Toggle sidebar

Speculation: Expansion draft - who are you protecting?

Status
Not open for further replies.

hockeywiz542

Registered User
May 26, 2008
15,920
4,990
Jared McCann gives the Maple Leafs a much-needed win to start the offseason - The Athletic

Expansion ramifications

With the expectation that Holl will be protected, it appears the Leafs will go with an eight-skater, one-goalie protection scheme for Wednesday’s expansion draft. (Joining Holl will presumably be Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, T.J. Brodie and Jack Campbell.)

That would leave McCann exposed alongside Kerfoot. Since it’s unlikely the Leafs would trade for McCann just to lose him to Seattle, it seems likely that a side deal with the Kraken has been worked out — one that has Kerfoot landing in Seattle. (Such a deal could also theoretically include Travis Dermott being the Kraken’s pick, though that seems unlikely given McCann’s and Kerfoot’s similar-ish profiles.)

Absent a trade, it’s possible Kraken GM Ron Francis has simply assured Dubas that his team is interested only in Kerfoot, who has two years left on his contract. The Leafs could also view McCann and Kerfoot as largely interchangeable and feel comfortable heading into the expansion draft with both exposed, knowing they have one to replace the other.

McCann’s addition could have led the Leafs to the 7-3-1 protection route, with Kerfoot and McCann protected alongside Pierre Engvall and the Core 4. That would expose Holl, an important and low-cost ingredient on defence, along with Dermott.

It sounds like the Leafs won’t go in this direction, though, rightly preferring to instead keep Holl off-limits.

However their expansion protection list pans out, this trade is a pretty clear win for management in an offseason needing them. The Leafs jumped on a player with upside, on a good contract, from a competitor that didn’t want to lose him for nothing.

The cost wasn’t far from that in Hallander, who projects as a bottom-six forward in the NHL, and a seventh-rounder two years from now.
 
Martin Skoula

Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,783
16,606
I wouldn't be surprised if Muzzin is exposed and replaced with a cheaper healthier option like Oleksiak. The injuries are starting to add up on Muzz and they all seem to be chronic wear and tear instead of freak accidents. It probably depends on what Rielly's asking for, but it would give us some flexibility.
 

United35

Registered User
Jan 16, 2021
130
91
Sypher04 said:
I think we'd be lucky if they took Engvall tbh. I don't wanna harp on the guy, but he's not especially good vs his contract which I think hurts his utility to us. If he had signed closer to league min I'd be inclined to keep him as he can be moved up/down, but he doesn't typically play well enough or hard enough to deserve to stay in, and his contract isn't one we can afford to healthy scratch. I don't see it happening for him here. We need more reliable players.
Click to expand...

At 25 with a good summer of training and discipline he could fill out a bit which would aid him I believe. He gets engaged but can get knocked around at times. He needs to play with the same tenacity as when he knocked Weber down competing for the puck.
 
WestCoastLeafs

WestCoastLeafs

I beleaf
Jun 10, 2013
2,668
876
Leaf Rocket said:
What I want...leafs pick up price via trade by making Kraken pick-up carey price :D pipe dream ofc but it would be absolutely hilarious if we can somehow pull it off. Gonna be an interesting roster announcement tomorrow.
Click to expand...

First thing I thought of lol. Five years of 50% retention might be expensive though ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Leaf Rocket
WestCoastLeafs

WestCoastLeafs

I beleaf
Jun 10, 2013
2,668
876
Martin Skoula said:
I wouldn't be surprised if Muzzin is exposed and replaced with a cheaper healthier option like Oleksiak. The injuries are starting to add up on Muzz and they all seem to be chronic wear and tear instead of freak accidents. It probably depends on what Rielly's asking for, but it would give us some flexibility.
Click to expand...

I would disagree with that. Muzzin's injuries have been a broken hand in 2019-20 (not a chronic injury), a freakish collision in 2020 playoffs (not a chronic injury), and a pulled hamstring in 2021 playoffs (also not a chronic injury).

Also, I would say there's about 0% chance Leafs don't protect him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seath The Scaleless, Eb, stickty111 and 1 other person
Torontonian

Torontonian

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
4,158
3,134
Toronto
Definitely could see Toronto having a deal lined up for Seattle not to take McCann and to take Kerfoot instead, that way they could still protect Holl and sway them away from taking Dermott.

Tomorrow just got a little bit more exciting Leaf's wise, thought for certain it was just going to be 4-4-1 and Seattle taking Kerfoot over Dermott/Engvall.
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
48,892
11,453
Torontonian said:
Definitely could see Toronto having a deal lined up for Seattle not to take McCann and to take Kerfoot instead, that way they could still protect Holl and sway them away from taking Dermott.

Tomorrow just got a little bit more exciting Leaf's wise, thought for certain it was just going to be 4-4-1 and Seattle taking Kerfoot over Dermott/Engvall.
Click to expand...
I thought the signing bonus angle made a lot of sense for Seattle.

Take a different player from Toronto and immediately trade back for Kerfoot. Gets him with a much lower actual cost
 
Torontonian

Torontonian

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
4,158
3,134
Toronto
Gallagbi said:
I thought the signing bonus angle made a lot of sense for Seattle.

Take a different player from Toronto and immediately trade back for Kerfoot. Gets him with a much lower actual cost
Click to expand...

You're saying that Seattle takes Dermott, then Toronto pays Kerfoot bonus, and then after paying the bonus reacquiring Dermott for Kerfoot?

Wonder if Toronto could get a draft pick back in doing that, since they would be eating the real cash.
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
48,892
11,453
Torontonian said:
You're saying that Seattle takes Dermott, then Toronto pays Kerfoot bonus, and then after paying the bonus reacquiring Dermott for Kerfoot?

Wonder if Toronto could get a draft pick back in doing that, since they would be eating the real cash.
Click to expand...
Correct on the scenario, but my instinct would suggest we lose a pick if anything.
 

Legion34

Registered User
Jan 24, 2006
18,190
8,283
Torontonian said:
You're saying that Seattle takes Dermott, then Toronto pays Kerfoot bonus, and then after paying the bonus reacquiring Dermott for Kerfoot?

Wonder if Toronto could get a draft pick back in doing that, since they would be eating the real cash.
Click to expand...

Wouldn’t be dermott. Would be engvall or a garbage prospect.

Option a: take kerfoot at 2.7 mil and pay toronto 1.9 mill in cash

option b take like hutch and trade a 5th and hutch for kerf.
 
SeenSchenn2

SeenSchenn2

Itchin' For Mitch
Jun 15, 2010
14,889
262
Thornhill, ON
Wouldn't hate it if they kept Kerfoot - not sure there's a UFA that we could get that's effective as him. I don't want to lose Dermott (before McCann they should have exposed Holl), but if that's the case:

Galchenyuk* - Matthews - Nylander (I don't want to see 16 on 34's line)
Kerfoot - Tavares - Marner
Mikheyev - McCann - Engvall
Guy - Spezza - Simmonds

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Sandin - Guy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom