Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Torontonian]

That's one of the reasons why this team does struggle to fill out its roster, there's nothing better for team building than ELC'S but we continually fill our team full of old dudes instead of investing in youth

The youth injection is slowly starting to come, hard to inject good youth when you don't ever draft them though. Recent years have been Knies / Robertson, McMann somewhat in that list even though he's 28. Looks like Cowan and Minten are pushing for jobs this year.

It would be nice if Toronto had plans for Cowboy and Minten to be in the NHL this year, it would certainly help being able to fill out the top 9 forwards and top 4 d.

 

[Fogelhund]

Also written by Pagnotta today:

Toronto is in talks with pending restricted free agent Timothy Liljegren on a new contract. While that takes place, I’m also told he remains available for trade. Does a new deal make him easier to move?

Fanatics an upgrade as NHL jersey partner — The Fourth Period

TFP's David Pagnotta touches on the Fanatics/NHL partnership, and the latest buzz around the NHL.

www.thefourthperiod.com

Kind of saying a bunch of nothing. They are actively trying to sign and trade him?

Trading Liljegren is dependent on signing the UFA's that they want. Liljegren is a RFA, so unless he's offersheeted, we can afford to be patient.

If we can't upgrade, we keep Lilly.... there is no guarantee that we can sign all the UFA's we are looking at.

It makes sense to know what his cost is, as we build a team, so we know what we can afford in other players too. All options on the table... what returns are being offered, do they make sense, do they help us... is it worth doing the trade....

 

[WillNy29]

If you want to change a culture, Skinner is probably the worst choice you can do.

or knowing the Sabres luck, Skinner signs with the leafs and wins the conne smythe

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Florida was 11th in the league in height 186.54 cm on average.
Toronto's average was 186.24cm

In weight, Florida was 13th in the league, with an average of 90.65kg
Toronto's average was 91.17kg

We need good players, who will show up in the playoffs. We didn't lose because we weren't playoff style physical. We lost because we couldn't score, or move the puck out of our back end. I'm not sure how this isn't obvious to people.

We've actually lead the NHL, it hits per game, by team in the playoffs two years in a row.... but couldn't score, and couldn't move the puck out of our zone...

To do those things you need size and speed.

 

[Fogelhund]

The problem with Skinner, is he is wildly inconsistent... sure, put up 46 points last year, but has also put up seasons of 14 and 23 points. This all while being a career -130!!!

He's a giant gamble to me... you never know what you are going to get... He will have made $90 million career dollars... which is kind of shocking for a guy like him...

He wants to play close to home... (reports of being homesick in the past, which is how he ended up in Buffalo) he's from Toronto.. so yes, I think we can get him on the cheap. Chances are, his team reaches out to us, before we reach out to him... it's simple, what do you want to get paid? Look, we can't do that, but we can do... X.

Just too poor defensively, soft as hell, and is only useful when scoring, which happens every couple of years or so, and otherwise he's a giant liability.. which is why he's being bought out by Buffalo of all teams. I just don't think signing Skinner, is an answer to our problems, unless it's so cheap, that we can't turn it down.

If he's going to cost you $3-4 million... sign Patrick Kane for crying out loud.

 

[dubplatepressure]

So the guy everybody has been talking about over the offseason because of all the intangibles he brings won't make 4M on an 88M cap as it rises 4M a year?

Your in for a surprise

I didn't say he wouldn't get it. I said I haven't seen anyone here suggest we should give him a contract starting with a 4.

 

[Pinto]

Actually this makes a ton of sense. Heavily front load the deal and it makes it super cheap to buy out in like 4 years if necessary

 

[Kiwi]

He'll easily get more than league minimum unless he only wants to play in Toronto.


Most of our youth is not ready or not very good. I can see Cowan getting a good shot if he plays well in pre season. After that what do we have that is better than a guy who is all but guaranteed to score 25-30 goals here.

Grebyonkin just had an unbelievably good KHL season, he's 21 and built like a power forward at 6'2 and he was in a long playoff run and he was one of his teams best scorers

That guy

 

[Rare Jewel]

That's one of the reasons why this team does struggle to fill out its roster, there's nothing better for team building than ELC'S but we continually fill our team full of old dudes instead of investing in youth

Maybe, filling the roster isn't really the issue for me. Holmberg and McMann have come in a done that. But you can't force feed player like Cowan, Minten or Grebyonkin. They've got to show it, and unfortunately they can't until September, so signing some 25-30 year olds for the middle six guys or even top 6 will likely still happen.

Hopefully they don't overpay or give out too much term.

 

[WillNy29]

And is getting bought out because they're trying to fix the loser culture

Wouldn;t really trust Buffalo on that. Seems like everyone they trade plays an integral role in winning a cup

 

[Kiwi]

I didn't say he wouldn't get it. I said I haven't seen anyone here suggest we should give him a contract starting with a 4.

I've seen a lot of people in here wanting him they just don't connect a number to him

So presuming he's around that 4M mark how do we feel?

 

[Evilhomer]

The problem with Skinner, is he is wildly inconsistent... sure, put up 46 points last year, but has also put up seasons of 14 and 23 points. This all while being a career -130!!!

He's a giant gamble to me... you never know what you are going to get... He will have made $90 million career dollars... which is kind of shocking for a guy like him...

He wants to play close to home... (reports of being homesick in the past, which is how he ended up in Buffalo) he's from Toronto.. so yes, I think we can get him on the cheap. Chances are, his team reaches out to us, before we reach out to him... it's simple, what do you want to get paid? Look, we can't do that, but we can do... X.

Just too poor defensively, soft as hell, and is only useful when scoring, which happens every couple of years or so, and otherwise he's a giant liability.. which is why he's being bought out by Buffalo of all teams.

If he's going to cost you $3-4 million... sign Patrick Kane for crying out loud.

It's hard to look at Skinner's game and imagine that he is going to produce in the playoffs. The money is honestly irrelevant to me - I wouldn't even want to see this guy on the Leafs at league minimum. His style of play is literally the last thing this team needs.

 

[dubplatepressure]

Grebyonkin just had an unbelievably good KHL season, he's 22 and built like a power forward at 6'2 and he was in a long playoff run and he was one of his teams best scorers

That guy

3g in 23gp? their top playoff scorer had 12, second was 6, then 5... hope you are right, numbers don't seem that impactful to me but I know very little about him.

I've seen a lot of people in here wanting him they just don't connect a number to him

So presuming he's around that 4M mark how do we feel?

not for me. He has to be down at around 3 for it to make sense.

 

[Fogelhund]

It's hard to look at Skinner's game and imagine that he is going to produce in the playoffs. The money is honestly irrelevant to me - I wouldn't even want to see this guy on the Leafs at league minimum. His style of play is literally the last thing this team needs.

I tend to agree with you, though at league min, or close to... he just sits on the bench, on the Marlies, is traded, or waived... it's kind of that no risk gamble... he doesn't work out, it doesn't have any negative ramifications. He works out, great... he doesn't, no problem, no ramifications.

 

[TheDoldrums]

It's hard to look at Skinner's game and imagine that he is going to produce in the playoffs. The money is honestly irrelevant to me - I wouldn't even want to see this guy on the Leafs at league minimum. His style of play is literally the last thing this team needs.

He scores goals man. That is literally what this team has needed in the playoffs for multiple years now.

 

[Fogelhund]

3g in 23gp? their top playoff scorer had 12, second was 6, then 5... hope you are right, numbers don't seem that impactful to me but I know very little about him.

Injured in the playoffs....

 

[ToneDog]

It's hard to look at Skinner's game and imagine that he is going to produce in the playoffs. The money is honestly irrelevant to me - I wouldn't even want to see this guy on the Leafs at league minimum. His style of play is literally the last thing this team needs.

He is a natural goal scorer. We need goals. 1+1=2 unless he is softer than 16.

 

[ToneDog]

3g in 23gp? their top playoff scorer had 12, second was 6, then 5... hope you are right, numbers don't seem that impactful to me but I know very little about him.



not for me. He has to be down at around 3 for it to make sense.

Duchene got $3m after being bought out. Love to get Skinner cheap but I'd be in up to $3m.

 

[Rare Jewel]

What are the rumours about what dollar and term Guentzel is looking for?

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Joshua?, he's the sort of mediocre player who has one or two decent seasons and gets wildly overpaid for his actual talent level because of all the intangibles he brings

You think Kampf is overpaid? Wait until we give Joshua over 4M a year with some term chucked in

Skinner? I've had enough of these mercenary old retreads, I'd rather play Cowan or Grebyonkin and at least have some upside to look forward to

I like Joshua but he had a lot of empty net goals last year. His true goal total is probably closer to 14.

If we want that kind of player for cheaper we should just sign his younger brother Jagger Joshua.

He's an undrafted 6'2" 201lbs LW. Only 25 years old. Scored 10 goals and 15 assists over 63 games I'm the AHL last year. Put up 13 goals and 11 assists in 37 games during his final year with Michigan State.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614078319225622528

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614435234984103937

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614433379348512768

 

[ULF_55]

Also written by Pagnotta today:

Toronto is in talks with pending restricted free agent Timothy Liljegren on a new contract. While that takes place, I’m also told he remains available for trade. Does a new deal make him easier to move?

Fanatics an upgrade as NHL jersey partner — The Fourth Period

TFP's David Pagnotta touches on the Fanatics/NHL partnership, and the latest buzz around the NHL.

www.thefourthperiod.com

Kind of saying a bunch of nothing. They are actively trying to sign and trade him?

Is it consistent that:

Liljegren has topped out and has no future growth possible at 25 years of age and 200 games.
Bertuzzi and Domi are going to get better at 29 years of age and 406 and 660 games respectively.

They weren't good enough.

 

[Roo]

I will give Dubas some credit. Despite the fact he overpaid our guns, he found cheap gems too. We need more cheap gems.

 

[Kiwi]

3g in 23gp? their top playoff scorer had 12, second was 6, then 5... hope you are right, numbers don't seem that impactful to me but I know very little about him.



not for me. He has to be down at around 3 for it to make sense.

41 points in 67 games as a 21 year old in probably the 2nd best league in the world

He's good

Then you aren't getting him, no way he goes for 3M, no way

 

[ULF_55]

3g in 23gp? their top playoff scorer had 12, second was 6, then 5... hope you are right, numbers don't seem that impactful to me but I know very little about him.

not for me. He has to be down at around 3 for it to make sense.

He was playing injured.
He is still recovering from the injury but was told he did not need surgery.

 

[Kiwi]

I like Joshua but he had a lot of empty net goals last year. His true goal total is probably closer to 14.

If we want that kind of player for cheaper we should just sign his younger brother Jagger Joshua.

He's an undrafted 6'2" 201lbs LW. Only 25 years old. Scored 10 goals and 15 assists over 63 games I'm the AHL last year. Put up 13 goals and 11 assists in 37 games during his final year with Michigan State.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614078319225622528

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614435234984103937

https://x.com/i/web/status/1614433379348512768

If we're bringing in 3rd/4th liners I just want cheap, we need that money for other more important positions