Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[ITM]

Alex Nylander seemed to find his game in Columbus...Any rumblings of our interest in him?

Seems a no-brainer experiment to me.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Alex Nylander seemed to find his game in Columbus...Any rumblings of our interest in him?

Seems a no-brainer experiment to me.

I'd absolutely do it 100%

Zero risk.

 

[Stephen]

The next Forslings coming right up. Bjornfot also picked using the Leafs draft pick that was traded for Muzzin, of course.

I said the Leafs should take a flyer on Bjornfot when Vegas claimed him too. We should just have a commitment to picking up high draft pick trash and see what comes of it.

Conor Timmins was a decent attempt at recouping an asset. But I think that experiment went about a year and $1.1 million over.

 

[Stephen]

Alex Nylander seemed to find his game in Columbus...Any rumblings of our interest in him?

Seems a no-brainer experiment to me.

Yeah agreed. I’m firmly on the Alex Nylander train.

 

[GQS]

Alex Nylander seemed to find his game in Columbus...Any rumblings of our interest in him?

Seems a no-brainer experiment to me.

A few years ago I'd have been interested. Now? Not so much. Would rather just give our prospects a shot with the Leafs than bring in Alex who fans would likely be complaining about after watching him play a few games.

Also bye bye CapFriendly. Gone dark now.

 

[Fogelhund]

That was arguably the last best chance at a top pair RD, legit guy.

Weegar was also apparently nearly had for Johnsson/Dermott.

Pietrangelo vs trading Kerfoot, passing on Brodie, Simmonds, Thornton? I take the defenseman

Muzzin-Pietrangelo would have helped so much getting through the Habs and WPG.

It is a bit circular though right?

We go to the playoffs, we lose
We talk about change
We don't like what we're offered
We return the following season and generally lose in the 1st round
We talk about change
We don't like what we're offered

You can say you don't like what we're offered and maybe the first 2-3 times we can say bad luck, team is maturing etc but we're year 8 into this.

I get the angst, and the constantly living in the past, and questioning what could have been, "IF" things were different. But they aren't different and here we are. It's so much easier as fans, to dream up scenarios, and trades where we improve the team.. but then that requires willing trade partners, willing players to drop NMC/NTC and willing players to sign here. That is where the dream scenarios don't meet reality.

Everytime we move a player, such as Kadri, and don't get full perceived value, people obsess about it for years.

So we move Nylander, and get equally bad value in return? Is that what you want, just to satisfy a desire for change at any cost?

How about trading Marner? I've seen the media suggest we move him one for one.. for Necas, or Sergachev, or Keller. Here is my favourite (sarcasm) Alex Kerfoot (C/LW), Maveric Lamoureux (D), and 2024 second-rounder.

If you get a crap trade, you've satisfied the desire to make moves, at any cost... and the team is worse under pretty much every one of those scenarios, and there was a cost. It may not satisfy you, but if the team is better off staying put, and hoping for the best, versus downgrading and being either a wild-card team, or not making the playoffs, management is going to stay put.

Fans have the benefit of living in a fantasy world of what is possible, with no disconnect with reality. We have no idea of the real conversations, or what is really possible... but then it's all angst, and pointed anger at those who actually know what's going on, because the entitlement of not having achieved the goal has personally harmed fans. Sports should be a healthy past time, not something that personally harms. Some people need to get outside and enjoy the weather (though maybe not today).

Yeah agreed. I’m firmly on the Alex Nylander train.

I'd sign Comtois too.... league minimum... chances are low he ever becomes what he appeared he might... but then, there was enough there, that if somehow it happens, that's a player we could use.

 

[SprDaVE]

Alex Nylander seemed to find his game in Columbus...Any rumblings of our interest in him?

Seems a no-brainer experiment to me.

A few years ago I'd have been interested. Now? Not so much. Would rather just give our prospects a shot with the Leafs than bring in Alex who fans would likely be complaining about after watching him play a few games.

Also bye bye CapFriendly. Gone dark now.

I don't see the fit at all. I also don't see the point. Only way I take a chance is if he takes a PTO and we can evaluate how he does in camp but anything more than that I dunno...

He shot well over 20% with Columbus when he was on a tear soon after acquired and cooled off considerably. He's not going to get the same opportunity here either. You'd be better off chasing Sprong for the same type of player who at least has consistency year to year.

 

[Stephen]

I'd sign Comtois too.... league minimum... chances are low he ever becomes what he appeared he might... but then, there was enough there, that if somehow it happens, that's a player we could use.

Yeah I’d just sign anybody with some draft pedigree and see what happens.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Liljegren + Jarnkrok for Frank Vatrano
Robertson + Kampf for Jordan Spence

Vatrano-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Holmberg-Nylander

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Spence

I’d sign Tyler Johnson for 4C / 3C safety net. Run with Dewar, Johnson, Reaves, revolving door of tweeners for 4th line

 

[Roo]

I’d sign some of these guys to ptos, I wouldn’t hand them out deals. There is a reason they are unsigned.

 

[Stephen]

I don't see the fit at all. I also don't see the point. Only way I take a chance is if he takes a PTO and we can evaluate how he does in camp but anything more than that I dunno...

He shot well over 20% with Columbus when he was on a tear soon after acquired and cooled off considerably. He's not going to get the same opportunity here either. You'd be better off chasing Sprong for the same type of player who at least has consistency year to year.

In a world where Easton Cowan may be force fed to the NHL at 19, there’s room for a random with some upside to help pad out the forward depth. Not that different than the Bunting signing.

 

[ULF_55]

Also bye bye CapFriendly. Gone dark now.

Yeah, a huge part of the off-ice entertainment.

NHL | Spotrac.com

NHL homepage listing out teams, transactions and the latest news.

www.spotrac.com

 

[SprDaVE]

In a world where Easton Cowan may be force fed to the NHL at 19, there’s room for a random with some upside to help pad out the forward depth. Not that different than the Bunting signing.

If Cowan makes the team, it's because he earned it. Bunting was signed to a pretty cheap deal and is a much different kind of player than Alex Nylander, who is very much highly inconsistent with a lot of issues without the puck. He's not really been a top AHLer either. I get that he's got a good last name and was an 8th overall pick in 2016, which is 8 years ago, but I don't see how this helps at all our current depth and our current needs. You might as well force feed Cowan minutes at that point.

I'd be fine with a PTO and to see how he can play with our current depth, where he fits, etc... but I'd be shocked if he was anymore useful than every other player of his ilk.

 

[Fogelhund]

I don't see the fit at all. I also don't see the point. Only way I take a chance is if he takes a PTO and we can evaluate how he does in camp but anything more than that I dunno...

He shot well over 20% with Columbus when he was on a tear soon after acquired and cooled off considerably. He's not going to get the same opportunity here either. You'd be better off chasing Sprong for the same type of player who at least has consistency year to year.

We have only used 44 of 50 contract spots. 46 if we sign Dewar and Robertson. I don't mind signing a guy or two as reclamation projects, and lose them if we send them to the Marlies... no big deal. Whether that's Nylander, Comtois, or better yet, Chris Tierney, who is a C, and decent at Faceoffs, and provides us with more depth at C?

We've got great depth at D, and G now... that much is for sure... why not more depth at Forward?

 

[SprDaVE]

We have only used 44 of 50 contract spots. 46 if we sign Dewar and Robertson. I don't mind signing a guy or two as reclamation projects, and lose them if we send them to the Marlies... no big deal. Whether that's Nylander, Comtois, or better yet, Chris Tierney, who is a C, and decent at Faceoffs, and provides us with more depth at C?

We've got great depth at D, and G now... that much is for sure... why not more depth at Forward?

I'm not saying not to add depth at forward, but I think there are much more useful players to target. We should have just kept Noah Gregor at that rate if the goal was to add marginal depth forwards... at least he could fill a role.

 

[Fogelhund]

Yeah, a huge part of the off-ice entertainment.

NHL | Spotrac.com

NHL homepage listing out teams, transactions and the latest news.

www.spotrac.com

There are a couple of other and new sites that will try and replicate CapFriendly to varying degrees

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x.com

x.com

 

[Stephen]

If Cowan makes the team, it's because he earned it. Bunting was signed to a pretty cheap deal and is a much different kind of player than Alex Nylander, who is very much highly inconsistent with a lot of issues without the puck. He's not really been a top AHLer either. I get that he's got a good last name and was an 8th overall pick in 2016, which is 8 years ago, but I don't see how this helps at all our current depth and our current needs. You might as well force feed Cowan minutes at that point.

I'd be fine with a PTO and to see how he can play with our current depth, where he fits, etc... but I'd be shocked if he was anymore useful than every other player of his ilk.

I’m sorry, but if the Leafs have time for a project forward like Cedric Pare, they can throw out a 1 year league minimum for a guy like Alex Nylander who was on a 38 goal pace for a quarter of the season in Columbus. Warts and all.

Slow rolling Cowan a little bit longer should be the play. For too long the Leafs have burned guys like Sandin and Robertson on premature promotions too quickly with unrealistic expectations, they aren’t ready to make the jump but they get the feeling of entitlement and become frustrated. Let him mature and develop a little bit more and don’t touch that ELC.

 

[Stephen]

I'm not saying not to add depth at forward, but I think there are much more useful players to target. We should have just kept Noah Gregor at that rate if the goal was to add marginal depth forwards... at least he could fill a role.

Gregor had 11 regular season points in 66 games, the Leafs lay an egg offensively in the playoffs, and this is a better option than a guy who scored 12 goals in 23 games with pedigree (and flaws).

A. Nylander is probably going to be a league minimum guy on a short term deal. He’s a complete novelty for sure, but if you’re saying no to such a marginal add, it just seems like paralysis by analysis. There’s literally zero downside, with a modest upside and some novelty factor.

 

[notDatsyuk]

The Leafs haven't asked him to waive or even made any sort of attempts to trade him. NMCs can be waived and are waived all the time. The decision has been completely mutual where Marner reportedly wants to stay and the Leafs want to keep him. This isn't on Marner at all.

We don't know that they haven't asked him to waive and we don't know that they haven't tried to trade him.

There are reports that they haven't asked him to waive, but there are also reports that they have talked with various teams about a trade. It's entirely possible that they won't ask him to waive until they have a trade proposal that they like and that they think he might consider. The final decision is still his.

We have heard from Marner's camp that he wants to stay. Have you heard anything definite FROM THE LEAFS that they want to keep him? What I've heard from them is nowhere close to the positive remarks they made last year about signing Matthews and Nylander.

 

[Dreakmur]

Nah...

Decided they would shop the player, and see if they could IMPROVE the team. Concluded that they couldn't IMPROVE the team by trading him, and happily extended him.

You don't try to improve your team by trading away the guys you think are keys to the team's success....

Tough decisions include keeping players.

They don't make those ones either - see Zach Hyman.

However, they didn't do what YOU wanted them to do, where they have full information, and you have very little... so now you are mad and accusatory.

I'm not the one that decided he was expendable when I started shopping him. They did that.... with all their information.....

 

[SprDaVE]

I’m sorry, but if the Leafs have time for a project forward like Cedric Pare, they can throw out a 1 year league minimum for a guy like Alex Nylander who was on a 38 goal pace for a quarter of the season in Columbus. Warts and all.

Slow rolling Cowan a little bit longer should be the play. For too long the Leafs have burned guys like Sandin and Robertson on premature promotions too quickly with unrealistic expectations, they aren’t ready to make the jump but they get the feeling of entitlement and become frustrated. Let him mature and develop a little bit more and don’t touch that ELC.

Pare fits the veteran physical fill gap they lost with Clifford leaving on the Marlies, who has been rising up through the AHL ranks steadily. I don't see much there either but he fits that size and physical need they wanted to replace on the Marlies.

Gregor had 11 regular season points in 66 games, the Leafs lay an egg offensively in the playoffs, and this is a better option than a guy who scored 12 goals in 23 games with pedigree (and flaws).

A. Nylander is probably going to be a league minimum guy on a short term deal. He’s a complete novelty for sure, but if you’re saying no to such a marginal add, it just seems like paralysis by analysis. There’s literally zero downside, with a modest upside and some novelty factor.

A. Nylander is a soft one dimensional winger that has had hard time consistently doing things at even the AHL level. Gregor PKed, worked hard and grinded quite a bit for the Leafs in his small role -- you wouldn't get that from A. Nylander. He also did it from a PTO, which is what I suggest A. Nylander to be.

The downside is that you burned a contract spot on someone that doesn't and will not fulfill any sort of role with the Leafs or Marlies, and you remove playing time to other players just for novelty.

I'm not against A. Nylander on a 1 year deal to provide some form of depth, maybe he can spot a few goals if injuries pile up.

 

[rumman]

Getting Larsson would be pretty good to build that redwood forest or defensemen. But I think we would need some cheap general purpose speed and scoring as well, like this years version of Anthony Duclair to rebalance the forward group. I wouldn’t mind getting Alex Nylander in at a prove me deal, say at 2 years and give the forward group some skill and upside.

I'd prefer Borgen over Larsson, not as talented as of yet, but younger cheaper..........

 

[SprDaVE]

We don't know that they haven't asked him to waive and we don't know that they haven't tried to trade him.

There are reports that they haven't asked him to waive, but there are also reports that they have talked with various teams about a trade. It's entirely possible that they won't ask him to waive until they have a trade proposal that they like and that they think he might consider. The final decision is still his.

We have heard from Marner's camp that he wants to stay. Have you heard anything definite FROM THE LEAFS that they want to keep him? What I've heard from them is nowhere close to the positive remarks they made last year about signing Matthews and Nylander.

They've told us they want to keep him. Many reports suggest they'd prefer to keep him. And so far, they've kept him and they have not approached Marner about any sort of attempt to trade him.

 

[notDatsyuk]

They've admitted to trying to move Nylander before re-signing him.

Shanahan telling them they won't be traded (do we have any actual proof he did?), and Tre discussing trades don't have to be mutually exclusive. Any GM will talk to any other GM about trades - that's a large part of his job. Do you think if Tre had arranged to get Makar for Nylander Shanny would veto it?

 

[Stephen]

Pare fits the veteran physical fill gap they lost with Clifford leaving on the Marlies, who has been rising up through the AHL ranks steadily. I don't see much there either but he fits that size and physical need they wanted to replace on the Marlies.



A. Nylander is a soft one dimensional winger that has had hard time consistently doing things at even the AHL level. Gregor PKed, worked hard and grinded quite a bit for the Leafs in his small role -- you wouldn't get that from A. Nylander. He also did it from a PTO, which is what I suggest A. Nylander to be.

The downside is that you burned a contract spot on someone that doesn't and will not fulfill any sort of role with the Leafs or Marlies, and you remove playing time to other players just for novelty.

I'm not against A. Nylander on a 1 year deal to provide some form of depth, maybe he can spot a few goals if injuries pile up.

At the end of the day if A. Nylander wasn’t so flawed wouldn’t be in the bottom of the trash bin. My hope is we can find a little piece here, and another there and make a hobo sandwich. I mean depth scoring line.

Gregor has unique speed but other than that I’m sure they can call a UFA up with similar attributes at the start of camp.