Trades & Free Agency Thread - Too Soon Off-Season Edition

[ToneDog]

Word is that Seattle is taking Driedger. I am not against getting Raanta or Halak, or another goalie in free agency either.

I don't think someone like DeSmith would be that costly. Perhaps someone like Joey Anderson going the other way. As for Georgiev, I think the Ranges need a LD, so maybe someone like Dermott if Seattle indeed takes Kerfoot?

No clue what a Korpisalo trade could look like though.

Drieger is a UFA and making 850K. He should be up for grabs. Mike Smith is also a UFA and making $1.5. I believe he lives in Newmarket so he might prefer to play at home for the right dollars.

 

[ToneDog]

My ideal situation is that Mikheyev - Engvall - Spezza works out to be our fourth line, which means an improved third line.

If we can deal Engvall for a pick to someone, and bring in Kuraly or Jankowski to be the 4C for under 1M, I'd take it.

It might take closer to $2m to get Kuray but Jankowski probably accepts $850k from Leafs unless somebody offers $1m.

 

[Dreakmur]

Can we please just add Luke Glendening his year? The guy is great on the PK and faceoffs. We need that element if we lose Hyman and even if we don't, I just want to continually improve our special teams.

Like Glendening and someone like Brock McGinn and Barclay Goodrow add the size and toughness we need.

Sean Kuraly is easily the best option for 4th line C, but Glendening might be option #2.

 

[The Legend]

Anyone watching the Bruins/Islanders series? Want to be successful in the playoffs? That’s how you do it, Leafs would be destroyed by either team physically. No Superstar D man on either team either, Leafs need to trade 2 of AM, WN, MM and improve team depth in all areas. They don’t need fancy players they players that want to win, or as Star Kiss tuna used to say “we don’t need tuna with good taste, we need tuna that tastes good.”

This team just spent a full season trying to get grit, toughness and whatever other magic beans half this fanbase wanted. It didn't work.

If Dubas is guilty of anything, it's catering to these lowest-common-denominator takes.

I'd move Marner, but not because of physicality or whatever. I'm not convinced he's that great of a hockey player. At 10.8, he can't drive his own line, his shot hasn't improved enough and he needs a playmaker to generate. That's a problem. At the same time, he's extremely talented, a fantastic skater and does great things on the PK. He has value.

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere, but Marner and Dermott - assuming he clears expansion - for Tkachuk and Mangiapane makes all the sense in the world. Marner's value may be too depressed at this point, but it's not like Tkachuk has been anywhere near the top of league scoring.

 

[Dreakmur]

My ideal situation is that Mikheyev - Engvall - Spezza works out to be our fourth line, which means an improved third line.

Your ideal situation has a 4th line without a real centre?

 

[ToneDog]

Can we please just add Luke Glendening his year? The guy is great on the PK and faceoffs. We need that element if we lose Hyman and even if we don't, I just want to continually improve our special teams.

Like Glendening and someone like Brock McGinn and Barclay Goodrow add the size and toughness we need.

Goodrow is from Aurora (just north of the city) and seems to make a whole lot of sense to be a partial Hyman replacement. I want Kuraly but Glendening (currently $1.8) for $1-$1.5mx2 is not bad.

 

[The Legend]

All teams use stats as supplemental information in the video room/advanced scouting etc but McPhee had a philosophy about team building and much of what they valued didn’t show up in numbers; high character, versatile players that can star in their roles.

Teams that win take this approach, but it’s more impressive when someone does it with everyone’s scraps.

The idea of data driven decisions is to find value in players that nobody else sees. Nobody on Vegas was a surprise. The effectiveness of the group was greater than we expected but opportunities changed and they picked guys who could take advantage of it.

That’s good old school scouting.

Isn't that literally what Vegas did

 

[Menzinger]

Holl is a spare part but Dermott is only 24 and been under appreciated and under utilized by his current club for 2 years. I haven’t seen everyone’s exposed players but I have a hard time believing Dermott isn’t one of the better options if exposed.

Why would Seattle use stats to build their team when they just saw the model with Vegas?

They're probably following the lead of teams like Tampa and and Colorado both of whom heavily use analytics to help with decision making.

Seattle has hired among others the analyst who used to run War on Ice so we have at least a rough idea of the people involved helping shape their selections

Dermott is a nice player but he still has a lot of question marks about his game. He may well get taken in expansion but again there's going to be a lot of D men in his range also available and fundamentally Seattle can only have a chance at giving 7 guys icetime.

 

[socko]

I'd try to sign Ullmark , he's played well behind a crap Buffalo team .

and if Kerfoot is so valuable as a C as i keep reading why are some so desperate for Seattle to take him , lol

Well, for one because his playoff play was well able his normal, and we've all heard the term regression to the mean before, and then he brings very little offense and our top 2 lines aren't scoring commensurate with their salaries come playoff time.

 

[Menzinger]

I'd try to sign Ullmark , he's played well behind a crap Buffalo team .

and if Kerfoot is so valuable as a C as i keep reading why are some so desperate for Seattle to take him , lol

If the team wants to find a way of reshaping it's depth forwards they will have to shed salary sometimes. Kerfoot can be seen as a good player, but the team may be better off with a guy with a different playing style ect.

And I don't see anyone being desperate here. I think Seattle will take him because he's probably going to be seen as the most valuable pick for them from this team.

 

[Cor]

Your ideal situation has a 4th line without a real centre?

What defines real center?

 

[hotpaws]

If the team wants to find a way of reshaping it's depth forwards they will have to shed salary sometimes. Kerfoot can be seen as a good player, but the team may be better off with a guy with a different playing style ect.

And I don't see anyone being desperate here. I think Seattle will take him because he's probably going to be seen as the most valuable pick for them from this team.

oh so he's a good player but we have to re shape our team . lol

how about he's a mediocre overpaid player and we're hoping the Kracken are stupid enough to take him off our hands

and i doubt fluffing him on this forum will help sway Seattle to take him

 

[Menzinger]

Isn't that literally what Vegas did

Yep. Seems as if the Knights like their analytics too

Moneyball Meets Hockey In Key Vegas Hire

The suggestion they are ignoring them and just relying on old school scouting is a fantasy

 

[Menzinger]

oh so he's a good player but we have to re shape our team . lol

how about he's a mediocre overpaid player and we're hoping the Kracken are stupid enough to take him off our hands

and i doubt fluffing him on this forum will help sway Seattle to take him

Teams move useful players all the time for a variety of reasons. Wanting capspace often a main motivation.

Paying even the slightest bit of attention to the nhl will show you multiple examples of that.

 

[Cor]

oh so he's a good player but we have to re shape our team . lol

how about he's a mediocre overpaid player and we're hoping the Kracken are stupid enough to take him off our hands

and i doubt fluffing him on this forum will help sway Seattle to take him

Chris Johnston has literally said Kerfoot is the player that Seattle is eyeing from us.

 

[Menzinger]

Chris Johnston has literally said Kerfoot is the player that Seattle is eyeing from us.

Fancy stats aside, the guys coming off a 6 points in 7 games playoff performance and averaged 17min a game during it.

Hardly earth shattering news he may get more than a second look from Seattle

 

[Dreakmur]

What defines real center?

Somebody who is good at playing the role.

Winning face-offs and winning puck battles are very important. Being willing to go into traffic is important.

 

[Cor]

Somebody who is good at playing the role.

Winning face-offs and winning puck battles are very important. Being willing to go into traffic is important.

Well, Spezza takes the faceoffs for the fourth line, did so all year, and he's quite good at it. Engvall plays his best in the center of the ice. he's quite effective there. Generally, XXX-Engvall-Spezza is usually the makeup of our most effective fourth line combinations. It's when we had Simmonds, Thornton and Spezza that our fourth line was useless, or when we tried to play Engvall higher in the lineup, where there were some issues.

So yeah, assuming Engvall, Mikheyev and Spezza are here next season, the ideal spot for all 3 is on the fourth line together, which means our third line is improved.

 

[Dreakmur]

Well, Spezza takes the faceoffs for the fourth line, did so all year, and he's quite good at it. Engvall plays his best in the center of the ice. he's quite effective there. Generally, XXX-Engvall-Spezza is usually the makeup of our most effective fourth line combinations. It's when we had Simmonds, Thornton and Spezza that our fourth line was useless, or when we tried to play Engvall higher in the lineup, where there were some issues.

So yeah, assuming Engvall, Mikheyev and Spezza are here next season, the ideal spot for all 3 is on the fourth line together, which means our third line is improved.

If Engvall is here, I agree he belongs on the 4th line. I just really hope we get some real centres to play on the 3rd and 4th lines.

 

[Donnie740]

Lets try giving the kid more then 9 NHL regular games and 5 playoff games before we throw him away.

Do you really think Sandin just needs a bit more time and then he’ll be skating like Morgan Rielly and playing nasty like Zdeno Chara?

 

[Cor]

Fancy stats aside, the guys coming off a 6 points in 7 games playoff performance and averaged 17min a game during it.

Hardly earth shattering news he may get more than a second look from Seattle

Yeah, I am not sure what else Kerfoot needs to do to show that he's a quality player. He had a very good year for us, and really elevated himself in the playoffs.

 

[Cor]

If Engvall is here, I agree he belongs on the 4th line. I just really hope we get some real centres to play on the 3rd and 4th lines.

As I mentioned to another poster, I would love to bring Kuraly in. I've long been a fan of him.

 

[hotpaws]

Teams move useful players all the time for a variety of reasons. Wanting capspace often a main motivation.

Paying even the slightest bit of attention to the nhl will show you multiple examples of that.

if he's useful then we should trade him and get an asset back instead of losing him for nothing

hard to argue he has value if we don't trade him and instead leave him exposed in the expansion draft

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Well, Spezza takes the faceoffs for the fourth line, did so all year, and he's quite good at it. Engvall plays his best in the center of the ice. he's quite effective there. Generally, XXX-Engvall-Spezza is usually the makeup of our most effective fourth line combinations. It's when we had Simmonds, Thornton and Spezza that our fourth line was useless, or when we tried to play Engvall higher in the lineup, where there were some issues.

So yeah, assuming Engvall, Mikheyev and Spezza are here next season, the ideal spot for all 3 is on the fourth line together, which means our third line is improved.

I can see Engvall getting moved this offseason (should pick us up a mid-round pick) and Semyonov taking up the 4C job between Mikheyev and Spezza. If Semyonov fails, then it is Brooks. People seem to forget that we signed him and we will almost certainly be giving him a good shot at the 4C job next year (just like we gave Barabanov a chance).

The 3rd line may be completely new next year.

 

[Menzinger]

if he's useful then we should trade him and get an asset back instead of losing him for nothing

hard to argue he has value if we don't trade him and instead leave him exposed in the expansion draft

It's almost as if expansion rules limit the number of players you can protect