Speculation: According to Mirtle/Siegel Leafs were trying the sign Derek Ryan on July 1st.

[ninetyone]

I listened to that podcast as well. Jonas was pretty clear that he'd heard the Ryan rumours AND that Dubas told Ryan's agent that IF they didn't get Tavares, they wanted him. Gotta love the clarity/openness in communication from Dubas - I know he's golden-boy and it's overdone (and annoys other fan bases to no end), but this is a special executive the Leafs have.

I also don't think deHaan makes Gardiner expendable.

I think it's as simple as asset accumulation/management as @AppsSyl mentioned earlier in the thread.

I'm sure there's a lot of dialog between Babcock and Dubas but I doubt Dubas has ANY SAY on who plays where, I think that's ALL Babs.

 

[Brown Dog]

I think OP raises some interesting questions. Specifically, I'm very curious to see what Dubas has in mind for Gardiner.

I can't imagine an asset management guy like Dubas is keen on seeing Gardiner walk for nothing as a UFA next year--especially after losing JVR, Bozak, Komarov, and Polak that way this year. But Garinder is almost certain to be a cap casualty unless he is willing to add in for less than market value.

So a trade is coming? But we need Gardiner for this year. And I can't see Dubas being content with futures when our D needs help ad it is with Gardiner.

If Gardiner was willing to take a discount to stay, wouldn't they have a deal done by now? Makes you wonder if Dubas is shopping Gardiner hard for another defender--maybe one who is signed reasonably beyond this coming year?

 

[jrgtml67]

Lol..these fantasy lines are hilarious. All centers on one line ?

The PP will start..

Matthew's, JT, Hyman, Marner, Rielly

Nylander, Kadri, Marleau, Brown, Gardiner.

I suspect theyll try Marner with JT and Babs likes 2 centers on each PP unit. Hyman puck hound or put Marleau their (1st unit). Second one you have 2 faceoff guys Nylander, Kadri, Marleau the point man passer Brown puck hound and Jake. Or they keep Matthew's unit from last yr and go

Jt Kadri Marner Brown Jake/Rielly.

 

[jrgtml67]

I think OP raises some interesting questions. Specifically, I'm very curious to see what Dubas has in mind for Gardiner.

I can't imagine an asset management guy like Dubas is keen on seeing Gardiner walk for nothing as a UFA next year--especially after losing JVR, Bozak, Komarov, and Polak that way this year. But Garinder is almost certain to be a cap casualty unless he is willing to add in for less than market value.

So a trade is coming? But we need Gardiner for this year. And I can't see Dubas being content with futures when our D needs help ad it is with Gardiner.

If Gardiner was willing to take a discount to stay, wouldn't they have a deal done by now? Makes you wonder if Dubas is shopping Gardiner hard for another defender--maybe one who is signed reasonably beyond this coming year?

Why? Hes an RFA (Jake) no rush there. Also look at him and Riellys totals over 2 seasons Jake is better slightly due to super plus minus in 2016 2017.

Jake is way way better than most think. If he played on any other team we would be saying to trade for him. But when you watch a lot of games hes a finger nail biting guy to watch. He either makes a magical long pass or makes a huge mistake. Babcock said it best...hes real good sometimes you just scratch your head.

 

[rent free]

Nylander would only play center if the leafs didn't sign a top 9 center, so signing Ryan instead of Tavares would have meant nylander plays on the wing, like he will be this upcoming season.

I don't think Gardiner would have been on the trading block if the leafs signed de haan. The leafs defense needs to be upgraded and trading gardener after signing Calvin would have left the leafs with a hole in their top 4, like they has this past season and coming into this season. If they signed him it's to strengthen the blue line, not to replace someone who the team views as valuable.

Apparently Ryan is like bozak. He puts up points but is weak defensively.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

But we did get Tavares so why do you care?

 

[I am Canadian]

I think Tavares signing was the end of Nylander as a center.

 

[indigobuffalo]

Gardiner is coming off a 50+ point season.

Why on Earth would Dubas want to trade him?

GMs are tasked with making decisions based on the big picture. Not a single game 7 performance.

Gardiner isn’t a choke artist either. He’s had big clutch performances in make-or-break games.

Just accept that he is staying...

 

[skacore]

I've only ever heard Dubas praise Gardiner, I really doubt he's as available as some of you seem to think.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Gardiner is a great 2nd pair dman. We just have fans that expect every dman to play like Lidstrom or they're garbage.

 

[Sypher04]

I think you have to try your damndest to convince Gardiner to take in the ballpark of Rielly money.

I don't think it happens, but that's gotten be the play.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I think you have to try your damndest to convince Gardiner to take in the ballpark of Rielly money.

I don't think it happens, but that's gotten be the play.

And if he doesn't, trade him. Can't have another guy walking at the end of the year for nothing.

 

[ottomaddox]

Why? Hes an RFA (Jake) no rush there. Also look at him and Riellys totals over 2 seasons Jake is better slightly due to super plus minus in 2016 2017.

Jake is way way better than most think. If he played on any other team we would be saying to trade for him. But when you watch a lot of games hes a finger nail biting guy to watch. He either makes a magical long pass or makes a huge mistake. Babcock said it best...hes real good sometimes you just scratch your head.

What? Gardiner is a UFA working towards his *1st UFA contract. He'll be 29 years old next July. He'll want to be paid. He'd be a fool to take less from TOR.

 

[ottomaddox]

Gardiner is coming off a 50+ point season.

Why on Earth would Dubas want to trade him?

GMs are tasked with making decisions based on the big picture. Not a single game 7 performance.

Gardiner isn’t a choke artist either. He’s had big clutch performances in make-or-break games.

Just accept that he is staying...

You talk as though some of us are only referring to a game 7 performance. Jake Gardiner has a body of work that is as inconsistent as they come. Big nights/bad nights/super soft - that is Jake Gardiner.

Perhaps there's a slim possibility that Dubas was hoping to sign De Haan and play him in the right side. I just don't know what else this means other then TOR moving on from Jake Gardiner.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Gardiner is coming off a 50+ point season.

Why on Earth would Dubas want to trade him?

GMs are tasked with making decisions based on the big picture. Not a single game 7 performance.

Gardiner isn’t a choke artist either. He’s had big clutch performances in make-or-break games.

Just accept that he is staying...

I don't want to pay Gardiner 6+ on a long term deal - do you?

 

[Erndog]

If they got CDH, could have even flipped Rielly over to right side (as he has played in the past and several suggestions out there).

CDH-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Hainsey

May have been a thing.

 

[X66]

This reminds me when we were interviewing Boucher, and got Babcock instead.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Any astute management team should always have a contingency plan in place.

 

[Spirit of 67]

I don't see it.

I think he's a bit over paid as it is. And we were gonna pay more?

Doubt it.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Title is false. The Leafs were not trying to sign Derek Ryan July 1st as they already knew Tavares was committed and were in the process of working out a contract.

 

[ottomaddox]

Title is false. The Leafs were not trying to sign Derek Ryan July 1st as they already knew Tavares was committed and were in the process of working out a contract.

Not sure what this means. Why would Ryan's name even be mentioned if there wasn't a point to be made. It's true that signing Derek Ryan never happened, but the point they were making was that plan 1A shifted once Tavares was signed.

 

[Jmo89]

You talk as though some of us are only referring to a game 7 performance. Jake Gardiner has a body of work that is as inconsistent as they come. Big nights/bad nights/super soft - that is Jake Gardiner.

Perhaps there's a slim possibility that Dubas was hoping to sign De Haan and play him in the right side. I just don't know what else this means other then TOR moving on from Jake Gardiner.

Personally I think the interest in CDH means Dubas was more likely to keep Gardiner. I think the preference is to have Rielly, Gardiner, and Dermott on the left, but if you were able to get CDH for free (only cap) then maybe you consider moving one of them to the right for a couple seasons until you either find a better dman in free agency or through trade.

Free is free, and I'd argue it's better to keep assets and move a dman to his offside than it is to lose assets and gain an rhd - assuming the dman being acquired is your basic top 4 guy and not a stud (in which case giving up assets is probably better.)

We will probably be seeing this defence for at least one more year unless an opportunistic trade comes along.

 

[DarkKnight]

I don't think this organization has ever been sold on Nylander as a center. Seems pretty clear.

 

[Brown Dog]

Why? Hes an RFA (Jake) no rush there. Also look at him and Riellys totals over 2 seasons Jake is better slightly due to super plus minus in 2016 2017.

Jake is way way better than most think. If he played on any other team we would be saying to trade for him. But when you watch a lot of games hes a finger nail biting guy to watch. He either makes a magical long pass or makes a huge mistake. Babcock said it best...hes real good sometimes you just scratch your head.

I love Jake! I just don't see how we can afford him after next year if he wants a fair market contract. He'll be UFA.

 

[therealkoho]

Leafs could have signed Dehaan, but doubt they wanted to commit to that cap hit and that term.

Centers if we missed in Tavares would have been:

Matthews
Nylander
Kadri
Ryan

there is no league anywhere on this planet or any other that Nylander plays ahead of Kadri