Roy and Demelo are both underrated dman who not much people talk about. You may label them as a only #4 dman, that fine. Who don't need big named dman making 9M or more. We just need someone to play around 20mins a game.
Roy doing that in LA and Demelo is on the Jets top paring line.
I think it's important to "disconnect" pay from calibre.
As of right now, we have:
- Rielly, a #1, probably on amongst the middle of the league, or a lower-end #1 amongst playoff teams.
- Brodie at this point is probably an average #3, or high quality #4.
- McCabe, who is an average #4, or high quality #5.
- Liljegren, who is a below average #4, or average #5.
- Lyubushin, who is a below average #4 or average #5.
- Edmundson, who is an average #5 and probably above average #6.
- Benoit, who is a average #6.
If the Leafs want to have success, they're going to have to have at least an average blueline amongst playoff teams. That can be achieved by getting a #2, #3, treating McCabe as 4, Liljegren as 5, and Benoit as 6.
Getting 2 guys like Roy & Demelo, who are probably somewhere between Brodie & McCabe simply isn't going to cut it.
Go out and get Pesce plus Roy or Zadorov, AND have Liljegren take a step forward, then maybe you're talking about a a solid basis for a blueline; but the Leafs likely don't have the cap flexibility for that, nor the attractiveness to sign Brett Pesce.
Similarly, if Hanifin somehow doesn't end up in Vegas or Tampa, getting him would be a huge bump to the team, but again, I think there's a "willingness to sign in Toronto" factor that will likely stop it.
Turns out that window was more of a peephole than a window
