Speculation: Fishing for value - unqualified RFA's

[SprDaVE]

Scherbak signed a 3 year deal in the KHL.

I have these 3 players at the top of my list for interest:

-Markus Granlund -- Good all around player capable of putting up a good 30 points or so. He's capable of moving up and down the lineup effectively well. If the Leafs trade Kadri this summer to bolster their defensive core, Granlund could be someone to look at to replace him for cheaper.

-Tobias Rieder -- Fast and hard working winger that can PK and he's capable of putting up decent secondary points. His season last year was pretty bad in production... but he'll bounce back nicely I suspect.

-Ben Hutton -- Solid defenseman for the PK and for depth. Could be very useful to pair with Rosen while Dermott is injured for a bit. Would be a smart signing if the price makes sense.

 

[Bluelines]

Jaskin would be a good replacement for Brown if we move him.

I had the good fortune to watch Jaskin in his draft year in the "Q" and he was simply a dominant offensive star, he was a man among boys and for whatever reason when he got to St Lou he and Barbashev (sp?) lost the offence and were stuck in 3rd and 4th line roles. Not sure if it was because of the coach or because they lost confidence but I've always like Jaskin and thought he was miscast in his NHL career.

 

[Bluelines]

Imagine loosing marner for 4 of these guys lol

That is a scary thought but Hayes brought up a good point yesterday, you have to have your picks and cap space to offer sheet a big fish and if you have both you are probably not a very good team, would Marner want to go from a great environment and his home town to a bad team?

I'm of the mindset that if a player wants to take the first offer sheet that comes along, let him, I'm not blowing up my cap to just screw the talent balance on my team. For example, Austin says I want 11 million, I say you are getting no better than Kucherov @ $9.5 mil, he says I'm gone to a offer sheet, I say thanks for the next 4 first rounders, now I have 8 first round picks, my own picks and the offer sheet team, same deal for Marner, he says I'm gone to an offer sheet, I say thanks for the next 4 first rounders, now I have 12 first round picks in the next 4 years, I flip a couple of players like Kadri for a 1st rounder, I could probably build 13 to 15 first round picks in the next 4 years. Maybe I flip JT too for a couple of 1st rounders. Nylander for a couple of 1st's. What kind of sustainable elite team could I build with lets say 18 to 20 first round picks in the next 4 years?

I'm not of the mindset that RFA's should be getting these home run deals right after their entry level contracts expire. In the Nylander case, I would have let him sit for a year, two years, as long as it took for him to either come back to me with his tail between his legs and take the same contract as Pasternak or he was offer sheeted and I got compensation. Players have to know if you don't want to be here at a salary that allows me to build a championship team, you wont be here. the name on the back of the jersey is not as important as the name on the trophy.

 

[aingefan]

Lots of serviceable 3rd/4th line talent here, confirming that those two lines can be a pretty fungible mix of versatile value signings and ELC guys.

Making me reconsider my stance on Tanev abit.....abit.

 

[BlueForever75]

Cousins for me on the 4th line to replace Gauthier.

Brett Ritchie on 4th line.

C0nstruct 4th line of Moore-Cousins-Ritchie.

Good physical line with speed and forecheck.

 

[ULF_55]

What would you trade to get a good D?

Well, trading for D is kind of OT for this thread, but picking up a D here gives another strand of spaghetti thrown against the wall to see if something sticks.

As for as trades.

Rielly if it brought back a better d for no more cost. Unrealistic
Any defenseman other than Rielly if it improved the team.
Any forward if it improved the team.
Unsignable players in a good hockey trade. Winning is about the best team not the best players. Best player appreciation is for the team that lose because the winners don't care who is the best player.

Has to be money out to make it work. None of the defenders are overpaid, there are likely going to be 4 forwards overpaid, one or two vastly overpaid.

Defenders aren't cheap, so trading Zaitsev for a better defender is not going to save any money unless you find a ELC defender and then the Leafs add.

If Leafs moved Kadri for prospects, and then moved Nylander for a #1 defender, you might even be able to sign a UFA defender.

If you moved Marner you could probably keep Kadri and Nylander and fill in the holes on defense.

Leafs really need 2 Marlie defenders capable of playing in the NHL this year without throwing assets overboard to be as good as they were this year.

 

[Schooner]

Imagine loosing marner for 4 of these guys lol

For me it wouldn't be who could the Leafs draft with the 4 firsts, but rather who could they trade for with 4 firsts and ~10M in cap space.

 

[ULF_55]

For me it wouldn't be who could the Leafs draft with the 4 firsts, but rather who could they trade for with 4 firsts and ~10M in cap space.

yes could do your own offersheet at less money and come out ahead.

leafs don't lack high quality offensive talent.

they lack top 4 defenders.

 

[Morgs]

Hartman - hope for a bounceback to top-6

Cousins - good bottom-6 play driver

Jaskin - one of the better bottom-6 defensive players in the league and not awful offensively.

Ryan - not enough credit for riding shotgun beside Burns for a couple years.

Lol Ritchie is awful. Don't let Cherry tell you differently.

 

[Bluelines]

The guy who Tampa bay cut last year because he was over weight is on the list anyone want to take a flyer on him?

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Hartman - hope for a bounceback to top-6

Cousins - good bottom-6 play driver

Jaskin - one of the better bottom-6 defensive players in the league and not awful offensively.

Ryan - not enough credit for riding shotgun beside Burns for a couple years.

Lol Ritchie is awful. Don't let Cherry tell you differently.

Brett Ritchie is exactly what our 4th line needs.

 

[ACC1224]

Ritchie would be an excellent depth add.

 

[The Iceman]

Hartman - hope for a bounceback to top-6

Cousins - good bottom-6 play driver

Jaskin - one of the better bottom-6 defensive players in the league and not awful offensively.

Ryan - not enough credit for riding shotgun beside Burns for a couple years.

Lol Ritchie is awful. Don't let Cherry tell you differently.

You are referencing Nick Ritchie who went 2 picks behind Nylander in his draft year.
Brett Ritchie is UFA

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I voted Granlund (as a winger), Cousins (as a winger), Hartman and Rieder, however I would probably retract my vote for Rieder since he's not really any better than Jaskin or Ritchie at that point.

Cousins makes the most sense IMO. He's not big, but he is feisty and has shown to put up numbers in the NHL. He could also spot at center if necessary.

 

[The Iceman]

Verhaeghe go unqualified?

YUP, Verhaeghe is available NHL Rumors - ProHockeyRumors.com

 

[Crysis]

Could EASILY improve our fourth line and D with some of these guys.
Hopefully Dubas is on the ball here. Get those $950k/4 year contracts ready. Lets see how desperate these guys are.
Be very nice to have some solid(and young) fourth liners and depth D locked up for cheap and for term.

 

[Morgs]

You are referencing Nick Ritchie who went 2 picks behind Nylander in his draft year.
Brett Ritchie is UFA

I know Cherry wanted Nick Ritchie over Willy, but really Brett is the the kind of guy he would be over the moon with the Leafs acquiring him.

Looking a little more into it, Brett looked like he was steadily improving with a (dare I say) great 2017-18 season where he looked like an above average NHL player by a lot of metrics (+++ defensively), especially for a guy that played only 662 5v5 minutes in 71 games. Then he just took a complete nosedive this past season putting in his worst results ever. What the f*** happened in 2018-19?

 

[Magic Man]

Brett Ritchie is exactly what our 4th line needs.

I would prefer Cousins, Hartman or Leipsic being signed to bring a gritty element. Ritchie is almost a perfect fit. I think he might have to start in the AHL because of his downward trend in the NHL, he had a bad year last year. I would still sign him, but with the hope they address the lack of grit with another signing and they take on Ritchie as an interesting reclamation project. He was a monster for the Texas Stars a few years ago when they won the calder cup if he ends up staying in the minors.

 

[Gabriel426]

Lazar will be interesting, he should beat out GOAT at 4C

 

[Lightsol]

Brenden Gaunce (C) 1st round (26th overall) 2012

Hey, anyone remember when they called the Leafs idiots for taking Morgan Reilly over Brenden Gaunce, because they "needed a center"?

 

[Bluelines]

Hey, anyone remember when they called the Leafs idiots for taking Morgan Reilly over Brenden Gaunce, because they "needed a center"?

or Marner over Strome because we needed a center.

 

[diceman934]

Imagine loosing marner for 4 of these guys lol

That is what a lot of posters are proposing.

 

[Schooner]

yes could do your own offersheet at less money and come out ahead.

leafs don't lack high quality offensive talent.

they lack top 4 defenders.

Why does it need to be an offer sheet? You don't think 4 firsts are valuable trade assets? Take a run at a top D through trade.

 

[diceman934]

For me it wouldn't be who could the Leafs draft with the 4 firsts, but rather who could they trade for with 4 firsts and ~10M in cap space.

It cost us a first to get someone to take Marleau contract. We would not get much for a first pick.

 

[ULF_55]

It cost us a first to get someone to take Marleau contract. We would not get much for a first pick.

Actually, you could probably get more for a 1st. than a good player depending on the team you are dealing with.

VGK probably give up a good defender for a 1st.