Bender
Well-known member
That's true every year. The cap has gone up a lot in recent years and more teams want to be buyers.
2026-27 General Trades & Signings
- Thread starter rdowdall
- Start date
dappleganger
Well-known member
The year the Leafs got Tanev and OEL, there were a lot of good free agents available. I still lament the Leafs not signing Sean Walker that offseason.
That is why I'm concerned about dumping dmen for midrange draft picks.
Mid range picks are not going to return good replacement dmen.
Dump them after July 1. They can go 10% over the cap. 10% is $10.4M - which nearly pays for both Rielly & Carlo.
They'll be able to dump them to all the teams left unhitched at the UFA alter due to the shortage of dmen on the UFA market.
I wouldn't let them go until the Leafs were certain they had replacements
dappleganger
Well-known member
The Leafs currently have 7 NHL D-men under team control. They could move off of one (Rielly) and be fine. If they're moving off of Carlo they must know they are or can bring in another RH-D.
Theoretically Rielly's $7.5m and Carlo's $3.45something million would equal out to Emil + New RH-D and you have the added assets of whatever the Rielly and Carlo trades net you.
Maybe they think Dylan Coghlan can bring more to the team than Carlo at a cheaper number.
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Before next season ends, age of the dmen "under team control"
Raddysh 31
McCabe 33
Tanev 37
Rielly 33
OEL 35
Carlo 30
Andrae 25
Villeneuve 25 RFA - not waivers exempt
At a minimum, you need 7 to help with depth because the older players breakdown with injury more often
Villeneuve, to me, should be an 8th because he has almost no NHL experience for a team trying to "contend", they probably need 8 due to their age/likely injuries, he's not waivers exempt - could get picked off and he will get baptized in the NHL under fire so he should be introduced gradually
I do wonder if they feel they have replacements lined up. They would be stupid if they don't. They won't be able to replace Rielly or Carlo with a 4th round pick or whatever they receive for trading them in a fire sale. There is not a lot on the UFA market.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Bender
Well-known member
I get that there was more out there a couple years ago, but almost every year you hear "the market is thin" is all I mean and I don't think I've seen these kinds of trades repeatedly since I was on the board.
bustaheims
Well-known member
I think the combination of the thinner market and the extra cap space teams have this summer - which is something we didn't really see in previous years - is really contributing to it. This also might be the thinnest UFA class we've seen in years, especially with the recent sign-and-trades and other re-signings. Really feels like this was the perfect storm for major moves this summer.
Guru Tugginmypuddah
Well-known member
It's awesome to see. Sign and trades. 4th overall, 9th overall being moved just days before the draft.
dappleganger
Well-known member
It's the thinnest market I can ever remember. I'd argue there's not a single "good" centerman available in free agency. Not a true center with a ppg above 0.50.