The Official 2011/2012 Armchair GM thread

[bustaheims]

Maybe as part of something coming back in a bigger deal where we send them a center and get a fair sized winger/center back ... (one can dream ... but I can't figure out something quickly that they have, makes sense or is realistic)

Edmonton doesn't have any really big forwards - only one over 6'1" or only a handful clocking in at more than 200 lbs. They might be the most average sized group of forwards in the league - just about everyone is ~6'0" and in the 185-200 range.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Damien Cox is saying the Leafs have interest in Sam Gagner.

The Leafs must be trying to monopolize the small center market!

43.8% faceoff win% (2nd most faceoffs on Oilers). Team worst -17. He can score some.

On his own, doesn't make much sense to me on the basis of need. We have plenty of little/lightish speedy guys who can score something close enough to Gagner.

Maybe as part of something coming back in a bigger deal where we send them a center and get a fair sized winger/center back ... (one can dream ... but I can't figure out something quickly that they have, makes sense or is realistic)

I heard somewhere that that Taylor Hall guy is pretty good. More seriously though, I would think that anyone that Edmonton would want to trade out of there, the Leafs would not really be interested in. Unless of course they want to trade Eberle or Hemsky, which I'm sure they don't.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

If the Leafs really have interest in Gagner then it means that Connolly is out for much longer than we thought.

 

[cw]

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/10/06/nystrom-on-waivers-in-minnesota/
There?s also the usual speculation out of Toronto that the Leafs are sniffing around Oilers? forward Sam Gagner as a top six guy, but Gagner is probably out several more weeks with a high ankle sprain. When he does return, the Oilers will have too many top 9 guys, however, so something has to give numbers-wise. Gagner, who lives in Oakville, outside of Toronto, in the summer months, is a 45-50 point player.

Would the Oilers deal him? Maybe. But it would have to be for a top 3 defenceman, you would think.

I wouldn't think that he's worth a top 3 dman. Maybe that's just me.

 

[bustaheims]

I wouldn't think that he's worth a top 3 dman. Maybe that's just me.

I wouldn't either. After 4 years in the league, I think I can safely say he's a pretty ordinary, small 2nd line centre. The Edmonton fans and media are pretty bad when it comes to over-rating the trade value of their players.

 

[maplesyrup]

Gunnarssson + not much else shold do it I would think and in spite of all Gagne's flaws, I'd be interested in making that deal.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Gunnarssson + not much else shold do it I would think and in spite of all Gagne's flaws, I'd be interested in making that deal.

A year or two ago I would have done that, but not now. Gagner hasn't been able to take that next step when he should have. I'd do a Bozak-Gagner swap, but I'm not sure why Edmonton would.

 

[maplesyrup]

Pardon all the grammar errors today by the way... I'm bad to begin with but I'm on a tiny little lap-top today.

 

[Number 5]

Pardon all the grammar errors today by the way... I'm bad to begin with but I'm on a tiny little lap-top today.

No worries. The grammar function on those small ones is flaky.

 

[maplesyrup]

Pardon all the grammar errors today by the way... I'm bad to begin with but I'm on a tiny little lap-top today.

No worries. The grammar function on those small ones is flaky.

There isn't one... Really.

 

[bustaheims]

A year or two ago I would have done that, but not now. Gagner hasn't been able to take that next step when he should have. I'd do a Bozak-Gagner swap, but I'm not sure why Edmonton would.

Edmonton would get a little bigger down the middle (though, not drastically), significantly improvement on the draw (Gagner is pretty bad there), possibly improve defensively (Bozak's -29 is not an encouraging number, but, I don't think it was representative of his defensive play) with sacrificing much offence. I'm not sure I make that move from the Leafs' perspective, to be honest. Gagner may be a little more valuable in the trade market, but, Bozak's the better fit for the Leafs right now.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Edmonton would get a little bigger down the middle (though, not drastically), significantly improvement on the draw (Gagner is pretty bad there), possibly improve defensively (Bozak's -29 is not an encouraging number, but, I don't think it was representative of his defensive play) with sacrificing much offence. I'm not sure I make that move from the Leafs' perspective, to be honest. Gagner may be a little more valuable in the trade market, but, Bozak's the better fit for the Leafs right now.

I think so too, although I have made my thoughts on Bozak relatively overt in a couple of threads. I just get the feeling that the real Bozak is about to stand up. I share the view that his plus/ minus is not indicative of what he can do and that it was more about some of Kessel's short comings in that department in the first half of the season and another part that he was just thrust into that role and expected to spend more time on setting Kessel up and scoring himself.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Does anybody else feel that the Leafs may go with Rosehill over Orr this year and Orr could find himself traded or on waivers? I kind of get the feeling that the Leafs coaches like what Rosehill brings in a hockey sense, more than Orr does, independent of fighting ability.

Other than that decision, when MacArthur comes back, I think the only other one is a decision on Kadri, because I don't think Frattin is losing his job, unless they like Kadri over Frattin. That is going to be a hard thing to decide from where I'm watching, Frattin has been just too good. Burke has certainly been bang on about this kid, as he is looking ready to skip the AHL and play in the "Bigs" to me.

 

[maplesyrup]

When the Gagner thing came up I was kind of mulling over Gunnarsson + one of either Orr or Rosehill.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

When the Gagner thing came up I was kind of mulling over Gunnarsson + one of either Orr or Rosehill.

Well, I think one of Orr or Rosehill has to go when Mac comes back, that much is obvious to most of us, but I just get the feeling that it might not be Rosehill by default. He's the easy choice, because Orr has kind of been a staple since he signed here, but I'm not sure the decision is sewn up for the coaching staff yet. I have no information, it's just a feeling I get.

 

[maplesyrup]

Yeah, there are still some key decisions to be made for sure. One of which will be with Gardiner. Heeping him pas 9 or 10 games (whatever it is) burns a year of his deal, correct? I'm not sure which way to go with that if that's the case.

 

[bustaheims]

Yeah, there are still some key decisions to be made for sure. One of which will be with Gardiner. Heeping him pas 9 or 10 games (whatever it is) burns a year of his deal, correct? I'm not sure which way to go with that if that's the case.

Gardiner's not junior eligible, so, the only important number with him is 40 - if he's on the Leafs NHL roster for 40 or more games, it counts as a season towards free agency. He burns a year of his contract whether he's with the Leafs or the Marlies.

 

[maplesyrup]

Yeah, there are still some key decisions to be made for sure. One of which will be with Gardiner. Heeping him pas 9 or 10 games (whatever it is) burns a year of his deal, correct? I'm not sure which way to go with that if that's the case.

Gardiner's not junior eligible, so, the only important number with him is 40 - if he's on the Leafs NHL roster for 40 or more games, it counts as a season towards free agency. He burns a year of his contract whether he's with the Leafs or the Marlies.

Ah. Thanks.

 

[cw]

Does anybody else feel that the Leafs may go with Rosehill over Orr this year and Orr could find himself traded or on waivers? I kind of get the feeling that the Leafs coaches like what Rosehill brings in a hockey sense, more than Orr does, independent of fighting ability.

Other than that decision, when MacArthur comes back, I think the only other one is a decision on Kadri, because I don't think Frattin is losing his job, unless they like Kadri over Frattin. That is going to be a hard thing to decide from where I'm watching, Frattin has been just too good. Burke has certainly been bang on about this kid, as he is looking ready to skip the AHL and play in the "Bigs" to me.

I continue to wonder about Orr's health from reportedly a nasty concussion. It's probably hard for them to discuss in the media because he's more vulnerable to concussion problems as an enforcer. I suspect that is a chunk of what is going on. Orr was a -1 last season - not a big liability before he got hurt beyond the opportunity cost of playing him when they didn't need to dress an enforcer.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I continue to wonder about Orr's health from reportedly a nasty concussion. It's probably hard for them to discuss in the media because he's more vulnerable to concussion problems as an enforcer. I suspect that is a chunk of what is going on. Orr was a -1 last season - not a big liability before he got hurt beyond the opportunity cost of playing him when they didn't need to dress an enforcer.

So how do you see this playing out on Sunday, when Mac is good to go again? One of them is leaving.