Forward or Defense?

[jaric1862]

I say we save all our assets for when that top 4 RHD, when it comes available (which it may not be until the offseason). We shouldn’t be spending assets on rentals for the sake of it, when we can get upgrades for free. If we want to add something I think that the best idea would be to give Grundstrom a call-up or try and sign Rick Nash.

 

[Rare Jewel]

He's not Landeskog, but Vlad Nemesnikov was the "work" guy on Stamkos and Kucherov's line last year until his trade to NYR. He can also play C in a pinch which is a place we're a bit short in depth.

 

[ToemassCabriolet]

Suppose the Stars fall by the wayside (we all know it's happening) and they want to offload at the deadline. Something like this would make sense for both teams:

Leafs Send:
-Kasperi Kapanen
-Nikita Zaitsev
-2018 1st

Stars Send:
-Alexander Radulov (~25% salary retained)
-Marc Methot

 

[WendelGartner]

So many unrealistic targets out there for the Leafs. One guy I think we could get cheaply, who would serve a few needs: Radko Gudas from Philly. Steady Right Handed D with sandpaper, could get him for a low level roster player.

 

[Morbo]

So many unrealistic targets out there for the Leafs. One guy I think we could get cheaply, who would serve a few needs: Radko Gudas from Philly. Steady Right Handed D with sandpaper, could get him for a low level roster player.

That's because he's a low level roster player.

 

[Whaleafs]

We don't need a star winger, we need one with grit/size. Our focus should be a RHD if not TWO RHD. A top pair guy to play with Rielly, if we could pull off a miracle trade somehow, and a bottom 4 guy like Gudas to play with Gardiner or Dermott.

 

[TheOneArmedMan]

I heard the Leafs were looking at Wayne Simmonds(URFA soon) but how could they afford him? He is a nice gritty forward they need. But they also need an upgrade on D as well

 

[613Leafer]

There's gotta be a pretty good under the radar guy we can get out there for pretty cheap. Think about how St. Louis got Gunnarsson from us by giving us Polak (a simlar aged bottom pairing D) and a 4th, while they got a legit top 4 defenceman who's played very effective hockey alongside Pietrangelo and others throughout the years. Gunnarsson was undervalued because the Leafs at the time were a trainwreck of a team with terrible goaltending and an incredibly thin forward group with limited ability to support their D.

We have one of the biggest and most expensive management, scouting, and analytics groups in the league. Go out there and earn your paycheque. Every team in the league knows if they pay the trade price for a guy like Pietrangelo, they're getting a good player. Go out there and find us a cheaper option that's still a clear and solid upgrade over Hainsey or Zaitsev in the top 4.

 

[Pookie]

Not sure what I would go for at this point, but a backup goalie would be on my list of options.

Why?

Do back up goalies play much in the playoffs?

 

[8816 others]

Why?

Do back up goalies play much in the playoffs?

Ideally, the backup goalie shares enough of the regular season load so the starter can get through a deep playoff run without showing signs of fatigue. The backup should be good enough to steal a game or a series if the starter becomes injured.

 

[Pookie]

Ideally, the backup goalie shares enough of the regular season load so the starter can get through a deep playoff run without showing signs of fatigue. The backup should be good enough to steal a game or a series if the starter becomes injured.

Honest question, do you really think that if we play Sparks in the capacity that you mention, that we actually miss the playoffs?

 

[Stephen]

I say we save all our assets for when that top 4 RHD, when it comes available (which it may not be until the offseason). We shouldn’t be spending assets on rentals for the sake of it, when we can get upgrades for free. If we want to add something I think that the best idea would be to give Grundstrom a call-up or try and sign Rick Nash.

It's not going to take "all of our assets" to get a top 4 defenseman. That would be if we went out and got a first pairing guy.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Suppose the Stars fall by the wayside (we all know it's happening) and they want to offload at the deadline. Something like this would make sense for both teams:

Leafs Send:
-Kasperi Kapanen
-Nikita Zaitsev
-2018 1st

Stars Send:
-Alexander Radulov (~25% salary retained)
-Marc Methot

The fact that Radulov has that much term remaining is a no-go. I’m not going to comment on the value proposition though.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

The poll options are odd.

Mark Stone will be getting 8M+ on his next deal.

A bottom 4 D means what exactly? Muzzin is a #3.

Anyways, this team needs D who can actually play D and forwards who can play a heavier game in the playoffs. Look how the Caps won a cup with guys like Oshie, Wilson, Orlov, Niskanen, etc. as support players well winning nothing with Semin, Johansson, Green, etc.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

The poll options are odd.

Mark Stone will be getting 8M+ on his next deal.

A bottom 4 D means what exactly? Muzzin is a #3.

Anyways, this team needs D who can actually play D and forwards who can play a heavier game in the playoffs. Look how the Caps won a cup with guys like Oshie, Wilson, Orlov, Niskanen, etc. as support players well winning nothing with Semin, Johansson, Green, etc.

The price for a top 2 D will be way to high, hence bottom 4... right now we have 3 #6 guys on our right side of the Defense. There are also no UFA rentals aside from Karlsson who I assume wont be traded by SJS.

Stone would be a rental for the playoffs... why would we re-sign him?

 

[8816 others]

Honest question, do you really think that if we play Sparks in the capacity that you mention, that we actually miss the playoffs?

At this point, my concern isn't with making the playoffs, it's with making a deep run for the cup. If the goal is just to make the playoffs, then we will struggle to do that, as we did in from 2005-2014. Those past teams relied on countless 'ifs" - needing players to have career years or to stay healthy for any hope of the playoffs. Do you have confidence that Sparks could hold the fort in a playoff game or a series?