Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Fogelhund]

How many playoffs have we hit a cold streak now? Last 5 years are 15%, 13%, 14%, 25%, 5% while running an 80% PK. Matthews and Nylander being the only consistent shooters on the team is a problem especially when one or both of them is injured. OEL might help but we still have half the forwards on the ice either unable to hit the net consistently or having the shot of a tween girl.

Leafs had 4 guys in the top 60 of PP goals last year. Tavares is 15th in PP goals over the past three years. Marner is the worst at 56th over the last three years.

This isn't about players... it's the system. It also speaks to the guy with the second best shot on the team, in Robertson not even being played on the PP.

 

[Mess]

 

[Americanadian]

Nah. We need Lilly. Our D isn’t deep enough without him.

I've been under the assumption he's gone. It largely depends what happens with Hakanpaa.

 

[Mess]

How many playoffs have we hit a cold streak now? Last 5 years are 15%, 13%, 14%, 25%, 5% while running an 80% PK. Matthews and Nylander being the only consistent shooters on the team is a problem especially when one or both of them is injured. OEL might help but we still have half the forwards on the ice either unable to hit the net consistently or having the shot of a tween girl.

But this is a team whose issue in recent playoff years has been putting pucks into the net -- its alleged strength -- not keeping them out. In the past 14 playoff games, the Maple Leafs have been held to 2 goals or less 13 times.

Treliving knows that. During his end-of-season media availability in May, he pointed to it as an aspect that was both frustrating and head-scratching.

 

[Fogelhund]

I've been under the assumption he's gone. It largely depends what happens with Hakanpaa.

I think your going to have to readjust your assumptions. With only Rielly and OEL being able to move the puck effectively, the group isn't good enough without Lilly.

 

[Americanadian]

I think your going to have to readjust your assumptions. With only Rielly and OEL being able to move the puck effectively, the group isn't good enough without Lilly.

What do the pairs look like for you with Hakanpaa?

 

[ER89]

never once would i think that our offense would be so shit with 1 50+goal scorer 1 40 goal scorer 2 1 95 pt winger and another 65-70 pt C. Sigh. wtf even happened.

 

[Fogelhund]

What do the pairs look like for you with Hakanpaa?

Rielly Tanev
McCabe Lilly
OEL Hakanpaa/Benoit

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Because they didn't feel he was good enough to make any impact at the NHL level.

They didn't think McMann was either until he was. Same with Benoit who passed through waivers.

 

[Americanadian]

Rielly Tanev
McCabe Lilly
OEL Hakanpaa/Benoit

I was under the impression they'd run Benoit-McCabe again and OEL-Liljegren/Hakanpaa.

 

[Machinae]

I was under the impression they'd run Benoit-McCabe again and OEL-Liljegren/Hakanpaa.

More options is better than less options

 

[Americanadian]

More options is better than less options

I fully agree. I'm not out on Liljegren. I believe he's a very good 3RD. I look at the Leafs as currently constructed and I see him as the most movable player because he should have decent value given he plays a valuable position and he clears enough cap space to bring back a decent player (ideally a forward).

 

[Fogelhund]

They didn't think McMann was either until he was. Same with Benoit who passed through waivers.

Both of those guys can skate at an NHL level. Bellows skating isn't great. If Bellows ever becomes a NHL regular, I will be shocked. This was the right move... they tried him out for a year and walked away. I watched a few games of the Marlies last year... I wasn't overly impressed. He had stretches of games where he did nothing... I think two stretches of six games with no points.

I was under the impression they'd run Benoit-McCabe again and OEL-Liljegren/Hakanpaa.

At some point, everyone will play with each other.

Benoit and McCabe is good situationally. OEL and Lilly split gives a puck moving guy, and a physical or defensive guy on each pairing. With Benoit McCabe together, and OEL/Lilly, Rielly/Tanev, we only have one physical pairing. Balance.

 

[Mess]

never once would i think that our offense would be so shit with 1 50+goal scorer 1 40 goal scorer 2 1 95 pt winger and another 65-70 pt C. Sigh. wtf even happened.

Run and Gun, free skating, scoring on the rush regular season "Pond Hockey" is unlike Dump and Chase hard hitting tight checking winning playoff hockey.

The Leafs were built for regular season ** Entertainment Only ** purposes. There should be a warning label attached for the fan base to see, so they don't get their hopes set too high, only to face the bitter disappoint reality of playoff results.

Hopefully our new GM and new Coach can change all that, starting by shipping the small, soft and ineffective playoff style players out and bring in playoff warriors.

 

[Sypher04]

Benoit and McCabe is good situationally. OEL and Lilly split gives a puck moving guy, and a physical or defensive guy on each pairing. With Benoit McCabe together, and OEL/Lilly, Rielly/Tanev, we only have one physical pairing. Balance.

One nice thing too is I’ve noticed more agression comes out in Liljegren’s game when he is playing with confidence. He very well may develop a consistent edge to his game with experience. I also believe Berube will demand this from him.

 

[Americanadian]

At some point, everyone will play with each other.

Benoit and McCabe is good situationally. OEL and Lilly split gives a puck moving guy, and a physical or defensive guy on each pairing. With Benoit McCabe together, and OEL/Lilly, Rielly/Tanev, we only have one physical pairing. Balance.

Absolutely fair - although it depends if Hakanpaa signs. He would be the physical presence next to OEL. I summed up my thoughts here:

I'm not out on Liljegren. I believe he's a very good 3RD. I look at the Leafs as currently constructed and I see him as the most movable player because he should have decent value given he plays a valuable position and he clears enough cap space to bring back a decent player (ideally a forward).

 

[BertCorbeau]

As UFA has thinned to, Dubas may be interested in Jarnkrok.

Jarnkrok for a 2025 2nd

Then flip one of the two 2025 2nd's for some help up front for a team tight against the cap.

 

[OVO16]

Which teams still have remaining cap-space? From the most to the least?

I know Calgary apprently has the most Cap-space remaining....and we all know they dont want to trade with treliving so theres no hope there

 

[Martin Skoula]

But this is a team whose issue in recent playoff years has been putting pucks into the net -- its alleged strength -- not keeping them out. In the past 14 playoff games, the Maple Leafs have been held to 2 goals or less 13 times.

Treliving knows that. During his end-of-season media availability in May, he pointed to it as an aspect that was both frustrating and head-scratching.

Who did he acquire that puts pucks in the net?

 

[Americanadian]

Which teams still have remaining cap-space? From the most to the least?

I know Calgary apprently has the most Cap-space remaining....and we all know they dont want to trade with treliving so theres no hope there

>20M: ANA, CGY, SJ

10M-20M: MTL, PHI, CBJ, UTA, CHI, BUF

This list factors in projected RFA contracts.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Who did he acquire that puts pucks in the net?

I think he identified it as a potential puck moving problem, hence the OEL signing.

Looks like we were hoping for continued increases from guys like McMann and Robertson, if Nick ends up signing here.

 

[Mess]

Who did he acquire that puts pucks in the net?

So far I agree with you .... Leafs had a #1LW in Zach Hyman whom they replaced with Micheal Bunting, whom they replaced with Tyler Bertuzzi ($5.5 mil) replaced with NO ONE, and now after all the dust has settled by spending over 1/2 your cap on just 4 forwards that #1 LW sits blank XXXX as player individual player greed continues to squeeze that former $5 mil out of the budget and cap space, and also out of Cup competitiveness. Cutting top 6 forwards out of the roster does not make you stronger offensively on paper. Unless your cutting more and replacing them with more effective playoff performers.

Think Addition by Subtraction

Leafs have a pair of $11 mil contracts in their final years .... More moves pending to reshape the offense.

 

[Sypher04]

So far I agree with you .... Leafs had a #1LW in Zach Hyman whom they replaced with Micheal Bunting, whom they replaced with Tyler Bertuzzi, and now after all the dust has settled by spending over 1/2 your cap on just 4 forwards that #1 LW sits blank XXXX as player individual player greed continues to squeeze that $5 mil out of the budget and cap space, and also out of Cup competitiveness.

Think Addition by Subtraction

Leafs have a pair of $11 mil contracts in their final years .... More moves pending to reshape the offense.

You know, believe it or not, it is possible to go a whole day without mentioning Zach Hyman. I believe in you Mess.

 

[Sypher04]

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Mess and Zach Hyman in the same room

 

[OVO16]

The time to trade/dump Jarnkrok was before free agency started. Now that everything has passed, I honestly don't see any need to trade Jarnkrok anymore (unless it's part of a bigger trade package). There's no better options out there

At the end of the day, he's still a productive middle 6/top 9 player who is great defensively.

The only guy that needs to get dumped is Kampf