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

[BackPassChampions]

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.

...And look at the mess mr.Nonis has caused here. You really want to go down this road...?

 

[Ovate]

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.

Columbus didn't retain salary for 7 years on Rick Nash.

 

[Sonic Disturbance]

****ing bull**** deal. Second time we get hosed in a trade involving Kessel. I am furious right now.

Kapanen = good prospect with second-line potential but he's more of what we already have --> small, skilled top-6 forwards (and as of now wingers - no guarantees at center yet) in Marner and Nylander + a bunch of the other small skill guys we drafted like Bracco etc.

Harrington = Defensive D-man who I honestly don't see as more than a #5.

Late 1st = Probably going to be around ~25th overall now unless Pittsburgh has a slew of injuries or chokes horribly.

Spaling = third liner

3rd = Late 3rd (~85 overall)

AND we give up a 2nd. WTF.

Not even Pouliot. No "A" level pieces. A bunch of B and C level pieces.

 

[Macman]

I'm thrilled. The Leafs just rid themselves of a moping, sulking anchor and his ridiculous contract. I loved Harrington as a junior but haven't a clue how he's doing now. Love the 1st. Kapanen, who knows? Doesn't really matter. Getting rid of Phil and his contract was a priority for this team going forward.

 

[Looney Toonies]

This is HFBoards. Of course!

We do have Hunter, that second could be Weber, Subban, Keith...

 

[tml19]

I actually like the deal.
Kappenen,Harrington+1st round pick =Kessel
Those are the main pieces in the deal.
To add on
Spaling +3rd =2nd + Erixon + Biggs.
Biggs and Erixon will never become anything and i dont mind moving down 30 spots for a hometown young kid that plays a Babcock type of game in Spaling.
As for retaining on Kessel. For the next 2-4 years the cap space is irrelevent as we are rebuilding. After that the cap limit will rise and 1.25M will be a much lesser amount. Thats why IMO the rettaining and small loss on the side deal involving the 2nd and 3rd arent worth dropping the deal over.

 

[notdoneyet]

Again..people keep making these comparison of Evander Kane, Lucic etc. but those guys were not on a 7 year term!! If Kessel had a 3 or 4 year term, we'd get a much better return.

Not only on a 7 year term but only a list of 8 teams to be traded to

 

[Completelybroke]

You have this feeling, that this is the year Kessel gets injured badly. Will be out of the season with a torn ACL or something.

 

[Mitchy]

Can't believe we couldn't get Pouliot, or at the very least have Kunitz and/or Sutter added to the deal.

 

[Menzinger]

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

The one big positive of today is the Kessel trade is likely the death blow to Bozaks time in Toronto.hoping he is booted out next.

 

[Kbs]

****ing bull**** deal. Second time we get hosed in a trade involving Kessel. I am furious right now.

Kapanen = good prospect with second-line potential but he's more of what we already have --> small, skilled top-6 forwards (and as of now wingers - no guarantees at center yet) in Marner and Nylander + a bunch of the other small skill guys we drafted like Bracco etc.

Harrington = Defensive D-man who I honestly don't see as more than a #5.

Late 1st = Probably going to be around ~25th overall now unless Pittsburgh has a slew of injuries or chokes horribly.

Spaling = third liner

3rd = Late 3rd (~85 overall)

AND we give up a 2nd. WTF.

And we retained salary.

 

[Pi]

Marner
Nylander
Rielly
Kapanen
2016 1sts
2017 1st(s)

That's what we have to work with. We are going to be terrible next year. Probably 2.25 goals per game bad.

One of Matthews, Pulj, Chych would give us a fantastic core.

The return was underwhelming but at least we aren't saying we will rebuild and turn around and sign players to make the playoffs.

We are going to get even worse before October. We will draft a stud next year. The next Doughty or someone as good or better than Eichel.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Columbus didn't retain salary for 7 years on Rick Nash.

Yea that 1.2 million will kill us.

 

[Drew75]

I'm not a fan the deal, But finding the reaction here a little bi-polar

Yesterday people were livid there hadn't been a trade, now they're livid there was a trade, and they are are comparing the return of a polarizing, $8 x 7 contract vs 1 year deals with 50percent retained - that's just silly.

Kessel had a huge contract that was going to be brutally hard to move. I'm not thrilled with giving up a 2nd or retaining - but at least this shows that Leaf brass is doing what's needed (a rebuild) - and none of this hybrid crap.

 

[MLG Ghost]

We usually disagree. So when we agree. It must be the truth. Not a great deal by any means.

Price you pay for not hiring an experienced GM.

Maybe it's the price you pay for having an experienced GM who didn't have patience to rebuild properly or the foresight to see that making the original trade for Kessel had potential to go bad. Thanks Burkie.


I am hoping for a lottery pick again next year, so for me it's a good day for the cause. Let's see how Phil does next year; it's not like there won't be any pressure on him as Pittsburgh is clearly going for it one last time before Sid goes into decline.

 

[realgoodleafs]

Not only on a 7 year term but only a list of 8 teams to be traded to

Most of which had no cap space.

 

[67Cup]

Well, I would rather have Seguin and Hamilton... or even just one of them. But neither is coming here now and given the contract and the circumstance, this is OK. Not great but OK.

In retrospect the draft day deal that brought Biggs here was a mistake so two mistakes are cleared up simultaneously. Actually, Biggs might show more in a new system but the guy still has to become an AHL regular let alone an NHLer.

 

[rdogg]

So the Leafs still have a 2nd round pick next year, right?

Because we traded Winik to PIT for a 2nd... so does that mean we sent that same 2nd back to PIT?

 

[thewave]

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.

Ya we would buy him out instead.

 

[Crysis]

****ing bull**** deal. Second time we get hosed in a trade involving Kessel. I am furious right now.

Kapanen = good prospect with second-line potential but he's more of what we already have --> small, skilled top-6 forwards (and as of now wingers - no guarantees at center yet) in Marner and Nylander + a bunch of the other small skill guys we drafted like Bracco etc.

Harrington = Defensive D-man who I honestly don't see as more than a #5.

Late 1st = Probably going to be around ~25th overall now unless Pittsburgh has a slew of injuries or chokes horribly.

Spaling = third liner

3rd = Late 3rd (~85 overall)

AND we give up a 2nd. WTF.

PHIL KESSEL DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF VALUE IN THIS LEAGUE.

THE ONLY REASON WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE HIM IS BECAUSE OF THE VERY WEAK UFA FORWARD MARKET AND PITT WANTING TO GO ALL IN BEFORE CROSBY AND MALKIN ARE DONE.

Sorry for caps but this is getting crazy.

 

[Ovate]

Yea that 1.2 million will kill us.

What would a competitive team pay for an extra 1.2 in cap space? A decent amount. And we will be competitive by the end of Kessel's contract.

Plus, we're using up a retention slot.

 

[Paradoc]

Bull**** return, but whatever. At least we have a chance to get Matthews/Chychrun.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

The return is fine. We needed to dump Kessel to move forward and there were only a handful of teams in the league capable of eating his contract.

 

[Tak7]

Really underwhelming return.

Pittsburgh gets: Phil Kessel + salary retention, a 2nd round pick, AND keeps both Maata + Pouliot? How are they not super giddy right now?

 

[Leafsman]

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.

This is a rebuild!!! you can't assess this trade right now! they got a top scorer we got potential. we need to realize that potential before we can judge.

We needed future potential and not a current non-fitting scorer.

We got what we needed! You're disappointed because your expectations are unfounded and short-sighted.