Dakota Joshua being traded to Toronto
- Thread starter GhostofPotvin29
- Start date
I'm not crazy about the deal. Some concern with the term for a one season high watermark. He does have a decent chance of a bounce-back. But we may be looking at it like we do Kampf & Jarnkrok deals in a season or two. Hopefully, not.
Contenders seem to often find players like this more economically from their farm system.
I agree that the draft picks are just currency for trades at this point. Likewise Danford. They have little NHL roster value within the short window left to contend. We're well into the back nine in terms of this aged roster contending with league low draft picks/quality over the next 3 seasons and a weak prospect pool.
Contenders seem to often find players like this more economically from their farm system.
I agree that the draft picks are just currency for trades at this point. Likewise Danford. They have little NHL roster value within the short window left to contend. We're well into the back nine in terms of this aged roster contending with league low draft picks/quality over the next 3 seasons and a weak prospect pool.
ZBBM
Well-known member
Yep, to riff off of cw's post, the best chances to get somewhere serious in the playoffs are behind us. I think when fans looks back on this period — when they had the four most talented players ever together on a Leafs roster and got nowhere — there will be some heavy criticism of management for squandering draft picks and failing to address key roles. And justified criticism of the collective failure of leadership from every one of the Core 4.
Maybe they'll catch lightning in a bottle and go on a goalie-goalie run while Matthews is still under contract but I have serious doubts. I think we've seen the high-water mark.
Maybe they'll catch lightning in a bottle and go on a goalie-goalie run while Matthews is still under contract but I have serious doubts. I think we've seen the high-water mark.
mr grieves
Well-known member
ZBBM’s seems the most likely outcome to me! The Shanaleafs signed RFA deals that delivered no added value in the Covid flat cap era and pissed away a lot of picks and prospects trying to accelerate the convention window for a deficient core that didn’t deserve it. They could still go on a run, but most of their best chances have been squandered,
In my opinion, they started burning draft picks and their prospect pool years too soon.
These media rumours about McDavid "coming home" seem comical. What would he be coming home to? The roster is older and the cupboard is pretty bare. They can't find a top 6 for Matthews in significant part because they have so few assets to offer. They're going to have a hard time keeping Matthews ...
If Matthews can return to form and they land some top 6 help, maybe they can do something next year. But if he's chronically compromised like last season (and sort of every other season in recent years) .... it could get ugly as their DNA slips into rigor mortis. According to the odds makers I saw, Leafs have slipped as Cup contenders and Marner has better odds of winning the Hart and Selke next year than Matthews. Tavares and Tanev can't elude Father Time much longer. One-way Nylander is not going to get it done. Their goalies will probably have to steal it.
Hopefully, they have a good run or two left in them but this could go south in a hurry. There is little good, youthful DNA on the horizon. Cowan is the physical antithesis of what Treliving is looking for - so he's probably trade bait. They're in a precarious place that was easily foreseen.
azzurri63
Well-known member
Yep I'm with you on that analysis. Only thing we can't foresee is who we may be able to add next year in free agency which has some game changers. Other than that like I said before with a weak farm and squandered picks future looks bleak.
herman
Well-known member
I think if the Leafs had extended Marner (13.5) I would have the same level of despondency some have right now about the team, but since we were able to sign and trade and actually fill an area of need, I feel pretty good. I would’ve felt even better if it was addressed in 2023, however there’s no point bemoaning the past. Bagging one more power forward on the right side and/or a puckmoving RD should set the Leafs up very nicely.
dappleganger
Well-known member
At the end of the day, Marner (or Rantanen) at their cap hits weren't what the Leafs needed. They needed a 3 C, a 2 LW, and a 3rd pair RH D-man. Also, better bottom depth in the lineup. Retaining Marner wouldn't have addressed any of those issues.
I'm still waiting to see how the rest of the offseason plays out. The Leafs still have a decent amount of cap space to add an impactful player.
As good as Marner is and as much as the Leafs will miss him, he wasn't the answer for this team.
Agree with the last 2 posts. Marner had his opportunities here and while it obviously wasn't all his doing, the team kept coming up short. Now we have some new blood in the lineup. Roy should be dependable but both Maccelli and Joshua are question marks. If they play up to their previous highs the team overall could be better. Of course so much depends on whether Matthews will ever really be totally healthy again, whether McMann can take another step, whether the old defenders can hold up...lots of ways things could go wrong but I'm intrigued to see how it all plays out.
Because they traded Marner, I think based on CWs recent post history that's obvious.
I agree they jumped the gun on trading picks but good god the Pens won with wingers the likes of Chris Kunitz, Patrick Hornqvist, Conor Sheary, Pascal Dupuis, Bryan Rust, Nick Bonino and during their first cup run their best regular season forward was Ruslan Fedotenko. Surely Matthews shouldn't need Marner to have success. Regarding Connor, why don't we ask the question about Draisaitl? Did he complain or have a bad season dragging around Kasperi Kapanen, Viktor Arvidsson and Vasili Podkolzin? Good players don't always have all star wingers playing with them, and I think centres know that.
I also highly doubt they trade Cowan for anything other than for a player that they hope future Cowan becomes. Brad did sign Maccelli and had guys like Mangiapane and Gaudreau for years. If he's good enough to play he'll play. He's smarter than small guy bad, big guy good caricature you're painting.
Rumours of this Leafs team's death have been grossly exaggerated just because Marner left.
Regarding oddsmakers, they've been grossly wrong about the Leafs every year being contenders. Why do we care what they think now?
Redleaf
Well-known member
Good goaltending, good defence and a smattering of real offensive star power (with some newly injected toughness and size at all positions), sounds like a recipe for success to me. Every season is a crap shoot. You never know how the new players will work with the current ones, and how much chemistry will develop among the group as the season progresses. We won't know until we see it, so why so much doom and gloom? This could actually work. The biggest hurdle come playoff time will still be the Florida Panthers. But that'll be the same for every team in the league. Someone has to topple them to have an actual chance of winning the cup. I think the Leafs will be right there and at least be up for the challenge. That's all you can ask of your team.
bustaheims
Well-known member
If Cowan is the antithesis of what Treliving is looking for, why did he draft him - especially going off board specifically to nab him? That’s just absolute nonsense.
herman
Well-known member
What to expect from Dakota Joshua?
The big-bodied winger comes home again. Here's what I saw in 2017 and still see today.
jhanhky.substack.com
Jack Han worked with Joshua during his stint with the Leafs development team.
If he can keep up and setup a forecheck, he'd be a good fit with Tavares-Nylander, or even (heaven forfend) Tavares-Domi.
dappleganger
Well-known member
What to expect from Dakota Joshua?
The big-bodied winger comes home again. Here's what I saw in 2017 and still see today.
Jack Han worked with Joshua during his stint with the Leafs development team.
If he can keep up and setup a forecheck, he'd be a good fit with Tavares-Nylander, or even (heaven forfend) Tavares-Domi.
I like the fit of Joshua with Tavares and Nylander. Sounds like he'd compliment what they do.
herman
Well-known member
You certainly called it upthread. I want to split Tavares and Nylander though. Joshua-Tavares-Maccelli/Domi/Cowan + McMann-Roy-Nylander is what I have in mind.
I want Nylander to get more regular season reps in a shutdown role. Coaches avoided that for valid reasons, but building his DZ play up just a bit more makes those occasional Matthews-Nylander power shifts more impactful, and also injects silly offensive depth. Instead of a shutdown sequence springing Lorentz or Jarnkrok, what if Roy winning a board battle springs Nylander against an offensively inclined match up?
Tavares' line can mop up 3rd line matchups with a heavier cycle game and elevate the offense for depth players.
dappleganger
Well-known member
I personally like the idea of a Joshua - Tavares - Roy line. I don't think the proper center to play with Nylander in currently on the team. I don't think a line of McMann - Laughton - Nylander would do Willy any good.