Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Menzinger]

""

The 25-year-old Swede's rights belong to the Maple Leafs and the club needs to extend him a qualifying offer of $1.5 million (his salary from 2023-24) in order to retain his rights.


Seems like a no-brainer.

The problem is, that Liljegren is eligible for arbitration and Treliving indicated on Wednesday that the club doesn't want to be stuck in a situation where they must pay him a number higher than what they are willing to spend under their existing cap constraints.

He's getting traded

 

[ULF_55]

Not exactly the flurry of activity I had been hoping for! Unfortunately I may miss the draft.

You and Treliving might.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Trouba has been overrated for a long time. He still lives off his reputation in Winnipeg where he put up 50 pts in 2019 and looked like a future franchise D, but he's just not that good and is arguably not even a top pairing D. He's pretty much a modern day Phaneuf where he peaked early in his career and got paid big money that he'll basically never live up to, and is playing in a role higher than he should be. Rielly is FAR better than Trouba and at a lower cap hit too. For 8M he also doesn't produce, at that price you need to be putting up at least ~40 pts yearly as a d-man while playing immaculate defense, neither of which he does.

As someone who has watched every Rangers game the last three years (they're my second favourite team) I can assure you that Trouba is a very damn good defensman whose skates Phaneuf wouldn't be fit to tie.

Trouba isn't the best defenseman on his team. That honour belongs to Fox (and Millier is probably better too). But the whole physical leader willing to drop the gloves and set the example for the rest of the team thing is true.

He would easily be the best defenseman beside Rielly the Leafs ever had and a way better Captain than Tavares too.

 

[weems]

A Perron deal would definitely make me nervous with his age.

He's been pretty good in the playoffs though.

20 goals in 47 playoff games in his last three seasons with STL.

 

[LeafGrief]

I saw the trouba thread and immedtely thought of Treliving too. Its not that he's a bad player, he's just massively overpaid.

Depends on how much the rangers want to retain, maybe I can see us having interest

I doubt they'd retain tbh (or buy him out @Tony Romo), Rags are thinking cup and he's a solid enough player that someone will take him if he's by the side of the road with a "Free" sign on him. Retention would be our responsibility, pay Seattle to retain 2m or something like that for a 2nd.

The way I see it, 5m for a guy who can play top matchups for 20 minutes a night is a good baseline. Another 1m for the physical presence and intangibles. The extra 2m he gets is overpayment for sure.

I think this is a tire-kicker type of interest rather than something to really get excited about. Too many notable UFA's that are probably better fits. But Trouba would be a good fit (not perfect) so I assume there'll be some interest.

@Fogelhund I remember when he left Winnipeg there was speculation that he might not want to play in Canada again. Perhaps that's true and he doesn't, such is life. His wife would be able to practice medicine in Canada, afaik we recognize American credentials. Far more likely is that she says, "I just don't want to live in Canada honey" and if my wife is any example, that's the end of THAT

 

[Buds17]

Honestly I think the Blackhawks could've squeezed the Canucks for more, They must have liked Mikheyev as a player as well and expect him to bounce back next year

Chicago also received 15% retention on Mikheyev and the ability to negotiate early with Lafferty. I think they fared rather well for a 4th round pick in 2027.

 

[ACC1224]

12 team NTC.

Hawks must have been on it, and he knew he was going to be moved and Chicago was okay.

Of course with a NMC they can't move you if you unless you agree. 12 Team NTC, they can move you to 20 other teams, some you might not like.

Or course we all know this, but my fingers needed limbering up.

You'd be surprised how many don't know the difference.

 

[Evilhomer]

Does anyone else get the feeling that David Perron is a lock? I feel like that deal is all but official.

I've never seen a player do so much media and spend so much time talking about how much He loves the head coach, loves the assistants, loves the management.

David Perron has been EXTREMELY complimentary of management especially Berube and Savard.

I feel like Perron is all but official

I think it will be the first deal the Leafs announce at noon on July 1. The contract will probably be one year too long, but that is to be expected with UFAs.

 

[ACC1224]

Chicago also received 15% retention on Mikheyev and the ability to negotiate early with Lafferty. I think they fared rather well for a 4th round pick in 2027.

Seriously?

 

[Dion TheFluff]

 

[ryno23]

I doubt they'd retain tbh (or buy him out @Tony Romo), Rags are thinking cup and he's a solid enough player that someone will take him if he's by the side of the road with a "Free" sign on him. Retention would be our responsibility, pay Seattle to retain 2m or something like that for a 2nd.

The way I see it, 5m for a guy who can play top matchups for 20 minutes a night is a good baseline. Another 1m for the physical presence and intangibles. The extra 2m he gets is overpayment for sure.

I think this is a tire-kicker type of interest rather than something to really get excited about. Too many notable UFA's that are probably better fits. But Trouba would be a good fit (not perfect) so I assume there'll be some interest.

@Fogelhund I remember when he left Winnipeg there was speculation that he might not want to play in Canada again. Perhaps that's true and he doesn't, such is life. His wife would be able to practice medicine in Canada, afaik we recognize American credentials. Far more likely is that she says, "I just don't want to live in Canada honey" and if my wife is any example, that's the end of THAT

If the Leafs sign Trouba he will be suspended for 20 games the 1st time he elbows someone as there is a Leafs tax when it comes to supplementary discipline. Gone will be the days in NY when he threw the flying elbow with no call.

 

[ULF_55]

Not to mention, getting a volume of picks is ammo at the deadline.
2nds are good bait, 3rds n 4ths help with retention or fetch role players.
It’s smart to not think in terms of one&done deals, but gathering parts that can yield future deals as well.

Using "ammo at the deadline" is part of the reason they're scrambling now to supplement the team.

Ideally, the return would be players yet to hit their ceiling, with untapped potential.

If they could come away with two 2nd. liners with term I'd be satisfied.

 

[Buds17]

Seriously?

In the sense that they arguably need some NHL players.

 

[Duffman955]

View attachment 887999

I don't see the issue with term on either of these guys.

3.5-4.5 for 4 years is fine. As long ad AAV stay down

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Is he still good?

The most common names circling the Leafs have been:

Perron
Joshua
Debrusk

Tanev
Roy
Zadorov

Stolarz
Brossoit

At the money he's likely to get I don't want Joshua.

The 3 forwards I'd target are Perron, Debrusk and when Buffalo buys him out Skinner

 

[Fogelhund]

 

[ULF_55]

Does anyone else get the feeling that David Perron is a lock? I feel like that deal is all but official.

I've never seen a player do so much media and spend so much time talking about how much He loves the head coach, loves the assistants, loves the management.

David Perron has been EXTREMELY complimentary of management especially Berube and Savard.

I feel like Perron is all but official

36 years old.

Gio's money is available.

 

[ULF_55]

I think it will be the first deal the Leafs announce at noon on July 1. The contract will probably be one year too long, but that is to be expected with UFAs.

So like a 2 year deal?

 

[stats1]

Leafs prefer DeBrusk over Bertuzzi. Lilejgren traded for sure

 

[57 Years No Cup]

12 team NTC.

Hawks must have been on it, and he knew he was going to be moved and Chicago was okay.

Of course with a NMC they can't move you if you unless you agree. 12 Team NTC, they can move you to 20 other teams, some you might not like.

Or course we all know this, but my fingers needed limbering up.

So what? The point remains. He waived.

 

[Buds17]

He's getting traded

Better than having the team just walk away from him with no return. Still not guaranteed to be my preferred scenario though.

 

[Magic Man]

I figured Treliving just didn't like some of Dubas FA selections when he was hired last year and he didn't try to negotiate, although he did re-sign Kampf. He hasn't been any quicker to sign with his own FA options this summer though. He seems to be a tough negotiator so far.

 

[Americanadian]

Pure speculation: Rielly for Crouse (with or without adds)

The guy who reported Marner to Utah is most likely wrong. The team and Marner’s camp have vehemently denied the report. This guy recently broke the UCONN coach to take over as Lakers head coach which didn’t end up happening but also wasn’t an incorrect report. The link was real and the offer was there, therefore we can assume he has real contacts. Maybe he heard that the Leafs have a deal in place pending a player waiving their NMC.

The current report is Utah is looking for a top pair puck moving defenseman. Rielly is currently that. There is, and always has been smoke around Zadorov. This would open up a spot for to play 2LD and McCabe takes 1LD.

I doubt it happens but it’s fun to connect the dots between all the speculation.

 

[WTFMAN99]

One thing that stands out is that without a 1st or 2nd in next year's draft, we'd be unlikely to be in on any major acquisitions at the TDL. I really think it is important we fix the defense this summer as we're not going to be able to afford much more than modest upgrades on the fringes of the roster.

Pure speculation: Rielly for Crouse (with or without adds)

The guy who reported Marner to Utah is most likely wrong. The team and Marner’s camp have vehemently denied the report. This guy recently broke the UCONN coach to take over as Lakers head coach which didn’t end up happening but also wasn’t an incorrect report. The link was real and the offer was there, therefore we can assume he has real contacts. Maybe he heard that the Leafs have a deal in place pending a player waiving their NMC.

The current report is Utah is looking for a top pair puck moving defenseman. Rielly is currently that. There is, and always has been smoke around Zadorov. This would open up a spot for to play 2LD and McCabe takes 1LD.

I doubt it happens but it’s fun to connect the dots between all the speculation.

I would sign off on that or Keller.

 

[The Management]

You and Treliving might.

Come to think of it, no one has ever seen Treliving and I in the same room.

Perhaps... we are the same person.