Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Stephen]

That's speculation about including Kerfoot in the trade instead of paying Minny a 4th round pick for retention. Kerfoot didn't prevent anything. Weakening your team to supposedly save a 4th round pick just isn't worth it.

Yeah, can’t argue with the success we had with Kerfoot. That’s always something to look back on fondly.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Yeah, can’t argue with the success we had with Kerfoot. That’s always something to look back on fondly.

You could make the same sarcastic comments about anybody associated with the Leafs over the past 57 years, but if you're looking for success, weakening your team for no reason doesn't help.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Announce a long term Knies extension and we're back

 

[Leaf Fans]

have they announced the date when camp opens?

Rookie tournament is the 15-16th and the first preseason game is September 23 So like between September 17-21 for the opening. It is usually like a week after the rookies so my guess is the 20th.

 

[Menzinger]

Sounds like Swayman wants to break the bank and reset the goalie market.

Nice to see the Bruins getting taken to the cleaners for once. Although it wouldn't shock me if they traded Swayman instead of paying up and then whoever his replacement was puts up a Vezina type season.

Yep he's got an absolute shark of an agent, who clearly smells blood in the water. Nice to see other teams have to deal with that

 

[LeafSteel]

Barbashev was a potential tack on to the ROR deal when we got him and Acciari but went to Vegas. The same week we got McCabe and Lafferty with retention from Chicago. The same time Edmonton got Ekholm from Nashville with minimal retention and taking Barrie on in 2023. The last year of Alex Kerfoot.

We also had Kerfoot from 2018-19 to 2022-23. The carrying cost on that bit of mediocre at $3.5 million was massive.

I also remember that they said they didn't want to trade Kerfoot so that's why a guy like Barbashev didn't come over and it was mind blowing how resistant that management group was to trading Kerfoot.

When that trade broke, they also said the Leafs had to improve the draft pick in the deal to get Chicago to increase retention to make the deal work, specifically because they had decided to keep Kerfoot and not move him at that TDL, as there was some speculation that they would.

Thank God we did, as Kerfoot went on to do absolutely nothing that playoff, for the value price of $3.5m.

Kerfoot had some kind of voodoo spell on Dubas and Keefe. Was beyond any semblance of logic.

 

[ULF_55]

When that trade broke, they also said the Leafs had to improve the draft pick in the deal to get Chicago to increase retention to make the deal work, specifically because they had decided to keep Kerfoot and not move him at that TDL, as there was some speculation that they would.

Thank God we did, as Kerfoot went on to do absolutely nothing that playoff, for the value price of $3.5m.

Kerfoot had some kind of voodoo spell on Dubas and Keefe. Was beyond any semblance of logic.

And what is the huge need in Toronto right now?

A center.

Maybe a new coach can coach a center out of the centers they've drafted?

 

[Stephen]

And what is the huge need in Toronto right now?

A center.

Maybe a new coach can coach a center out of the centers they've drafted?

I think we need a center, but not really a vanilla play style.

 

[Stephen]

You could make the same sarcastic comments about anybody associated with the Leafs over the past 57 years, but if you're looking for success, weakening your team for no reason doesn't help.

Kerfoot was overpaid for what he did so that $3.5 million paid out for him over 4 years cumulatively cost the Leafs a lot in missed opportunity. Aside from flexibility in 2023 at the deadline, look at how they walked away from Hyman. Look how they danced around the expansion draft and lost McCann in the end.

 

[ULF_55]

I think we need a center, but not really a vanilla play style.

We can hope they have drafted one, or can trade for one who has some drive, and nastiness, and hates to lose.

That would make one.

 

[Americanadian]

I think we need a center, but not really a vanilla play style.

Trent Frederic is a UFA next off-season. Poor mans version of Bennett if he's not available.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Announce a long term Knies extension and we're back

5 years x $4.5M would be nice

 

[Americanadian]

5 years x $4.5M would be nice

Why walk him right to UFA?

 

[Americanadian]

Kostin would be an interesting LW fit. He's making 2M this upcoming season. He had very good advanced numbers 2 years ago in Edmonton primarily on a line with Janmark and Derek Ryan. He's scored at a 14G/12A pace over the last 2 seasons although that's due to shooting 19%. He brings an element of grit that the Leafs are always looking for (3 fights last season, 6 fights in 22/23, more hits/60 than all Leafs except Reaves and Gregor). He also has history under Berube although I'm not sure if that's a positive or not given the Blues let him go after 46 NHL games.

He most likely isn't in SJ's long term plans given their incoming forward depth. I doubt the acquisition cost would be large but 2M would be slightly difficult to absorb if the Leafs aren't giving up salary.

 

[Stephen]

Trent Frederic is a UFA next off-season. Poor mans version of Bennett if he's not available.

Yeah he’s a dirtbag pest too.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You could make the same sarcastic comments about anybody associated with the Leafs over the past 57 years, but if you're looking for success, weakening your team for no reason doesn't help.

Kerfoot not being on the team would not have made it worse then and does not make it worse now.

 

[Fogelhund]

Kerfoot might be a vanilla hockey player, but he’s also 0.5 PPG career, and fairly consistently so. A salary of $3.5 million would be consider a bargain right now, and was market price then.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Kerfoot was overpaid for what he did so that $3.5 million paid out for him over 4 years cumulatively cost the Leafs a lot in missed opportunity. Aside from flexibility in 2023 at the deadline, look at how they walked away from Hyman. Look how they danced around the expansion draft and lost McCann in the end.

I'm not sure what you think a player with the versatility to play any position/role that averages 40 (mostly ES) points with 3rd line minutes while providing good defense and PKing is worth, but you underappreciating players with certain playstyles doesn't make him overpaid. He literally signed again for the same amount.

There was no lost flexibility at the 2023 deadline, as your own article showed. We did quite a bit, and could have done pretty much anything else if we wanted. He had no impact on the decision to move on from Hyman. He had no impact on McCann or the expansion draft. In fact, he was left exposed in the expansion draft. Kerfoot didn't cost us any opportunity.

Kerfoot not being on the team would not have made it worse then and does not make it worse now.

Removing Kerfoot and replacing him with a worse player would have weakened the team.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I'm not sure what you think a player with the versatility to play any position/role that averages 40 (mostly ES) points with 3rd line minutes while providing good defense and PKing is worth, but you underappreciating players with certain playstyles doesn't make him overpaid. He literally signed again for the same amount.

There was no lost flexibility at the 2023 deadline, as your own article showed. We did quite a bit, and could have done pretty much anything else if we wanted. He had no impact on the decision to move on from Hyman. He had no impact on McCann or the expansion draft. In fact, he was left exposed in the expansion draft. Kerfoot didn't cost us any opportunity.

Removing Kerfoot and replacing him with a worse player would have weakened the team.

there aren't many worse players

 

[WTFMAN99]

When that trade broke, they also said the Leafs had to improve the draft pick in the deal to get Chicago to increase retention to make the deal work, specifically because they had decided to keep Kerfoot and not move him at that TDL, as there was some speculation that they would.

Thank God we did, as Kerfoot went on to do absolutely nothing that playoff, for the value price of $3.5m.

Kerfoot had some kind of voodoo spell on Dubas and Keefe. Was beyond any semblance of logic.

And what is the huge need in Toronto right now?

A center.

Maybe a new coach can coach a center out of the centers they've drafted?

I think we need a center, but not really a vanilla play style.

I never found Kerfoot to be all that good at centre, I think he had that one good series against Montreal on the back of Nylander looking good.

Trent Frederic is a UFA next off-season. Poor mans version of Bennett if he's not available.

I don't know how high I would go on him but probably a decent chunk of change.

Like 2.5M x 6 years like Miles Wood? or 3M x 4 years? Not sure what the magic number is but I have interest in a player like this all day, he's a good fighter, solid defensively and not useless offensively, basically the type you would want on your team and in the bottom 6 and isn't Ryan Reaves.

 

[Americanadian]

Like 2.5M x 6 years like Miles Wood? or 3M x 4 years? Not sure what the magic number is but I have interest in a player like this all day, he's a good fighter, solid defensively and not useless offensively, basically the type you would want on your team and in the bottom 6 and isn't Ryan Reaves.

I’m willing to bet Frederic gets more than Dakota Joshua on the open market. I’d bet he touches 4M on a 92M cap.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I’m willing to bet Frederic gets more than Dakota Joshua on the open market. I’d bet he touches 4M on a 92M cap.

Yea that is possible.

I miss Capfriendly, I would love to mock a 2025-26 line up.

 

[Gilmour1996]

This player sucks, but I can see the Leafs bringing in Zadina.

Why it won't happen (I hope): Darren Ferris

 

[Americanadian]

Yea that is possible.

I miss Capfriendly, I would love to mock a 2025-26 line up.

You can do it on puckpedia.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Yeah, can’t argue with the success we had with Kerfoot. That’s always something to look back on fondly.

The issue with Kerfoot was always tied to how he was acquired. They gave up a homegrown bonified 2nd center that went on to help them win a Stanley Cup, and the Leafs received a kind of pricey middle-six winger, who was supposed to play center (but couldn't) and Tyson Barrie... sigh.

I mean, Trevor Moore could've easily had that spot. Oops...