TSN: Bob McKenzie on Insider Trading: Leafs have preliminary contract talks with Jake Muzzin

[ktownhockey]

Older in general, Muzzin older too but will not get term and cap hit like AP.

Different animals for sure.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Why are people trying to trade Dermott? He's immensely valuable to this team

Conversely I wonder why fans all hype him up and pencil him into the top 4 or top 2 when he's yet to show he can handle more than sheltered 3rd pairing minutes now into his 3rd season with the team.

 

[Pinto]

Conversely I wonder why fans all hype him up and pencil him into the top 4 or top 2 when he's yet to show he can handle more than sheltered 3rd pairing minutes now into his 3rd season with the team.

I agree with that. Still has potential and is very young but we haven’t really seen the progress I thought we would. I’d be fine with rolling Rielly-Muzzin-Sandin down the left side next year and revamping the RD.

 

[Superstar]

Pietrangelo will want more money and longer term and is older.

He probably wants close to Doughty money...the Leafs can't afford him.

 

[kk87]

I hope we can keep Muzzin short term at a reasonable price as well - I just can't fathom why anyone would pay a declining Muzzin twice as much as Dermott would likely command (or more) when Dermott should be the better player within a year or two. The only real knock on Dermott is that he hasn't been given more responsibility, which isn't on the player in the slightest. He's one of the best defensemen in the league in the neutral zone, and his elusiveness in his own zone under pressure is also really impressive. Besides the occasional gaffes that any young defender makes, he has the potential to be a really solid 2-way dman for us. I think he's already starting to show that this year.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I hope we can keep Muzzin short term at a reasonable price as well - I just can't fathom why anyone would pay a declining Muzzin twice as much as Dermott would likely command (or more) when Dermott should be the better player within a year or two. The only real knock on Dermott is that he hasn't been given more responsibility, which isn't on the player in the slightest. He's one of the best defensemen in the league in the neutral zone, and his elusiveness in his own zone under pressure is also really impressive. Besides the occasional gaffes that any young defender makes, he has the potential to be a really solid 2-way dman for us. I think he's already starting to show that this year.

Sorry I don't see it. I can't see Dermott ever becoming a Muzzin in the NHL.

 

[Duffman955]

3 years ideally

 

[Mickey Marner]

If we can get him to a Stralman-type contract (3y 5.5AAV) sure, but none of this long-term business.

 

[mapleleaf979]

3 years ideally

Agreed with 3 years. I wouldn't go over 5 million either. Dubas I worry goes 4-5 years @ 6 million plus. Muzzin is already a sluggish skater and is 31 in a few weeks. I didn't like the trade for Muzzin until the playoffs. He was excellent vs the Bruins. He is the only Leafs dman with grit, who can defend the cycle and lay some big open ice hits.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Who are the comparables that put Muzzin at <$6m cap hit?

 

[Voodoo Child]

The problem with packaging Dermott with Kapanen/Johnsson and a pick to get a good young RD is that teams tens to keep those guys, like Makar, Deangelo, Marino and Hronek is that teams want to keep these guys, but then you go a little older and we couldn't fit guys like Pulock into the cap.

It'd be more like that package maybe minus the pick and a slightly lesser forward and a good RD prospect.

I don't know about that.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

I can't see Dubas being this much of a jerk, but what if we signed Muzzin and Barrie to extensions before the end of the year, then traded them at the draft before the extensions kick in and any possible NTC/NMC.

You could get a bunch of assets, maybe aim for a similar return to what we gave up for Muzzin originally and then be fully stocked up going into July 1st looking for that elite RHD.

 

[OppositeLocK]

I can't see Dubas being this much of a jerk, but what if we signed Muzzin and Barrie to extensions before the end of the year, then traded them at the draft before the extensions kick in and any possible NTC/NMC.

You could get a bunch of assets, maybe aim for a similar return to what we gave up for Muzzin originally and then be fully stocked up going into July 1st looking for that elite RHD.

Lot of GMs won't and don't do that for good reason. Players will not want to sign with them with that in their history.

 

[horner]

Why are people trying to trade Dermott? He's immensely valuable to this team

Don't think he is immensely valuable to our team .
He's a 3rd pairing dman.
Hopefully he can replace in the dzone .

Was hoping for better out him .

 

[horner]

Conversely I wonder why fans all hype him up and pencil him into the top 4 or top 2 when he's yet to show he can handle more than sheltered 3rd pairing minutes now into his 3rd season with the team.

I agree

 

[francis246]

Why are people trying to trade Dermott? He's immensely valuable to this team

It’s how hockey works. Sometimes you have to turn your young assets into legit superstar players. No one is arguing that Dermott is bad. But if he can be used to get us a legit RHD I’m all for it.

 

[francis246]

Don't think he is immensely valuable to our team .
He's a 3rd pairing dman.
Hopefully he can replace in the dzone .

Was hoping for better out him .

till this day I’m still mad we didn’t choose Carlo. He was the better choice

 

[18leafsfan18]

Why are people trying to trade Dermott? He's immensely valuable to this team

The exact same reason that you think he is valuable, is why it would make sense to trade him.

You don't get good players for nothing, you have to trade something of value.

I'm all for trading him, if the return is appropriate (Solid defense first RHD).

 

[Buds17]

Not surprising the team would have interest in a new contract considering the trade they made for him. An eventual re-signing would mean a left shot defenceman is on the move though...either over or out. Don't see how he wouldn't then become the team's highest paid blueliner. Term could be the tougher part to hammer out.

 

[WTFMAN99]

3-4 years at 5.75-6M per is likely what you're looking at.

He also mentioned teams are coming to the Leafs saying "we have defenseman" and the Leafs are making calls, teams want Johnsson, Kerfoot or Kapanen back in return. Depending on the defenseman, they should do it.

 

[Confucius]

Pietrangelo will want more money and longer term and is older.

you forgot to add, and is better

 

[SprDaVE]

3 years for 6M would be good. A little more on the cap but short-term.

5 years you can probably get that down to 4M to 5M hopefully.

 

[LeafGrief]

I think people are going to be very, very surprised if they're expecting a Muzzin contract to come in under $5m with any term. Jake Gardiner was offered 3x$5.25m by the Habs and Muzzin is pretty clearly the better player. Only one year older than Gards and a rock solid physical presence, there would be a lot of demand for him. Stralman signed for 3x$5.5m at age 33. Faulk is younger, but signed a $6.5m deal. Trouba got $8m. Any dollar figure under $6m for Muzzin is a discount IMO and could go as high as $7m if the term is 3 years. He knows that this is his last big deal, so he'll probably be amenable to getting some term in exchange for cap hit, but I'll be gobsmacked if we get a 3 or 4 year deal at $5m or less.

I probably like Muzzin a lot more than average, but I'd be thrilled with him at 3x$6m or 4x$5.5m. If we let him walk, we have to trade assets for an equivalent player immediately. It would be best if we could clone him one or two times and put those guys on the blueline too.

 

[Warden of the North]

Anything with a dollar value exceeding 20m is probably bad for the team. This contract scares me quite a bit.

Maybe even as low as 18m

 

[Nithoniniel]

This needs to be short above all. I'd love to have Muzzin back, but he's got just a couple of years left in him.