Armchair GM 2018-2019

[bustaheims]

For all the talk about ROR and how good he is there seems to be a growing list of teams who suck with him and improve without him??? Might be a coincidence but I'm not sure I really want to find out??

Maybe it?s because teams used him higher up on the depth chart than he should have been, because they were bad teams, but, once they acquired/developed pieces to push him down the depth chart, they became better teams since they had better talent? Colorado has Mackinnon develop and they added Rantanen. Buffalo had Eichel develop, and they added Skinner and Dahlin (and, they?ve yet to complete a successful season, so let?s not count our chickens there yet - they?re not exactly dominating teams). As Nik points out, St Louis is getting terrible goaltending. Is that on O?Reilly? Considering, it was poor before he arrived, I?d say no. He hasn?t elevated teams he?s played for, but the reason they?ve improved after he left isn?t on him, and the reasons he left had more to do with money than anything else.

 

[herman]

I think it'd be tough because after the run the Leafs would be in a good spot on one hand(O'Reilly is a good player and teams probably want him) but a tough one on the other(they'd still be trying to trade a player they couldn't conceivably keep).

I like the idea of a rental they flip in the off-season but I really think that if they have assets like that to spend at the deadline a defenseman just makes so much more sense.

If the package I proposed is all it takes to make it happen, then yes, absolutely get Parayko. A player like ROR is my secondary choice.

There aren't too many defenseman out there that are needle movers, play the exact position we need right now, and are available. With St. Louis in a desperate spot, this is the opportune moment for Dubas to make another mark. At 5.5M with term left, futures are absolutely available. If they have an interest in Zaitsev as Kypreos posited for Pietrangelo, so much the better. I don't know Doug Armstrong to be so stupid though.

 

[AvroArrow]

If I'm the Leafs, I'd still be trying to get Pesce.
I'd explore Kadri for Pesce, and see what teams have a 3rd line center available to replace Kadri (for instance, a guy like Anisimov out of Chicago).

Ideally setup the 2 transactions and execute them simultaneously.

 

[Guilt Trip]

If I'm the Leafs, I'd still be trying to get Pesce.
I'd explore Kadri for Pesce, and see what teams have a 3rd line center available to replace Kadri (for instance, a guy like Anisimov out of Chicago).

Ideally setup the 2 transactions and execute them simultaneously.

Kadri is the perfect guy for that role and can move up if needed. Why would we trade him away for Pesce? The idea is to improve your team, not weaken one area to bolster another. I don't see the Leafs trading roster players for a run this year unless it was someone like Parayko. Then they might do a trade like that. These guys aren't going to sell the farm.

 

[AvroArrow]

Kadri is the perfect guy for that role and can move up if needed. Why would we trade him away for Pesce? The idea is to improve your team, not weaken one area to bolster another. I don't see the Leafs trading roster players for a run this year unless it was someone like Parayko. Then they might do a trade like that. These guys aren't going to sell the farm.

Kadri is overkill in that role.  We can afford a downgrade there if it means a significant upgrade on RD.  And Pesce would be a significant upgrade over Hainsey.

The Leafs aren't getting a Parayko for Kadri.  And the + there would be prohibitively expensive.

 

[AvroArrow]

https://twitter.com/jprutherford/status/1072989455106093058

Not sure what we could reasonably afford there... Would Schenn or Steen be able to fill Kadri's spot if he's traded for Pesce?  And what kind of cost are we looking at?  I'd assume Steen would cost less, but I'm not sure what he has left in the tank...

 

[AvroArrow]

Their left D looks weak.  Maybe we dangle Gardiner their way?

Gardiner for Schenn
Kadri for Pesce

As a basis for upgrading the team?

 

[Kin]

Trade a couple of defensemen for O'Reilly and Tarasenko, then trade a few draft picks for Taylor Hall. No defensemen. Five forwards. The best defense is a swift kick in the goolies.

 

[cabber24]

Trade a couple of defensemen for O'Reilly and Tarasenko, then trade a few draft picks for Taylor Hall. No defensemen. Five forwards. The best defense is a swift kick in the goolies.

I have actually thought what it would like to have some of our forwards taking minutes from our blueline. Hainsey less? Yes, please. Nylander, Marner, Kappi all right-handed shots. Seriously though when trailing why don't teams ever deploy an extra forward? Scotty Bowman did it with Federov.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Trade a couple of defensemen for O'Reilly and Tarasenko, then trade a few draft picks for Taylor Hall. No defensemen. Five forwards. The best defense is a swift kick in the goolies.

I have actually thought what it would like to have some of our forwards taking minutes from our blueline. Hainsey less? Yes, please. Nylander, Marner, Kappi all right-handed shots. Seriously though when trailing why don't teams ever deploy an extra forward? Scotty Bowman did it with Federov.

I hear you and it would be an interesting concept. Only problem is the Leafs don't have a Federov who won the Selke twice and also a Hart and Lindsay award. Kappy, Marner and Nylander to a lesser extent maybe pretty good defensively but aren't as good a dman as Hainsey is on a bad day. Hainsey does need to play less but not be replaced by a forward. Easier moving a D man forward then the other way around.

 

[Zee]

Trade a couple of defensemen for O'Reilly and Tarasenko, then trade a few draft picks for Taylor Hall. No defensemen. Five forwards. The best defense is a swift kick in the goolies.

I have actually thought what it would like to have some of our forwards taking minutes from our blueline. Hainsey less? Yes, please. Nylander, Marner, Kappi all right-handed shots. Seriously though when trailing why don't teams ever deploy an extra forward? Scotty Bowman did it with Federov.

I hear you and it would be an interesting concept. Only problem is the Leafs don't have a Federov who won the Selke twice and also a Hart and Lindsay award. Kappy, Marner and Nylander to a lesser extent maybe pretty good defensively but aren't as good a dman as Hainsey is on a bad day. Hainsey does need to play less but not be replaced by a forward. Easier moving a D man forward then the other way around.

What's this about a Selke you say?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Their left D looks weak.  Maybe we dangle Gardiner their way?

I'm thinking if their whole roster is on the block, they're looking for very young players, picks and high end prospects as the main part of a return.

Pieterangelo please. Our first rounder, liljegren, Johnsson, and take zaitsev's balance.

 

[AvroArrow]

I'm thinking if their whole roster is on the block, they're looking for very young players, picks and high end prospects as the main part of a return.

Pieterangelo please. Our first rounder, liljegren, Johnsson, and take zaitsev's balance.

I don't know, they have a lot of good pieces... They may just be looking for a retool.  After all, they probably want/need playoff revenue.
As a few examples:

Tarasenko for Panarin
Parayko for Trouba
Gardiner for Steen+

Change the team without necessarily getting worse.

 

[AvroArrow]

So, Kadri for Pesce?  Slot Nylander as 3C?

 

[Zee]

St Louis would only take Gardiner in hopes that they could flip him at the trade deadline for a pick.  He's a pure rental and does St Louis no good as they wouldn't resign him

 

[herman]

So, Kadri for Pesce?  Slot Nylander as 3C?

The point of having Nylander is opening up overmatch possibilities on line 3 either when Kadri is in the shutdown role to make room for either Matthews or Tavares, or on the road when 30 goal scorer Kadri gets softer matchups with good wingers. Kadri is our best value outside of the ELC players and it makes little sense to break that up and pay such a high price for one-dimensional defense.

When Kadri?s deal is done, then yeah Nylander to 3C.

 

[AvroArrow]

What's your plan to improve the D, Herman?

 

[herman]

What's your plan to improve the D, Herman?

Haha play Marincin and Holl

And if Armstrong is dumb enough to let go of Parayko for players outside our core, then you do it. Otherwise wait and develop and let go of Hainsey.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, I think because of the cap situation any short term improvement to the defense is best made by flipping picks/prospects and then long term you have to hope that either of the Swedes can make significant impacts.

I still think McDonagh was the big opportunity there.

 

[AvroArrow]

Haha play Marincin and Holl

And if Armstrong is dumb enough to let go of Parayko for players outside our core, then you do it. Otherwise wait and develop and let go of Hainsey.

Marincin and Holl won't be able to take Hainsey's minutes and be effective.  I'm not opposed to trying it, mind you, but I doubt it'll be a successful, long term solution.

The reality is, we're gonna need to pay quality players to get quality players.  If it's not the quality players on the roster, then it's Lily and Sandin.  I'd rather trade Kadri - he's a luxury.  We don't need 3-line "domination" if our defense is more capable.

The alternative is to ride it out until next season and see what's available as a UFA.  I don't see a whole lot of options there, though.  Karlsson (too expensive, most likely), Myers (not sure he's good enough), Stralman (maybe?), Petrovic (maybe for the 2nd pairing?).  That's really it.