Mess
Global Moderator
I'd take both as that is the best outcome and you could combine the free and trade assets together as the cost of acquisition.
Leafs would add Stamkos and Johansen for the trading cost of RyJo only.
If you add only Stammer then you are dealing with an extreme cap hit and without outgoing assets it makes cap management more difficult.
If you add only Ryan Johansen then you have dealt prime rebuild assets and the advantage to your team realized is the differential value only between what is going out and coming in (ie Kadri, Gardner & high pick).
So you have to go big or go home to get the best & biggest bang for your buck.
However that is all simply theoretical as the asking price for Johansen from the Leafs would require Nylander, Marner or Rielly to be included and that likely makes it a NO-Go. Stamkos would prefer to stay in TB and still a strong probability of that happening.
So NONE is the outcome I'm expecting.
Leafs would add Stamkos and Johansen for the trading cost of RyJo only.
If you add only Stammer then you are dealing with an extreme cap hit and without outgoing assets it makes cap management more difficult.
If you add only Ryan Johansen then you have dealt prime rebuild assets and the advantage to your team realized is the differential value only between what is going out and coming in (ie Kadri, Gardner & high pick).
So you have to go big or go home to get the best & biggest bang for your buck.
However that is all simply theoretical as the asking price for Johansen from the Leafs would require Nylander, Marner or Rielly to be included and that likely makes it a NO-Go. Stamkos would prefer to stay in TB and still a strong probability of that happening.
So NONE is the outcome I'm expecting.