Armchair GM 2016-2017

[Kin]

What an asinine request from the Jets. Same age, position and calibre? What team would make that trade? Another team in a similar position with that particular type of defensemen requesting a trade as well? Good luck Jets!

I'd imagine that the hopes would be from the Jets that they'd be able to find a team with a glut of LHD similar to how Winnipeg is stacked on the RHD and who would make a trade for the sake of balance. Philadelphia is a team who might fit that bill. They're not all NHL ready yet but they've got a bunch of young defensemen in Gostisbehere, Sanheim, Morin and Provorov who are all LHD.

 

[Kin]

so gardiner for trouba?

The issue there being that Gardiner's 4 years older and only has three years left on his deal.

Still, I think that's at least in the ballpark of what we'd realistically be talking about. I think you'd have to be comfortable making that trade without assuming Anaheim wouldn't be facing the exact same issue with Lindholm though.

Which, again, is where it all gets a little sticky for me. Assuming you can't do a JVR for Lindholm deal(and if the Leafs could, I think that would largely be done already) is the D definitely better with Rielly-Trouba as the top pairing and something like Marincin-Zaitsev as the second pairing then they are with Rielly-? and Gardiner-? as your top 2 pairings? I don't know if that's clear cut, especially if it takes 5-6 million to sign Trouba.

 

[TBLeafer]

They want a young LHD back for Trouba?  Fine.  If we're looking to shore up our top 4 with this deal, they ain't getting Gards.

We also need to clear cap to sign Trouba.

Ehlers and Laine, isn't exactly Ladd and Laine

JVR + Marincin for Trouba.

 

[Kin]

They want a young LHD back for Trouba?  Fine.  If we're looking to shore up our top 4 with this deal, they ain't getting Gards.
We also need to clear cap to sign Trouba.

Ehlers and Laine, isn't exactly Ladd and Laine

JVR + Marincin for Trouba.

I don't think they want just any LHD for Trouba. Certanly not a fairly limited bottom pairing guy. They want someone comparable.

 

[Tigger]

I was wondering if it was Gardiner that they would target as a LD who is on a reasonable $4 MIL contract.  Add a Kapanen and it might close the deal.

That leaves a hole on the Leafs LD so I would try to get Lindholm, another RFA holdout.  JVR would be the center piece.  A young dman like Corrado would be added as well as a 2nd prospect.

That would leave Rielly, Trouba and Lindholm as the dmen the Leafs protect in the Las Vegas expansion draft

I don't think Anaheim is looking to move Lindholm, but that might get you Fowler, I wonder if there's any interest in some sort of Trouba for Fowler + deal.

 

[TBLeafer]

I don't think they want just any LHD for Trouba. Certanly not a fairly limited bottom pairing guy. They want someone comparable.

That might be their initial ask.  But if the Leafs are offering up JVR as the main piece, that may lower the LHD expectation that goes along with him, some.

Plus by the end of the season, Marincin was partnered on the top pairing with Rielly.  Babs obviously saw something there.

 

[Kin]

That might be their initial ask.  But if the Leafs are offering up JVR as the main piece, that may lower the LHD expectation that goes along with him, some.

That's only if nobody else offers them something more in line with what they're after. That seems fairly unlikely given how valuable someone like Trouba figures to be.

Plus by the end of the season, Marincin was partnered on the top pairing with Rielly.  Babs obviously saw something there.

The "something" probably being Auston Matthews.

 

[TBLeafer]

That's only if nobody else offers them something more in line with what they're after. That seems fairly unlikely given how valuable someone like Trouba figures to be.

Always a possibility given that 28 other teams are still out there.  But is a lateral move that doesn't actually improve either team's overall situation worth it?

The "something" probably being Auston Matthews.

IDK its not exactly like Babs put Corrado on the top pairing.

 

[Kin]

Always a possibility given that 28 other teams are still out there.  But is a lateral move that doesn't actually improve either team's overall situation worth it?

It certainly can be if the "lateral move" means that you have a LHD instead of a RHD and the LHD is more open to signing a long-term deal than Trouba seems to be(or is already under contract).

Winnipeg is a team with reasons to be optimistic. They have a bunch of good young players like Ehlers and Scheifele and some potentially really good rookies in Laine and Connor. Maintaining an equilibrium on defense(but with everyone playing their natural side) seems like a pretty good outcome. 

 

[TBLeafer]

Always a possibility given that 28 other teams are still out there.  But is a lateral move that doesn't actually improve either team's overall situation worth it?

It certainly can be if the "lateral move" means that you have a LHD instead of a RHD and the LHD is more open to signing a long-term deal than Trouba seems to be(or is already under contract).

Winnipeg is a team with reasons to be optimistic. They have a bunch of good young players like Ehlers and Scheifele and some potentially really good rookies in Laine and Connor. Maintaining an equilibrium on defense(but with everyone playing their natural side) seems like a pretty good outcome.

Lindholm for Trouba.  Straight up. 

 

[groundskeeper willie]

I was wondering if it was Gardiner that they would target as a LD who is on a reasonable $4 MIL contract.  Add a Kapanen and it might close the deal.

That leaves a hole on the Leafs LD so I would try to get Lindholm, another RFA holdout.  JVR would be the center piece.  A young dman like Corrado would be added as well as a 2nd prospect.

That would leave Rielly, Trouba and Lindholm as the dmen the Leafs protect in the Las Vegas expansion draft

I don't think Anaheim is looking to move Lindholm, but that might get you Fowler, I wonder if there's any interest in some sort of Trouba for Fowler + deal.

I know it's into fantasy hockey territory, but that was my thought as well, some sort of three way trade centred around Trouba, JvR and Fowler.

Fun things like that never happen in the NHL any more though

 

[Britishbulldog]

Always a possibility given that 28 other teams are still out there.  But is a lateral move that doesn't actually improve either team's overall situation worth it?

It certainly can be if the "lateral move" means that you have a LHD instead of a RHD and the LHD is more open to signing a long-term deal than Trouba seems to be(or is already under contract).

Winnipeg is a team with reasons to be optimistic. They have a bunch of good young players like Ehlers and Scheifele and some potentially really good rookies in Laine and Connor. Maintaining an equilibrium on defense(but with everyone playing their natural side) seems like a pretty good outcome.

Lindholm for Trouba.  Straight up. 

Don't even joke about that!  I want them both with the Leafs!

;D

 

[TBLeafer]

Don't even joke about that!  I want them both with the Leafs!

;D

Gotta leave room for when McDavid refuses to sign his first RFA in Edmonton.

 

[herman]

Trouba, Ristolainen, Lindholm, and Kucherov still without contracts.

According to Bob McKenzie, the first three are at impasses with their teams sort of because of Rielly/Ekblad and their contracts.

Sure would be nice to have some cap space right now.

If we didn't got for Martin and Polak, we'd be floating in about 6ish M of cap space + cap hits of whoever we need to trade to make one of these fancy names show up on our roster.

Next season when we will have a glut of cap space, I don't really see any premiere RHDs approaching free agency of the right age/development curve (other than Zaitsev and Parayko).

 

[Kin]

I like all of those guys but I don't think the Leafs are ready to be paying RFA compensation yet.

 

[herman]

I like all of those guys but I don't think the Leafs are ready to be paying RFA compensation yet.

Weren't we pretty ready to offer sheet Jones earlier in the offseason?

 

[Kin]

I like all of those guys but I don't think the Leafs are ready to be paying RFA compensation yet.

Weren't we pretty ready to offer sheet Jones earlier in the offseason?

Fair point. Still, I'm more sold on Jones' potential to really be a #1 guy than I am any of those guys. That was also before I knew our defensive cupboard would still look as bare post-draft as it did pre-draft.

 

[herman]

I like all of those guys but I don't think the Leafs are ready to be paying RFA compensation yet.

Weren't we pretty ready to offer sheet Jones earlier in the offseason?

Fair point. Still, I'm more sold on Jones' potential to really be a #1 guy than I am any of those guys. That was also before I knew our defensive cupboard would still look as bare post-draft as it did pre-draft.

Of the bunch, I'm most sold on Lindholm, but he's basically Swedish Rielly. I just thought that knowing there were these big ticket RFAs out there for teams with budget/cap issues that the Leafs should've opted for flexibility rather than locker room presence.

 

[Kin]

Of the bunch, I'm most sold on Lindholm, but he's basically Swedish Rielly. I just thought that knowing there were these big ticket RFAs out there for teams with budget/cap issues that the Leafs should've opted for flexibility rather than locker room presence.

Don't get me wrong. Cap wise I agree with you 100%. If I had my way the team wouldn't have Andersen, Martin or Polak on the books and would have done more to clear up one of the bigger salaries on the roster. I'd much rather have that flexibility then what those guys bring.

I just don't think you can look at the team's farm system right now and write off any sort of drafting of a high value D or G prospect next year.

 

[ZBBM]

So the subtext I'm taking from this is our mystifying offseason is already biting us in the buttocks.

I'm going to lay this at the feet of Lou. Honestly so long as we are talking mystifying I still don't quite understand that particular hire.