• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

Playoffs Round 2: Panthers vs. Maple Leafs

Sure. But he wasn’t a UFA, I’m convinced he could have gotten more back from some other team, and no one forced Treliving to immediately give Huberdeau that horrible contract.
Tkachuk basically said trade me to Florida or I'll walk from whatever team you trade me to as a UFA. His hands were kind of tied. So, he did pretty well in terms of the return there. The contract, though, I agree was bad.
 
Sure. But he wasn’t a UFA, I’m convinced he could have gotten more back from some other team, and no one forced Treliving to immediately give Huberdeau that horrible contract.

Huberdeau was 5th in MVP voting. The contract wasn't terrible, Huberdeau's play after signing the contract was.
 
Florida got swept in the 2022 Playoffs. It's indicative of the current mood that you're suggesting the two are equivalent.
Analogy isn't equivalence. Two really good regular season teams lose to opponents who are so impressive that you can explain it away reasonably enough.

It's not like Florida spent the summer of 2022 blowing up their roster either. They made the big Huberdeau for Tkachuk trade. Otherwise, 7 of their top 10 scorers were the same in 2023 (and 8 of 2023's top 10 are still there). Their #1 Dman is the same. Their #1 goalie is the same.
I know folks have been talking about throwing the bums out, but not I. I've just been looking forward to the long overdue rebalancing of the roster. Here's one way the analogy doesn't hold up: it's not even up to the team's management at this point. Marner is walking and balance is coming.

If there is an equivalent to the Huberdeau - Tkachuk deal to be done, I'm not advocating against it when I answer your question of "what can the Leafs take from being the least quickly steamrolled" by saying that maybe your question is worth actually considering.
Well, I'll actually consider too. I don't think it's really far off or incompatible with yours. The lesson I'd draw, as the Leafs management, starts with the observation they it took them 7 to beat us with their depth and they're beating Carolina in (it seems) less than that with their stars. We're going to lose some star power this summer, but maybe losing some of that for balance might be a good outcome.
 
Huberdeau was 5th in MVP voting. The contract wasn't terrible, Huberdeau's play after signing the contract was.
There was no rush to get that contract signed, which is what is the biggest issue with it. Should have waited to see how he fit into the lineup before making that kind of commitment. As they say, when you have time, use it.
 
Huberdeau had leverage there too, though.
They just saw Gaudreau walk as a UFA and Tkachuk force a trade a a RFA. Calgary isn't exactly a prime landing spot for free agents. I think you can argue that should have been the start of Calgary's rebuild and maybe they should have targeted youth and picks over Huberdeau and Weegar, but with the trade done I think it's pretty clear why Calgary rushed to get an extension signed asap there.
 
Huberdeau, Weegar, 1st rounder and an above average prospect for Tkachuk, who basically would only go to 1 destination, is an absolute haul of a trade, considering all of those cicrumstances. And if I recall correctly, many pundits loved that offseason for Calgary and predicted them to go far that year. Obviously it didn't work out, but calling that trade "garbage" is a bit ludicrous (imo anyway).

Heck, Huberdeau was a 3rd overall pick who was scoring over a PPG three straight seasons before his outlier/breakout season.
 
Huberdeau, Weegar, 1st rounder and an above average prospect for Tkachuk, who basically would only go to 1 destination, is an absolute haul of a trade, considering all of those cicrumstances. And if I recall correctly, many pundits loved that offseason for Calgary and predicted them to go far that year. Obviously it didn't work out, but calling that trade "garbage" is a bit ludicrous (imo anyway).

Heck, Huberdeau was a 3rd overall pick who was scoring over a PPG three straight seasons before his outlier/breakout season.
That's being pretty generous to Schwindt, who has already been lost on waivers and has barely been 0.5 p/game in the AHL. He's a pretty run of the mill depth prospect.
 
That's being pretty generous to Schwindt, who has already been lost on waivers and has barely been 0.5 p/game in the AHL. He's a pretty run of the mill depth prospect.
With the benefit of hindsight, sure, but he was a 3rd round pick, big-bodied forward who had scored decently in his first 80 or so AHL games (20 goals, 40 points as a 19-20 year old) and was, what, 21 years old at the time of the trade? Maybe he was an average prospect instead of above average, but it's still a great trade on paper at the time, considering the circumstances.
 
With the benefit of hindsight, sure, but he was a 3rd round pick, big-bodied forward who had scored decently in his first 80 or so AHL games (20 goals, 40 points as a 19-20 year old) and was, what, 21 years old at the time of the trade? Maybe he was an average prospect instead of above average, but it's still a great trade on paper at the time, considering the circumstances.
I agree, given the circumstances, it was a good deal. I jsut don't think Schwindt moved the needle on that at all. He was the 4th most valuable of the 4 pieces Calgary received.
 
Back
Top