What will Toronto do about it's defense?

[hullsy47]

Develop from within.

if u can develop them like dermott ....hes a beauty

 

[The Caveman]

Reilly, Gards and Dermott are the same style of player. If Borgman can be a a 3rd pairing LHD next year, then it makes sense to trade Gards to a team that needs a LHD puck mover, and would trade us back a RHD. Give Lilli another year on the Marlies and in 2 years bring him in. Hopefully Zaitsev gets back to form next year, Hansey goes down to 3rd pairing and is replaced my Lilli in 2 years when his contract is up.

Reilly - XXX
Dermott- Zaitsev
Borgman- Hainsey

 

[Barilko14]

3 cups??

That’s only like 40 percent of cap. That would be fine

0 cups since they had two $10M players.

 

[Legion34]

0 cups since they had two $10M players.

And we have had zero cups without any.

Pitt won with high percentage of cap so did Chicago. 10 million of an 80 million cap is the 8 million of the 60’million cap. It can be done.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I want Hainsey to take Human Growth Hormone and be a Leaf for another decade !

 

[HamiltonNHL]

What...No Hainsey?

exactly.

This must be pretty far off.

 

[LeafFever]

0 cups since they had two $10M players.

Don't give 10.5 million to such a limited offensive player like Toews is the answer. He has 1 70 point season.

 

[biotk]

No way lou brings up Lilly and takes up an expansion draft spot

Huh? AHL and NHL time count the exact same for expansion draft exemption status. So whether Liljegren is playing in the AHL or NHL makes no difference. Assuming it is summer of 2019 he would be exempt regardless of which league he is playing in (as would Rosen and Borgman), but Dermott would need protection (if the expansion draft is the summer of 2020 Liljegren, Rosen and Borgman would no longer be exempt).


They would only be able to protect 3 of (if still in the organization): Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, Zaitsev, Hainsey, Carrick, Polak, Holl, Nielsen, Marincin, Valiev.​

 

[613Leafer]

Carlson could be a very very good fit. Top pairing RHD at age 28, would really fill the main hole on the roster.

We wouldn't have an elite #1D like Doughty, Karlsson, etc. But we'd have a pretty solid group. If we could get him, and a more defensive 3rd line C, I think we're a very solid team for years to come.

Caphit for Carlson obviously matters, and there's also limited reason to expect us to be a top choice for him, aside from a great fit to contend for the Cup over 5+ years if he comes here.

I'd also look into moving Gardiner, can't see us keeping him with Rielly/Zaitsev signed, and the emergence of Dermott.

 

[Liminality]

0 cups since they had two $10M players.

Pens won it in 2009 right after Crosby signed his contract that took up 17.3% of their cap. I think the year after that they signed Malkin to his contract which took up 15.34% of that years cap space.
Kings signed Kopitar to his contract in 2009, Doughty signed his in 2011 and in 2012 they won the cup.
It's doable when teams give their stars their long term contracts, the management just needs to manage the rest of the team carefully. (which I'd trust this team to do)

I think it'll be more interesting to see if Toronto tries to go the direction of giving bridge contracts to the younger players and pay more for them later. Would the Leafs sign Marner and Nylander to 5m a year contracts for 4 years? Would save some cap space in the shorter term and possibly manage to squeeze in a couple more million to a defender. You then run the risk of paying them something much bigger later on.

 

[7even]

Reilly, Gards and Dermott are the same style of player. If Borgman can be a a 3rd pairing LHD next year, then it makes sense to trade Gards to a team that needs a LHD puck mover, and would trade us back a RHD. Give Lilli another year on the Marlies and in 2 years bring him in. Hopefully Zaitsev gets back to form next year, Hansey goes down to 3rd pairing and is replaced my Lilli in 2 years when his contract is up.

Reilly - XXX
Dermott- Zaitsev
Borgman- Hainsey

I don't see Dermott in the mold of Rielly or Gards really at all. He plays his gaps tighter, steps up sooner, is more physical. His skating and puck skills are comparable to where they were at his age though

 

[Slyfox]

Resign Gardiner. Go after a rhd UFA. Maybe trade Zaitsev for someone cheaper and build from within. Hope Borgman, Rosen and the Russian dman step up.

 

[Legion34]

Huh? AHL and NHL time count the exact same for expansion draft exemption status. So whether Liljegren is playing in the AHL or NHL makes no difference. Assuming it is summer of 2019 he would be exempt regardless of which league he is playing in (as would Rosen and Borgman), but Dermott would need protection (if the expansion draft is the summer of 2020 Liljegren, Rosen and Borgman would no longer be exempt).


They would only be able to protect 3 of (if still in the organization): Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, Zaitsev, Hainsey, Carrick, Polak, Holl, Nielsen, Marincin, Valiev.​

No. Not now they dont. He is a junior age player who is here on a loan. Thats the exception. Nylander didn’t count last year.

 

[biotk]

No. Not now they dont. He is a junior age player who is here on a loan. Thats the exception. Nylander didn’t count last year.

Ok, well then even if he plays in the NHL next year he would still be exempted from the expansion draft in 2020, just as Nylander was from Vegas.

 

[Legion34]

Ok, well then even if he plays in the NHL next year he would still be exempted from the expansion draft in 2020, just as Nylander was from Vegas.

Yes. As long as it actually happens in 2020. Problem is they need to renovate the building. What happens if there are delays? You can’t Unring a bell so i would keep him down until it is official (season draft etc). That will be a year in advance.

Also. He has played 28 games in the Ahl. Not ready for full time duty. Bring him up
At 20 or 21

 

[biotk]

Yes. As long as it actually happens in 2020. Problem is they need to renovate the building. What happens if there are delays? You can’t Unring a bell so i would keep him down until it is official (season draft etc). That will be a year in advance.

Also. He has played 28 games in the Ahl. Not ready for full time duty. Bring him up
At 20 or 21

How about they bring him up when he is ready? I don't know when that will be, but there is a complete level of absurdity on here about keeping young players out of the NHL for alternative reasons. The last few years have shown that the NHL has increasingly become a younger players league, but plenty of posters care only about contract year slides and expansion draft protection slots.

He has played 29 games - more than Rielly or Werenski played in the AHL (regular season and playoffs) before they were brought up at the same age Lily will be next season. By the end of the season Liljegren will probably have played more games than Lindholm as well.

 

[Stephen]

I would try to re-invest the money they locked up in Zaitsev in Jake Gardiner by getting rid of Zaitsev and aggressively pursue a top 2 defense upgrade in the offseason.

 

[Fogelhund]

Carlson could be a very very good fit. Top pairing RHD at age 28, would really fill the main hole on the roster.

We wouldn't have an elite #1D like Doughty, Karlsson, etc. But we'd have a pretty solid group. If we could get him, and a more defensive 3rd line C, I think we're a very solid team for years to come.

Caphit for Carlson obviously matters, and there's also limited reason to expect us to be a top choice for him, aside from a great fit to contend for the Cup over 5+ years if he comes here.

I'd also look into moving Gardiner, can't see us keeping him with Rielly/Zaitsev signed, and the emergence of Dermott.

Agreed on pursuing Carlson, should he be available July 1st.

Not sure I'd be in a rush to move Gardiner though, until we are required to do so.

 

[Apotheosis]

Rielly, Dermott and Liljegren. That's all that matters.

 

[Barilko14]

Pens won it in 2009 right after Crosby signed his contract that took up 17.3% of their cap. I think the year after that they signed Malkin to his contract which took up 15.34% of that years cap space.
Kings signed Kopitar to his contract in 2009, Doughty signed his in 2011 and in 2012 they won the cup.
It's doable when teams give their stars their long term contracts, the management just needs to manage the rest of the team carefully. (which I'd trust this team to do)

I think it'll be more interesting to see if Toronto tries to go the direction of giving bridge contracts to the younger players and pay more for them later. Would the Leafs sign Marner and Nylander to 5m a year contracts for 4 years? Would save some cap space in the shorter term and possibly manage to squeeze in a couple more million to a defender. You then run the risk of paying them something much bigger later on.

IMO bridge contracts are terrible ideas for Marner/Nylander level players.

I only made a comment about Chicago winning 0 cups since the big contracts, wasn't really commenting on overall roster makeup.

 

[connormcmuffin]

All these lineups without Gardiner, I'll just ask...

No one is concerned that we write off a statistically perfect (advanced and traditional stats) defenseman in Gardiner for a statistically abhorrent one in Zaitsev?

Really well thought out plan here, HF consensus at it's finest.