Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Jimmy Firecracker]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806719609854136792

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806720497813491873

Not that I’m completely against trading Liljegren, but it would be very Leafy of them to trade him and have him reach his top four potential (that he’s shown here in spurts) somewhere else. Leafs held on to a head coach too long who very clearly didn’t care for the player, finally fire the coach, and then may turn around and trade Liljegren before we can see him under a new coach instead of the one he’s had his entire North American professional career.

 

[Fogelhund]

It would be interesting to see them justify bring EVERYONE back and adding only one piece come September.

I think in the coming days you'll see Lillypad moved (they have till Sunday to give him his QO I believe, and Toronto is afraid he declines and goes in arb, they will give him more then they want). And will see one of Jankrok/Kampf/Reaves moved for cap space and to give the team a "different" look.

Well... they'd have to come to terms with Lilly at an agreeable price... and if not, replace him with someone in an expensive UFA market, to do what he can for less. I get that not everybody loves the guy... but still... replacing him in this UFA market, given our cap limitations, isn't going to be easy.

Jarnkrok isn't too hard to replace, but moving him saves us a million at the most... yes, $2.1 million out, but someone has to replace him... likely at $1 mil or less.

Kampf... that's harder to replace... who does that? Holmberg isn't good enough... Minten might not be ready.. So some UFA?

Even still... moving these guys doesn't give us MUCH room, to do a lot... and here we are just before the draft, and approaching UFA day... and Brad's done SFA.

How much of a different look, if it's two, three different bodies? It's not much... Shuffling minor chairs on the deck of the Titanic really.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I am okay with bringing back one of Domi or Bert, but not both. Would prefer Domi personally.

Domi is versatile and makes a lot of sense to keep.

Bert only makes sense if they trade Marner.

 

[Fogelhund]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806719609854136792

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806720497813491873

Not that I’m completely against trading Liljegren, but it would be very Leafy of them to trade him and have him reach his top four potential (that he’s shown here in spurts) somewhere else. Leafs held on to a head coach too long who very clearly didn’t care for the player, finally fire the coach, and then may turn around and trade Liljegren before we can see him under a new coach instead of the one he’s had his entire North American professional career.

I get that they might move him, as they might not come to terms with a contract... and can't really afford what he could get in arb... but I think we will eventually regret it. Like you said... Leafy...

 

[Commander Clueless]

Atkinson bought out. For a cheap deal l would love that.

I've always been an Atkinson fan despite his propensity to score against Toronto.

However, he's looked pretty cooked lately. It would have to be pretty cheap IMO. Able to be buried.

 

[TheDoldrums]

The fact that there is so much smoke around a Liljegren trade while the team is DESPERATE for right hand defenders tells you all you need to know about how this front office views him.

Because it's us and we're cursed, fully expect him to be a solid 2nd pair guy for a decade after being moved.

 

[Duffman955]

Disagree about Liljegren.

Too shy and afraid of contact, the attitude isn't there. Doesn't make up for it with high end skill or physical tools.

Does not look like he can put it together when it matters or with any consistency

 

[Fogelhund]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806718728379474002

Allegedly blocked a trade to San Jose... so they bought him out. It looks roughly like that cost him $6 million, and he's not getting paid near that the next few years. Ouch.. that's a bad advice team for you right there.

A 5'8" non physical winger.. who has put up 28, 34 and 26 points in three of the last four years... one year at 50 points.... all at 34 years old.

Atkinson is on unconditional waivers, for the purpose of buyout... so theoretically he could be claimed... but why bother, when you likely could get him as a UFA, for far cheaper in a couple of days, if you liked him.

I just don't think he's what we need at all.


""

 

[Ianturnedbull]

The fact that there is so much smoke around a Liljegren trade while the team is DESPERATE for right hand defenders tells you all you need to know about how this front office views him.

Because it's us and we're cursed, fully expect him to be a solid 2nd pair guy for a decade after being moved.

I wish him well and I will offer a free ride to the airport. His new team will love his 1 playoff career points.

I think at this point there are several left handed d that play better on the right side than Liljegren does.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Stamkos coming home would be really fun though we shouldn't be outbidding teams with a bigger need there

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I am holding in my judgement of Treliving. If he offers a contract to Marner and it's nothing short of an insult then I'll only see him as a Shanny puppet. Yes I understand he has to answer to someone, but is this team even good enough to go far? Where is the change? Why is it good management to have the same players who lose keep getting a crack at it?

 

[BertCorbeau]

Stamkos coming home would be really fun though we shouldn't be outbidding teams with a bigger need there

True.. but if they move Marner for futures, re-allocate some of that savings to the blue line you could have:

Matthews-Domi
Stammer-Nylander
Tavares

As your three lines

 

[Skullz]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806719609854136792

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806720497813491873

Not that I’m completely against trading Liljegren, but it would be very Leafy of them to trade him and have him reach his top four potential (that he’s shown here in spurts) somewhere else. Leafs held on to a head coach too long who very clearly didn’t care for the player, finally fire the coach, and then may turn around and trade Liljegren before we can see him under a new coach instead of the one he’s had his entire North American professional career.

I would bet on him to improve. He already is a really good 3rd pairing D, and I think he can be a solid 2nd pairing. If we don’t get some solid picks back then keep him.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Hopefully they can get an interesting reclamation player back for Timmy.

Someone like Reichel in Chicago perhaps.

 

[613Leafer]

Stamkos coming home would be really fun though we shouldn't be outbidding teams with a bigger need there

He'd help the PP, but he's aging and pretty awful defensively. Needs sheltered minutes or needs to be play with linemates that make up for his deficiencies.

So I'd have some tepid interest, but realistically not at the caphit he'll get.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

There's a Twitter account that does player cards that thinks Lilly is a top 4 D on a cup team. Genuinely curious how advanced stats would make him believe that. He's a #7 defenseman on our team who has no RD and one of the worst D-corps in the playoffs

 

[KMNRB]

True.. but if they move Marner for futures, re-allocate some of that savings to the blue line you could have:

Matthews-Domi
Stammer-Nylander
Tavares

As your three lines

Perhaps one option is to sign marner to a league wise reasonable deal (which may not be possible) and give him a limited ntc rather nmc. Then if he doesn't perform under berube in the playoff trade him when the extension kicks in.

 

[TheDoldrums]

There's a Twitter account that does player cards that thinks Lilly is a top 4 D on a cup team. Genuinely curious how advanced stats would make him believe that. He's a #7 defenseman on our team who has no RD and one of the worst D-corps in the playoffs

Some models have difficulty adjusting for competition and usage. Conor Carrick and Travis Dermott also looked like top 4 D's by analytics at various points.

 

[613Leafer]

Some models have difficulty adjusting for competition and usage. Conor Carrick and Travis Dermott also looked like top 4 D's by analytics at various points.

Also by contrast, dmen on bad teams usually have awful numbers regardless of how they play.

So they can overrated sheltered dmen (usually on good teams) and underrated good dmen playing tough minutes (usually on bad teams).

Benoit was considered a sub-NHL talent in Anaheim, then comes here and was really solid.

 

[trellaine201]

Can’t we buyout someone? I have no idea how it works in the NHL.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I can see Liljegren turning into a early career Stralman if he winds up on a bad team that lets him do whatever he wants or a late career Stralman on a medium-good team that simplifies the game for him. I don’t really see the harm in letting Berube see what he can squeeze out of him if the best offer we get is a 3rd or something.

 

[613Leafer]

Can’t we buyout someone? I have no idea how it works in the NHL.

We don't really have anyone to buyout. Our salary structure includes four guys making ~7.5-13.25M, and then zero players making between. 2.5-7.4M.

The biggest contract we could buyout is Kampf at 2.4M, which serves no purpose.

 

[Tony Romo]

Sounds like Reinhart will be around 9-9.5

 

[Rare Jewel]

Can’t we buyout someone? I have no idea how it works in the NHL.

They could.

But the main guy you would be looking at (Tavares) had his deal structured in a way that makes the buy-out at least in a economic sense pointless.

Now, if you wanted to do it for cultural reasons then that's an idea, but the savings are less that $1m for next season.

Hate the contract, not only because it's designed is to dodge a bunch of tax, but in a hockey sense there's no flexibility with it.

 

[Torontonian]

Well... they'd have to come to terms with Lilly at an agreeable price... and if not, replace him with someone in an expensive UFA market, to do what he can for less. I get that not everybody loves the guy... but still... replacing him in this UFA market, given our cap limitations, isn't going to be easy.

Jarnkrok isn't too hard to replace, but moving him saves us a million at the most... yes, $2.1 million out, but someone has to replace him... likely at $1 mil or less.

Kampf... that's harder to replace... who does that? Holmberg isn't good enough... Minten might not be ready.. So some UFA?

Even still... moving these guys doesn't give us MUCH room, to do a lot... and here we are just before the draft, and approaching UFA day... and Brad's done SFA.

How much of a different look, if it's two, three different bodies? It's not much... Shuffling minor chairs on the deck of the Titanic really.

I think both Minten and Cowan make the Leafs out of training camp as extra forwards or on the lower end of the lineup, Toronto is going to look to save money anywhere they can. If you move out Jankrok + Reaves + Kampf for Cowan and Minten, it will save the Leafs 4m to use to upgrade D-core / Winger / 3c.


It will be a interesting next couple of days hopefully.