Confirmed with Link: Kessel for Spaling, Harrington, Kapanen, 1st, 3rd (Leafs Retain 1.25M or $8.75m) )

[JacobimMugatu]

As a Leafs fan the only thing I don't like about the deal is sending Pitts a 2nd(if the 2nd was going the other way I'd be a fan of the deal for sure)
Taking into account:
A, Toronto NEEDED to move him (if Babcock didn't want Kessel)
B, There weren't many teams showing legitimate interest to create a bidding war

The Leafs were put into a bind where there was no way they would get the best return. It's like when the Canucks traded Kesler, the deal had to get done, and based on the same conditions, the return wasn't as great as it would have been under different circumstances.

I'm sure Pens fans are happy with the deal, but I'm happy as well. A move was necessary for the culture change with the Leafs, and imo it had to happen this offseason (and I like the prospects coming pack, although I was hoping for Pouliot)

 

[rrc1967]

Bozak will be needing to find somewhere else to live

LMAO - post of the day.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

bozak probably reports to pittsburgh's training camp with phil thinking no one will notice.

lol.

 

[KuleminFan41]

Lucic and Ryan O'reilly both got better deals.. and they have 1 year left on their contracts... Why are some of you so happy with this?

This is ridiculous, we shouldn't have retained anything with this crap return. On top of that we're giving a 2016 2nd round pick... lol screw this.

Because they suit their respected teams better and aren't worth 8 million in cap space? You fail to see that just like every other "fan" out there. It baffles me that people expected the Leafs to trade 8 million to any team and Kessel was never going to a bottom feeder club. Ryan O'Rielly can be a #1C on most teams , Lucic is a hard working power forward who's a proven winner and can put up points and both are paid less than Kessel even with retention

 

[Quares27]

Ya Bozak is 100% gone. Kessel is all he had to cling to

 

[Willie Oree]

It's not bad, No.

The timing is the main issue for me. And what could've been possible if we moved him at the next trade deadline.

We won't know now, But perhaps they wanted to turn the page quite badly.

If he didn't respond to babcock his trade value becomes miniscule. It was the right time to move him... The media would've murdered him.

 

[htpwn]

Worth noting we likely won't use the Pit 3rd.

We'll probably send it over to Detroit as the Babcock compensation instead of our 3rd.

That would mean we traded the (late) 2nd to Pittsburgh for in exchange for the ability to use our (probably early) 3rd.

 

[Woll Smoth]

Anyone else care more about the 2nd than Phil Kessel?

 

[Drew311]

I'll say it again, most people have no idea how much this salary retention can hurt us.

There's a pretty damn good reason you only see salary retention on contracts up to as long as maybe 3 years.

For 7 years is utter madness.

Would you rather have Kessel at 8M in his 30's?

 

[hfdshdh]

If you think that would be a bad return for just Kessel then you are completely delusional. He only has 8 teams he would accept a move to so already you've narrowed it down. Then narrow it down even more with how many teams actually want him. Then narrow it down even more with how many teams can actually fit him under the cap. Then take into account the Leafs clearly want to (or have to if the Shanahan/Babcock rumours are true) get rid of him. Then you're left with maybe 1 or 2 teams who know that they are the only teams that the Leafs can negotiate with and therefore can drive down the price.

Yep. If you want to blame management at all, blame Nonis/Loiselle/etc.

Based on all the Twitter chatter over the past few weeks, the Pens were really the only team with serious interest. Hunter/Dubas were basically handcuffed and still got a passable return.

 

[Ratboy]

Return is fine, a bunch of assets. This is more about culture change than anything.

 

[Bomber0104]

good observation ND

trading for him in the first place was in the top 5 worst trades we've made , moving him just helps the healing process

oh by the way , bumped into your favorite GM at the NHL awards in Vegas , you could hear the loud mouth over everyone else while he was talikng to Bob McCowan

Not sure if you realize who it is you're replying to but that poster was one of the biggest Kessel / Kessel-trade supporters on this forum for years...

 

[BackPassChampions]

So essentially we got 3 first rounders and a third round pick for Kessel. WIN for the Leafs. Were stocking up more an more on picks and young draftees!!

Shanahan is literally walking the walk. Just like he said he'd do.

In SHANAHAN we trust! GO LEAFS GO!

 

[HockeyAndWings]

For what the Leafs got, the Leafs didn't get enough, and the Leafs shouldn't have had to retain.

I'm assuming Leafs brass felt that Kessel's performance would only deteriorate from now, and that they had to move him sooner rather than later.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Worth noting we likely won't use the Pit 3rd.

We'll probably send it over to Detroit as the Babcock compensation instead of our 3rd.

doesn't the compensation need to be "our" third?

 

[Atomos2]

Now, we HAVE to fleece someone for Bozak and Phaneuf.

Honestly, after this trade, I'd rather we did nothing. Leafs management have proved that they are willing to be taken advantage of by other teams. I'm betting the returns will be ****. If Nonis was here, I doubt we'd be getting this ****ty return.

 

[Damisoph]

Surely Spaling will be worth a 2nd or 3rd at TD?

The more I think about the deal, the more I like it.

 

[notdoneyet]

And yet, the scouts watching the players in the jrs claim that he hasn't progressed at all since.

That's not true
He almost made the pens last year
He is a good prospect has a chance to be a top six player

All the moronic people on here thinking we would get another player
That has the same skill set as kessel in a trade

 

[Reddaye]

I always felt the Rick Nash trade was the comparable, and this wasn't too far off in the end.

Pittsburgh got the best player in the deal, which stands to reason. He's going to be dynamite playing with Crosby or Malkin. Amazing player who management failed to provide the correct pieces to allow him to excel. You're not playing Phil Kessel for stellar defensive play, you're paying him to score, and that's what he does very well. Getting a bit of salary retained is good as well.

Biggs is a total bust. Erixon is depth. Pitt get their 2nd back. This stuff is a bit of a wash to be honest.

The Leafs get back a package of pieces to fuel the rebuild. A first in 2016, and a 3rd adds more picks for Hunter to use. There's a remote chance that the 1st is a lottery pick, but I wouldn't bank on it. At the end of the day anyone with sense knew it would be the typical star player trade in the modern era: a package of decent pieces. Kapanen intrigues me, but I don't know enough to really comment.

I'm satisfied. Not overjoyed, but satisfied. Good luck to Phil in Pittsburgh. He was thrown under the bus in Toronto far too often. People will eat their words next season.

 

[BackPassChampions]

Return is fine, a bunch of assets. This is more about culture change than anything.

I agree!

 

[timlap]

Anyone else care more about the 2nd than Phil Kessel?

This is HFBoards. Of course!

 

[2badknees]

Great start. Now, trade JVR, Phaneuf, Bozak, and Gardiner.

 

[htpwn]

doesn't the compensation need to be "our" third?

Not according to:

Detroit will receive either 2015 TOR 3, 2016 TOR 3 or 2017 TOR 3 (or an alternate 3rd round pick in any of these years) at the discretion of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://www.generalfanager.com/teams/toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Jack Bauer]

Anyone else care more about the 2nd than Phil Kessel?

Nope because we have multiple 2nds thanks to trades with teams like Pittsburgh already.

 

[Chandrashekhar Limit]

No matter what the circumstances you don't trade your best player for this **** return. Notice how Buffalo traded Pomminville. We got ****ed so hard it's not even funny. Why would you give up a 2nd in this deal? WHY?

This team never ceases to disappoint.