldn't re-sign Skjei, Pesce, Hamilton, Niederreiter, Trocheck, Teravainen, potentially Necas.

 

[egd27]

As of now, they have 7 1/2 million dollars left to spend. They need to sign Dewar, Robertson, another goalie, another defenceman, and a decent forward.

Hmmmm

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Would you rather have Montour + literally any other bottom pairing dman for 7M or OEL + Liljegren for the same amount?

Option 1 seems like an infinitely better result.

 

[Magic Man]

We put a projected top-5 available center and RHD on the roster before the frenzy begins.

They did alright to figure that out, they needed to fill those holes.

 

[JKG33]

Doesn’t seem like we have ever been considered a legitimate destination for Montour.

I think the one we will regret not paying up for is Zadorov. Not because he’s especially good, but just because we seemingly are going to have to deal with him in Boston.

Yea I gotta agree. Boston doesn't really sign too many bad contracts in UFA. Zadorov would've added the toughness this team needs, and instead they got.. slightly better Sandin. Makes 0 sense

 

[Torontonian]

Feels like we could be going back to mediocrity

When where the Leafs ever super elite? They just need to make the playoffs and go from there. Whether they are 1st or 16, it doesn't matter for them.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Like if we look around the division....Boston and Tampa have both improved considerably over last season. Ottawa has got Ullmark now, Detroit was right there last year. I am not saying we are going to fall out of the playoffs....but with the way we are spending our money? I just won't be shocked is all lol

 

[Daisy Jane]

One of the most concerning parts about this off-season so far is the lack of interest players have playing in Toronto. A little worrisome tbh. We all want Skjei, Montour, Roy, etc but by the sounds of it, none of those players have any interest in coming here whatsoever.

the thing is. and i've said it -

a lot of these people want to play in small markets. (and make much money).
and they don't want the "pressure" of playing in Toronto.
and again what's the "pressure?" to win? if you have a bad game, we yell at you but if you freaking have a good hit you're celebrated for a month?

I do find it interesting the people that the fanbase rode hard against - almost always have NOTHING but positive things to say about the fanbase/being in Toronto as a whole.

a lot of it also has to do with the exchange rate (if they have kids, raising them Canadian as well or whatever. (Ive head people use that one a lot)

those who do want to play in Toronto(even for a steal) aren't super sexy names. or if they do come here and we have to overpay a bit people lose their minds.


this league's mentality is so dumb becuse they wanna be "the big time" but they want to be the "big time" in like Arizona, where the only mention of you is on the back page of the paper. where as the other Big 3 sports - EVERYONE wants to be in the spotlight, or play for a big team OR if their team is struggling they wannna go there and be The Answer.

 

[Sypher04]

I think some of what's going down is just simply certain guys didn't want to come to Toronto.

They dont want everything that comes with it... and just this thread alone shows some of that lol. Kidding around.

Truth is .... if you come to Toronto you have to deal with some really passionate fans and the media is full of a lot of derp derps. Other reasons too but I don't think a lot of guys want that type of pressure etc

I think we’d be naive to think free agents around the league haven’t seen the way the media and fans have sewered the team (deserved to some extent or not) after each playoff exit and the rising toxicity in the market. That and we just don’t have as much money to throw around as most other teams

 

[Torontonian]

Doesn’t seem like we have ever been considered a legitimate destination for Montour.

I think the one we will regret not paying up for is Zadorov. Not because he’s especially good, but just because we seemingly are going to have to deal with him in Boston. Will depend what the contact looks like as well though in the end.

It seems like Toronto pivoted a bit. Insiders were saying Toronto wasn't really in on a lot of big market free agents on D.

 

[TMLegend]

As of now, they have 7 1/2 million dollars left to spend. They need to sign Dewar, Robertson, another goalie, another defenceman, and a decent forward.

Hmmmm

So you're saying Marner is gone

 

[Americanadian]

Based on what exactly? We’ve lost no one of value up front. We’ve upgraded the blueline and goaltending was terrible last year

If you anticipate Matthews putting up a 70 goal/selke season again then they will be roughly the same up front. If you factor in the likely regression from Tavares and Matthews then they are in worse shape. Bertuzzi is also a big loss.

 

[Sypher04]

Yea I gotta agree. Boston doesn't really sign too many bad contracts in UFA. Zadorov would've added the toughness this team needs, and instead they got.. slightly better Sandin. Makes 0 sense

Here’s hoping a non Atlantic team steals him out from under Boston

 

[robertmac43]

Pesce just signed for 1 million more then Tanev..... Same term, and he is only 29.

Darn.

 

[Killswitch]

Because he's better then Pesce and Slavin even at 34... Which is obviously the plan do I need to say it slowly for you.... Tanev know's he's not playing 6 more years... It's his last and final contract and he's getting his money he ain't taking a discount. He will retire or LTIR after a couple of years.... .

He's better than Pesce who's overrated hard but he isn't better than Slavin