Speculation: TDL - Is it time for Dubas to mortgage the future to bolster The Leafs?

[JT AM da real deal]

I wouldn't touch our first Rd pick this year .
There could be some good players that teams miss
With the way Dubas track record.

If we could guaranteed we could get Owen yes that pick will turn into a #1D likely in his 1st/2nd year in league ... those kinda 6ft5 mean *ss defenders with HUGE speed and shot who are completely unafraid of everyone else on ice (like a Prongs but faster) and contribute equally at both ends of ice ... those are RARE gems and foundational pieces like Matty ... seen that kid play for years in Mississauga .. but after him trust me this draft is garbage ... if we could pick then I would trade Rielly for that #1 pick but whoever ends up with it WILL NEVER make that trade ... these kinda guys maybe come around every 10-15 years

 

[Twine Tickler]

Don't see any big moves happening. I'd like to see smaller stuff happen, getting someone like Watson from the Sens would address a need. Would make sense going after players from the North Division who aren't going to make the playoffs.

that's exactly the type of move I'd look to make as well. Nothing that will cost much, and can plug into the lineup when the hockey gets tougher to play. the idea of mortgaging the future is just not a sustainable way to grow as an organization. You hardly win directly because of the acquisitions on July 1, and TDL . You win through continued success at the draft. I have a lot of faith in this scouting staff, given the drafting strategy and success over the last 2 years...and I see no reason why that would not continue, even in this weird developmental year. I hear a lot of people saying this year is a crap shoot due to not seeing players play etc... in my mind this is the exact year to throw as many picks on the board as possible. There are so many late risers in every draft that will stay put because of not playing. There will be guys that are undervalued due to their lack of playing in 2020-21. Guys value too highly because of their ability to play in 2020-21. This upcoming draft I bet will have more "steals" and more "busts" than most drafts just given the lack of data and variable surrounding that data. further, how much if any was Toronto's ametuer scouting budget cut due to covid??? now lets ask that same question for all remaining 30 (soon to be 31) teams....I would say we should have a significant more data to go off of for this year draft than most teams for that reason alone. In my mind you have to keep as many picks as possible. And if you have to give up picks, get a lower round pick in return with the player you acquire. ie. Dermott and a 2nd for player "X" and 4th, 5th. that would be my strategy

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Maybe it's Rielly who needs to go?

Don't be ridiculous

 

[Fogelhund]

If we could guaranteed we could get Owen yes that pick will turn into a #1D likely in his 1st/2nd year in league ... those kinda 6ft5 mean *ss defenders with HUGE speed and shot who are completely unafraid of everyone else on ice (like a Prongs but faster) and contribute equally at both ends of ice ... those are RARE gems and foundational pieces like Matty ... seen that kid play for years in Mississauga .. but after him trust me this draft is garbage ... if we could pick then I would trade Rielly for that #1 pick but whoever ends up with it WILL NEVER make that trade ... these kinda guys maybe come around every 10-15 years

I do wonder if Detroit gets that pick, if they'd consider moving Seider?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Don't see any big moves happening. I'd like to see smaller stuff happen, getting someone like Watson from the Sens would address a need. Would make sense going after players from the North Division who aren't going to make the playoffs.

I wouldn't be against that, I wanted him in the off season but I still want a David Savard or Adam Larsson, that would really stack the defense.

a top 6 LW is kind of needed too

 

[Fogelhund]

Don't be ridiculous

To be dismissive of looking at any, and every option is a failure of it's own. The reality is, Rielly isn't very good defensively, nor at stopping the cycle, nor at moving guys from the front of the net, nor is he physical. Yes, he's pretty great at most other things, and is wonderful offensively. It's ok to see both the good, and the bad with every player. When his characteristics, also perfectly match up with both the good, and the bad of the team, and the bad of the team has been their undoing... well, you've got to look at those things. If we don't succeed this year, that's got to be on the table at some point.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I wouldn't be against that, I wanted him in the off season but I still want a David Savard or Adam Larsson, that would really stack the defense.

a top 6 LW is kind of needed too

Savard would be a great pickup, I think he'd be a perfect add. I can't say I've seen a ton of Larsson the last few years but I've seen some Oilers fans say he needs a change of scenery which, to me, seems like a big red flag.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

To be dismissive of looking at any, and every option is a failure of it's own. The reality is, Rielly isn't very good defensively, nor at stopping the cycle, nor at moving guys from the front of the net, nor is he physical. Yes, he's pretty great at most other things, and is wonderful offensively. It's ok to see both the good, and the bad with every player. When his characteristics, also perfectly match up with both the good, and the bad of the team, and the bad of the team has been their undoing... well, you've got to look at those things. If we don't succeed this year, that's got to be on the table at some point.

Rielly is the #1 D man on this team he's not the guy you move.

 

[Fogelhund]

I wouldn't be against that, I wanted him in the off season but I still want a David Savard or Adam Larsson, that would really stack the defense.

a top 6 LW is kind of needed too

I would have loved a Savard/Larsson/Manson/Weegar type guy too. I'm just no longer sure how we fit such a guy in. You can't demote Brodie or Holl at this point... which means, they are third pairing? I don't know....

I think a different 3C might be more important than a top 6LW... We've got Mikheyev, Hyman and Roberston coming too... I think we'll be ok there.

 

[Fogelhund]

Rielly is the #1 D man on this team he's not the guy you move.

That's hardly a rational reason.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I would have loved a Savard/Larsson/Manson/Weegar type guy too. I'm just no longer sure how we fit such a guy in. You can't demote Brodie or Holl at this point... which means, they are third pairing? I don't know....

I think a different 3C might be more important than a top 6LW... We've got Mikheyev, Hyman and Roberston coming too... I think we'll be ok there.

LW is currently pretty thin it could use a boost, as for the defense, you fit a guy like Savard or Larsson in, if it means Holl has to go tothe 3rd pair, great, this team is trying to win a championship stack the defense

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

That's hardly a rational reason.

How many times has moving your #1 D man worked? It looks like Ottawa MIGHT get away with it but the VAST majority of the time it's a horrible idea

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

If it's for a winger or center that has some term (not interested in rentals unless its Hall for relatively cheap) I'd do it.

 

[Fogelhund]

How many times has moving your #1 D man worked? It looks like Ottawa MIGHT get away with it but the VAST majority of the time it's a horrible idea

The response being, how many teams have won the cup, with a #1D man, as defensively weak as Rielly, who also don't have a defensive stalwart pairing for them? Your thoughts of a Savard etc. shutdown physical guy, might have been the better partner for Mo... but at some point, we have to admit that never being able to find the right partner, to make up for his deficiencies, might be on Mo. Understand, I'm not saying we must trade him, or making plans to, but at some point, if this doesn't work out, it needs to be a consideration. If we can't win with him at $5 mil, having to pay him $7-8mil isn't going to work out too well either.

 

[Menzinger]

We were on pace to be able to add a player making more than $4.2M by the deadline before we had to put Thornton and Robertson on LTIR. Not sure how it'll shake out now, but we should definitely be able to add players making more than $2M.

The dream for me is that we have about $4M in deadline cap space, Buffalo is out of the playoff picture, and we trade for Taylor Hall.

Yep, folks forget teams. An retain as well. Dubas has already did this to make other trades work

 

[Menzinger]

How do you gain talent at the level that will be a difference maker when your team is at the cap? Difference makers tend to be paid well. How do you fit them under the cap when we are pretty much spending every penny we can already?

The team should have a couple million in space by the tdl, and then others can retain.

It doesn't have to be a stat quality player either. Just someone good enough to bump a depth guy like say Vesey down the lineu0

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't know about mortgaging the future, but yes Dubas needs to add a piece or 2 to this roster, this team sitting at the top of the league they need to find the piece that puts them over the top.

Their 1st round pick should absolutely be available.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I will say there is ONE rental I would mortgage the future for and that is Dougie Hamilton.

If Carolina struggles and he's available I'd go all out to get him because I think he's a difference maker, I think he'd put them over the top

 

[Fogelhund]

I will say there is ONE rental I would mortgage the future for and that is Dougie Hamilton.

If Carolina struggles and he's available I'd go all out to get him because I think he's a difference maker, I think he'd put them over the top

His effective cap hit, with 50% retained would be $669,181, on April 12th, this years trade deadline. WE might be able to fit that in. They are in a tough division, but currently they are 3rd in Win %, though it's such a small sample set. He would be a pretty solid addition.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

So we'll need to find good players on bad teams to bolster our grind/compete level.

First bad team in mind: Ottawa
Desired player that's probably available: Brown

Bring him home Dubas

 

[BlueBaron]

I want to see where we stand in a month or two. If we gel and the D gets better still we may not need much of anything beyond role players. I guess we can afford to spend a first this year but I think it's too soon to identify our exact needs.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I do wonder if Detroit gets that pick, if they'd consider moving Seider?

If Wings get it then Owen will love it ... he likes Wings and goes to school at Michigan ... it is a match made for 2 ... and Wings are set for next 15 years ... it has to be a team like Canes/CLB who are stacked on defense and would trade a Willy for an Owen but again we are dreaming here no one trades a generational D man for a winger ever

 

[Toronto makebeleifs]

If we can make the cap work without gutting the system I'd be intrigued. We're really limited in our abilities to move peices though, if we stay in the division to avoid the 2 week quarantine then we're only dealing with teams that are truly out of it. So far, outside of Ottawa, there's no-one you can absolutely write off. Then factor in affordability and having to move cap for cap while trying to get value back. Personally, I feel that pretty much all the moves this team was going to make have been done already this past off-season. If there's a move, it certainly will not be a blockbuster and almost certainly not be of 1st rd pick quality. Purely depth

 

[Fogelhund]

If Wings get it then Owen will love it ... he likes Wings and goes to school at Michigan ... it is a match made for 2 ... and Wings are set for next 15 years ... it has to be a team like Canes/CLB who are stacked on defense and would trade a Willy for an Owen but again we are dreaming here no one trades a generational D man for a winger ever

Maybe I explained it wrong. I'm wondering if the Wings do get first overall, and of course they'd draft and keep Owen Power... but then would they also keep Moritz Seider? Would they need two great RD, or maybe make a move to bring in a good LD, such as Rielly.. .A Mo for Mo swap... of course, we'd want Mo back than just Mo, but it could be a good hockey trade LT.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Maybe I explained it wrong. I'm wondering if the Wings do get first overall, and of course they'd draft and keep Owen Power... but then would they also keep Moritz Seider? Would they need two great RD, or maybe make a move to bring in a good LD, such as Rielly.. .A Mo for Mo swap... of course, we'd want Mo back than just Mo, but it could be a good hockey trade LT.

Sorry I did not clue in but yeah that would help both teams needs for sure ... we get a big strong 2 way defender with speed i like it ... I have not seen enough of him to know but a quick youtube watch in Germany ... our fans would go insane ... but CAP is gonna be an issue every year and that would help free up CAP $$$ for sure