Trades & Free Agency Thread: Off-season Edition

[Dreakmur]

31 year old Danault, one outlier season with 27 goals.
He has a $5.5mm Cap hit for 3 more years, and has a career average of 46 points.

So it increases the Cap, by $100k to get a center who would be, at best, 3rd. on Leafs, behind Matthews and Tavares.

I don't see this as a value move for the Leafs.

If you only see Danault as a 45 point scorer rather than a selke contender that can absorb all of the defensive responsibilities away from Matthews, then I understand your position.

My guess if you put Kampf between Domi and Nylander he could get to 46 points, but the goal should be to at least replace Tavares 65 lowest point total if looking for a new 2nd. line center. Danault got 2nd. line minutes in LA. Kampf got at best 3rd. line minutes.

Certainly, move Kampf, but not with an add for twice the cost against the Cap.

You end the Nylander at center experiment and load up the top lines, then use Danault with Jarnkrok and probably McMann as a pure shut down line.

 

[Rare Jewel]

This is our lineup, for better or worse... time to move on.

Yeah, they should've...

 

[Sypher04]

The "he only had 3 weeks or a month or whatever" excuse is so weak. It's not rocket science, if teams wanted Mitch and Treliving wanted to trade him 3 weeks is more than enough time.

Doesn't matter, Tre is a yes man. He was hired to do what he's told and what he was told was to keep the core together.

I don’t think you’d find many GMs that step into a new job with the mandate to win and are comfortable trading one of the best wingers in the league before he even plays a game under their tenure.

Feels to me like you should want your GM to actually do his due diligence and assess the player before making a potentially big mistake.

Expecting him to deal Marner in his first 3 weeks on the job was NEVER a reasonable expectation.

 

[Stephen]

It really does not seem like enough time to do that trade. Whenever you see behind the scenes footage of GMs they've been working for ages on a trade.

Trust me I wanted Tavares and Marner gone ages ago. I've been saying since the Columbus series we need to move on from them (not in a vacuum but because it just won't work with the 4 of them).

Since that series, stupid decision after stupid decision has caused our depth to weaken and weaken. Letting Hyman walk was gross negligence as some of us said at the time.

As the years went back, we had less and less depth, less and less picks because our previous GM couldn't help himself in the rental market. Throwing picks away left, right and centre for guys who'd only be here 3 months.

I kept saying I pity the GM to follow Dubas because he left him next to nothing to work with except stars and scrubs and Free Agency to try and build a team.

The writing was on the wall for 6 years.

Knowing what a waste of time 2022-2024 has been, that 2021 team should have been blown up the moment it came off the ice after Game 7 vs Montreal... but there's either a 2025 off ramp with Marner and Tavares contracts expiring... but it seems more likely we will be keeping Marner and just try to have more home grown talent filter up, maybe use some of the cap increase to build out the team.

 

[ULF_55]

If you only see Danault as a 45 point scorer rather than a selke contender that can absorb all of the defensive responsibilities away from Matthews, then I understand your position.



You end the Nylander at center experiment and load up the top lines, then use Danault with Jarnkrok and probably McMann as a pure shut down line.

For 3rd. line center he fits, other than his Cap.

He doesn't help if trying to add, he's probably blocking 3rd. line centers for 3 years.

Leafs need prospects to become NHL players, this seems like more buying older players. Different GM same routine.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Expecting him to deal Marner in his first 3 weeks on the job was NEVER a reasonable expectation.

You may be right, which is why last season should've been the last go—the season where if you can't even get past the first round (again), people will be asked to leave.

If we remember back to April, 80ish % of the fans were on here anyway; it seemed to be okay with that kind of idea.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Knowing what a waste of time 2022-2024 has been, that 2021 team should have been blown up the moment it came off the ice after Game 7 vs Montreal... but there's either a 2025 off ramp with Marner and Tavares contracts expiring... but it seems more likely we will be keeping Marner and just try to have more home grown talent filter up, maybe use some of the cap increase to build out the team.

I agree. Although I think the cap increase will be taken up by internal extensions and we practically end up where we are now. Although we a couple of rookies and/or cheap FA acquisitions.

 

[notdoneyet]

Honestly if he had a Conn Smythe candidate playoffs and got us to the SC finals I'd be good with it, just don't think he's got the mentality to get us there but I'd happily eat crow

Honest question
Do you think matthews has the mentality to get us there

 

[Dreakmur]

For 3rd. line center he fits, other than his Cap.

He doesn't help if trying to add, he's probably blocking 3rd. line centers for 3 years.

Leafs need prospects to become NHL players, this seems like more buying older players. Different GM same routine.

You don't need to follow NHL video game line structures. Once Tavares goes, Danault can easily play 2nd line minutes and absorb the defensive responsibilities. That leaves your 3rd line as a line that can be sheltered, making it a much better place for young players to get their feet wet.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

I'm stunned that people are watching our playoffs, and unironically believe Marner is a top player in the NHL.

 

[Fogelhund]

At the current time, LA Kings are in no need of another RD. It just means Brant Clarke will start the season with them, and they'll have Spence and Burroughs who will start the season at RD, and Edmundson, can play both sides. Ideal, no.. .but they aren't moving Danault.

I'm stunned that people are watching our playoffs, and unironically believe Marner is a top player in the NHL.

He's a top player in the NHL, (in the regular season.)

He's not much of a playoff performer.

Both are true. (At least so far)

 

[Puckstuff]

I'd try to move Liljegren + Cowan into one of the big RD in Calgary, Weegar or Andersson at the deadline when the Flames inevitably bow out. We can hopefully dump Jarnkrok and Kampf in separate deals as moving Liljegren, Kampf and Jarnkrok would free up the space needed for a top 3 D.

 

[ULF_55]

You don't need to follow NHL video game line structures. Once Tavares goes, Danault can easily play 2nd line minutes and absorb the defensive responsibilities. That leaves your 3rd line as a line that can be sheltered, making it a much better place for young players to get their feet wet.

Danault isn't even in NHL 95.

 

[Fogelhund]

I'd try to move Liljegren + Cowan into one of the big RD in Calgary, Weegar or Andersson at the deadline when the Flames inevitably bow out. We can hopefully dump Jarnkrok and Kampf in separate deals as moving Liljegren, Kampf and Jarnkrok would free up the space needed for a top 3 D.

Weegar is a LD, who is right handed.

 

[ULF_55]

I'd try to move Liljegren + Cowan into one of the big RD in Calgary, Weegar or Andersson at the deadline when the Flames inevitably bow out. We can hopefully dump Jarnkrok and Kampf in separate deals as moving Liljegren, Kampf and Jarnkrok would free up the space needed for a top 3 D.

July 1st. might have been the best time to address the defense, and not be going after 2nd. tier options?

Leafs spent $8mm on Tanev and Ekman-Larsson.

Would one $7-8mm defender have given the Leafs a better structure, and then be able to have two defenders who could carry lessor partners?

Leafs spent half their d-money before July 1st. by trading for Tanev and effectively knocking themselves out of the big game hunt.

Now discussion is how can the Leafs move multiple contracts to get that player.

 

[TMLAM34]

If we’re moving Cowan, I’m looking at Nemac or Jiricek in return in the deal. But there’s no way they move Cowan.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

I fully expect Kampf, Jarnkrok and one of Timmins/Liljegren to be moved.

I think Robertson will end up staying but I’d move him too if the value was right.

 

[supermann_98]

Honest question
Do you think matthews has the mentality to get us there

I do, he showed it when he single handedly took over game 3 against the B's. Can he sustain that over 3-4 rounds? I don't know, but he's not falling down constantly whining to the refs on every play like Mitch is when the playoffs start

 

[Puckstuff]

July 1st. might have been the best time to address the defense, and not be going after 2nd. tier options?

Leafs spent $8mm on Tanev and Ekman-Larsson.

Would one $7-8mm defender have given the Leafs a better structure, and then be able to have two defenders who could carry lessor partners?

Leafs spent half their d-money before July 1st. by trading for Tanev and effectively knocking themselves out of the big game hunt.

Now discussion is how can the Leafs move multiple contracts to get that player.

I think they would have done Pesce, Roy or Montour for 6.5-7 m over OEL and Liljegren for 6.5, but none of those players wanted to play here according to reports. So the logical next step was sign OEL and then try and sign Liljegren and try to raise his trade value and move him in a deal for a legit top 4 D, akin to the players we missed out in free agency. If we could trade Liljegren (and his salary) + prospects for a top 4 D at the deadline that would be great.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I think they would have done Pesce, Roy or Montour for 6.5-7 m over OEL and Liljegren for 6.5, but none of those players wanted to play here according to reports. So the logical next step was sign OEL and then try and sign Liljegren and try to raise his trade value and move him in a deal for a legit top 4 D, akin to the players we missed out in free agency. If we could trade Liljegren (and his salary) + prospects for a top 4 D at the deadline that would be great.

If the Pens cannot extend Marcus Pettersson, I would see if we can get a deal done there.

Liljegren & Robertson for Pettersson.

Rielly-Tanev
Pettersson-McCabe
OEL-Hakanpaa
Rifai

Alternatively...

Pettersson-Tanev
Rielly-McCabe
OEL-Hakanpaa
Rifai

Pettersson-Tanev would be akin to the Lindell-Tanev pairing Dallas deployed to shut down other teams. I would want to extend Pettersson even more than I do McCabe, younger and a great pker, 6x6.

 

[Puckstuff]

If the Pens cannot extend Marcus Pettersson, I would see if we can get a deal done there.

Liljegren & Robertson for Pettersson.

Rielly-Tanev
Pettersson-McCabe
OEL-Hakanpaa
Rifai

Alternatively...

Pettersson-Tanev
Rielly-McCabe
OEL-Hakanpaa
Rifai

Pettersson-Tanev would be akin to the Lindell-Tanev pairing Dallas deployed to shut down other teams. I would want to extend Pettersson even more than I do McCabe, younger and a great pker, 6x6.

Yeah that type of deal has to be priority number 1 IMO. A 3rd line C is also a priority, but the 3rd line C would be priority 2, imo. Those are really the only holes I see on this roster.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Yeah that type of deal has to be priority number 1 IMO. A 3rd line C is also a priority, but the 3rd line C would be priority 2, imo. Those are really the only holes I see on this roster.

I've liked Holmberg in this camp, he's more of a pest, involved, fighting for pucks but if he cannot hack it at 3C, they may go external.

Someone that might interest the Leafs could be Dvorak of Montreal.

 

[Jacquestrapless]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841584738471182649

 

[Puckstuff]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841584738471182649

Getting paid like a #3 if true. He's really good.

 

[Menzinger]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841584738471182649

Assuming that means 6 years of term for 5ish mil, that's a fair deal for the Leafs. Hopefully that's locked in.