Can the Leafs afford to wait for Liljegren and Sandin?

[DarkKnight]

It shows Sandin on the roster for the Marlies but he has not played a game. Is he injured?

Yes.

 

[34]

There is a chance they could be up next season. They both looked great in training camp.

 

[Not My Tempo]

Sign a short term top pair defenseman? Sounds easy.

Leafs cannot afford to lose Gardiner. people around here are so fickle. The guy logs big minutes and is a stud offensively. I'd take his production over the odd defensive gaf any day.

I agree, I want them to get Gardiner signed, however the reality is that if Nylander, Matthews and Marner get what we think they’re going to get, Gardiner is all but gone. There just isn’t cap space to sign him.

 

[Faltorvo]

Sign a short term top pair defenseman? Sounds easy.

Leafs cannot afford to lose Gardiner. people around here are so fickle. The guy logs big minutes and is a stud offensively. I'd take his production over the odd defensive gaf any day.

we know where our cap is, that is why Gards walks, we can't carry him at 6.5/7m per, we just can't

 

[smitty10]

I agree, I want them to get Gardiner signed, however the reality is that if Nylander, Matthews and Marner get what we think they’re going to get, Gardiner is all but gone. There just isn’t cap space to sign him.

That's why I made this thread. There's no money for him on a long term deal and he's almost certainly not going to sign short term. Plus, do you want Gardiner on a 6 or 7 year deal? It would look bad very quickly, IMO.

 

[Leafling]

Sign a short term top pair defenseman? Sounds easy.

Leafs cannot afford to lose Gardiner. people around here are so fickle. The guy logs big minutes and is a stud offensively. I'd take his production over the odd defensive gaf any day.

I kinda agree here, i think people are not focusing on him at all with this nylander fiasco. I don't think the management wants to loose gardiner, one can even argue that currently he is of similar value to this team than Nylander. Ideally i hope we can keep both, but that seems unlikely.

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

I agree, I want them to get Gardiner signed, however the reality is that if Nylander, Matthews and Marner get what we think they’re going to get, Gardiner is all but gone. There just isn’t cap space to sign him.

Which is why i feel the time to trade Nylander is now. Acquiring top four defensman of Jake Gardiners calibre is next to impossible. The money on this team needs to be dispersed among the offence and defense. Guys like Kapanen, Grundstrom, Bracco, Brooks, Timashov, will have to fill in the gaps. Its clear as day that the Leafs defense is the issue. Removing Gardiner does absolutely nothing but set this team back. We have seen what happens when we lose Nylander, and its not bad at all.

Trade Nylander for young futures, that havnt yet broken into the league. Buys us some time to develop some defense and keep the current defense core together. There are teams licking their chops to get at either Gardiner or Nylander. Losing Gardiner for nothing, hurts a hell of a lot more then losing Nylander for some quality assets.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

I hope they are the third pair to start next year.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Which is why i feel the time to trade Nylander is now. Acquiring top four defensman of Jake Gardiners calibre is next to impossible. The money on this team needs to be dispersed among the offence and defense. Guys like Kapanen, Grundstrom, Bracco, Brooks, Timashov, will have to fill in the gaps. Its clear as day that the Leafs defense is the issue. Removing Gardiner does absolutely nothing but set this team back. We have seen what happens when we lose Nylander, and its not bad at all.

Trade Nylander for young futures, that havnt yet broken into the league. Buys us some time to develop some defense and keep the current defense core together. There are teams licking their chops to get at either Gardiner or Nylander. Losing Gardiner for nothing, hurts a hell of a lot more then losing Nylander for some quality assets.

I'm hoping we can keep both but if that's not possible, there's something to be said for this. Every time I picture our D without Gardiner it's not pretty.

 

[smitty10]

Yes.

I thought Sandin was going to Sweden for the year?

 

[DarkKnight]

I thought Sandin was going to Sweden for the year?

Still with Marlies, but hurt.

This may be a minority view, but I though Sandman had a better camp than Lil, both were good, but he impressed me more, for that period anyways.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Trust the process...

 

[sxvnert]

With the Leafs current core of players can management afford to wait for Tim Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin to develop and come into the lineup or should they be looking to make a move for a proven player?

Of course there is the chance that one or both of them don't develop into NHL players. Also, Jake Gardiner's contract is up at the end of this year and a decision needs to be made about him.

What do the Leafs do regarding their defense?

Not waiting is a mistake from the past that shouldn't be repeated. Always keep first rounders and let youngsters develop.

 

[daveleaf]

Trading one of them would just be making the same mistakes they have in the past. Leafs may add a reliable veteran like a Hainsey that can give them a year or two in a top four role. Other than that they need to be built within. From my reading, they are saying that both players have top four promise-so wait for them.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

I hope they are the third pair to start next year.

Me too but let’s make sure we have a solid plan b

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

We can’t afford to swap them out for older defense of the same quality. We need their sweet, sweet ELCs.

 

[ITM]

Which is why i feel the time to trade Nylander is now. Acquiring top four defensman of Jake Gardiners calibre is next to impossible. The money on this team needs to be dispersed among the offence and defense. Guys like Kapanen, Grundstrom, Bracco, Brooks, Timashov, will have to fill in the gaps. Its clear as day that the Leafs defense is the issue. Removing Gardiner does absolutely nothing but set this team back. We have seen what happens when we lose Nylander, and its not bad at all.

Trade Nylander for young futures, that havnt yet broken into the league. Buys us some time to develop some defense and keep the current defense core together. There are teams licking their chops to get at either Gardiner or Nylander. Losing Gardiner for nothing, hurts a hell of a lot more then losing Nylander for some quality assets.

I've championed Gardiner a few times here, but with respect to replenishing position from within the organization, aren't we better positioned to address what Gardiner brings with Liljegren and/or Sandin than we are to replace what Nylander brings?

 

[Gary Nylund]

I've championed Gardiner a few times here, but with respect to replenishing position from within the organization, aren't we better positioned to address what Gardiner brings with Liljegren and/or Sandin than we are to replace what Nylander brings?

Well sure, they're Dmen after all. Gardiner might be more important to us than Nylander though considering how thin we are on D.

If we could trade Nylander today for an equivalent talent who played D instead of forward, would that make us a better team?

 

[smitty10]

I've championed Gardiner a few times here, but with respect to replenishing position from within the organization, aren't we better positioned to address what Gardiner brings with Liljegren and/or Sandin than we are to replace what Nylander brings?

In the mid-term, yes. They will take time to develop into top 4 guys if they ever make it.

However, in the short-term Nylander is more replaceable. We are without him right now and doing fine. We'd be much better with him, but surviving without him. I don't think we could get by without Gardiner or a similar player for 2-3 years.

 

[I Believe]

We're probably gonna need good ELC talent once the big 4 are signed.

 

[Tak7]

For decades, this team traded away youth for a win now mentality, and it cost them badly.

Now that they are finally good, is this even a serious question?

Of course they can afford to bloody wait. This team isn't trying to win a cup this season, but to challenge over several seasons.

They aren't winning one this season regardless - they aren't close yet.

 

[member 157595]

Which is why i feel the time to trade Nylander is now. Acquiring top four defensman of Jake Gardiners calibre is next to impossible. The money on this team needs to be dispersed among the offence and defense. Guys like Kapanen, Grundstrom, Bracco, Brooks, Timashov, will have to fill in the gaps. Its clear as day that the Leafs defense is the issue. Removing Gardiner does absolutely nothing but set this team back. We have seen what happens when we lose Nylander, and its not bad at all.

Trade Nylander for young futures, that havnt yet broken into the league. Buys us some time to develop some defense and keep the current defense core together. There are teams licking their chops to get at either Gardiner or Nylander. Losing Gardiner for nothing, hurts a hell of a lot more then losing Nylander for some quality assets.

I cannot get on board with moving Nylander for futures alone. He's simply too good to trade for pennies on the dollar.

I don't see how trading Nylander without receiving a reasonably young, cost-controlled, proven top 4 RHD as part of the return makes sense for us.

 

[Peiskos]

I can see at least one of them up full time next season.

 

[francis246]

we need to resign gardiner and also get a RHD. Dubas make it happen

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

An emphatic yes. Why everyone acts like this our one and only year to contend I’ll never know.