Speculation: Free Agent/Trade Thread: 2015 Free Agency Looming and Trade Speculation

[showtime8]

I still wouldn't do that. First of all, the difference between Bozak getting a 2nd and Bozak getting a 1st is a decent prospect. One we don't need, but is still good. Like Herzog or Cameranesi or someone like that.

Second of all, I'd much rather retain on Reimer, Polak, Lupul or Robidas. I'd want an increased return on Lupul, but I'd retain on him because that would definitely bring up a long line of suitors.

Retaining salary is a great tool to use, but should be done as a last resort.

You can get a return on each one of those players, without retaining at all. You have to get creative though.

ie. Lupul for Matt Read & Luke Schenn. Matt Read isn't amazing and Luke Schenn is a bust. They send 7.25 for the 5.25 that Lupul has. You can add a Biggs or another prospect if you want to make it work.

or

Robidas to Chicago for Bickell. The Blackhawks save 1 mill. and they get a #6 player to play with one of their rookies.

 

[leafsfuture]

Serious question... if we can find a way to offload Lupul or Bozak contracts, anyone see a downside to signing MSL and Richards to 1 year deals.

MSL being 35+ will be hard pressed to get a multiple year deal, and Richards will probably only want a 1 year deal so that he can work towards getting one last deal next year.

Both guys add Stanley Cup experience, would not come with long-terms, and could help mentor the young guys. This would definitely count as a culture change.

Like I am thinking 3.5m for MSL and 1.5-2m for Richards. I mean if its a one year deal why not?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Serious question... if we can find a way to offload Lupul or Bozak contracts, anyone see a downside to signing MSL and Richards to 1 year deals.

MSL being 35+ will be hard pressed to get a multiple year deal, and Richards will probably only want a 1 year deal so that he can work towards getting one last deal next year.

Both guys add Stanley Cup experience, would not come with long-terms, and could help mentor the young guys. This would definitely count as a culture change.

Like I am thinking 3.5m for MSL and 1.5-2m for Richards. I mean if its a one year deal why not?

I think St. Louis can go somewhere else. Richards, sure why not.

 

[nuck]

How many years left on Bozak deal? Any chance we retain 50% to maximize the return.

There would be a much better return retaining that $2.1m against Kessel or Phaneuf's salaries. Boz is not really overpaid or over-termed and his best case value is not that high. I think there would be a lineup of teams for Kessel at $5.9 though.

 

[Faltorvo]

Serious question... if we can find a way to offload Lupul or Bozak contracts, anyone see a downside to signing MSL and Richards to 1 year deals.

MSL being 35+ will be hard pressed to get a multiple year deal, and Richards will probably only want a 1 year deal so that he can work towards getting one last deal next year.

Both guys add Stanley Cup experience, would not come with long-terms, and could help mentor the young guys. This would definitely count as a culture change.

Like I am thinking 3.5m for MSL and 1.5-2m for Richards. I mean if its a one year deal why not?

yup I have serious concerns about targeting anyone in the FA market save for the desperate ones very very very late into the FA season

for me it comes down to how many contracts we have and big league roster spots.

so many trade proposals I hear for say dion/kessel have 2 or even 3 nhl contracts coming back , per trade

we can only carry 50 contracts and only have X amount of big league roster spots open.

it would be prudent to get those 2 players sorted out before we mess with FAs and clog up the works

 

[p.l.f.]

No trades today
Interesting

 

[realgoodleafs]

Teams are probably just seeing if they can get a plug like Bozak in free agency. Once that's over with I could see some teams inquiring. Terrible players are going to get over 4 million long term this summer so his contract won't look as bad in comparison.

 

[Stacker29]

Serious question... if we can find a way to offload Lupul or Bozak contracts, anyone see a downside to signing MSL and Richards to 1 year deals.

MSL being 35+ will be hard pressed to get a multiple year deal, and Richards will probably only want a 1 year deal so that he can work towards getting one last deal next year.

Both guys add Stanley Cup experience, would not come with long-terms, and could help mentor the young guys. This would definitely count as a culture change.

Like I am thinking 3.5m for MSL and 1.5-2m for Richards. I mean if its a one year deal why not?

There's be no downside to signing either.

One year deals, off load them at the deadline, retain in needed, and add pieces for the rebuild without throwing our youngsters to the wolves in spots they aren't ready for. I could see Richards on a one year deal here. I can't see MSL doing it though.

 

[dubplatepressure]

No trades today
Interesting

The opposite of...

 

[hockeywiz542]

the toronto maple leafs were one of the teams listening on richards. They’re in a unique position having plenty of cap space, plenty of cash and the willingness to take bad deals, given they won’t be a contender in the near term.

this, however, was a case of a deal that was too awful to handle. Even if the kings retained half richards’s contract and the leafs then bought it out, toronto would be saddled with a cap hit for 10 years ranging from $600,000 to $2.1-million.

it would have to be a grade a prospect or first-round pick to consider doing it. And it wasn’t.

the leafs want to get creative. If there’s another bad deal they can take on that has only a year or two remaining, they’re more than willing to do so if they get something in exchange.

the problem with richards is he has five years left at nearly $3-million a season (if the kings retained half the deal). even if the leafs kept the 30-year-old centre for a year or two, there would be an ugly cap hit in 2018-19 and 2019-20 on a buyout.

Leafs president brendan shanahan intends his team to be on the upswing by then, and to do so, he’ll need to protect every scrap of cap he can.

the leafs drew high marks from other teams and scouting services for their moves at the draft, which included adding a lot of undersized-but-skilled prospects (led by fourth overall pick mitch marner) as well as defenceman martin marincin from the oilers.

there was interest in both phil kessel and dion phaneuf, although the leafs continue to insist they will not retain salary in deals for either player, which discouraged some suitors. Tyler bozak and joffrey lupul didn’t generate a ton of attention.

one veteran whose name is out there, however, is defenceman roman polak, who has one year remaining on a deal with a $2.75-million cap hit. after adding marincin and re-signing tim erixon, t.j. Brennan and petter granberg, the leafs have a lot of young defencemen to find minutes for, and polak will be easy to move.

easier than phaneuf – who they’re still seeking a good prospect for – or stéphane robidas.

this is becoming the circle of life in the nhl these days. Overpay. Trade and retain. Trade again. Buyout.

 

[pspot]

Still surprised PAP was bought out he was a prime candidate imo for this type of move

 

[hockeywiz542]

Will the Toronto Maple Leafs be aggressive during Free Agent Frenzy?

Ryan Rishaug and Bob McKenzie break down what the Maple Leafs plan to do during free agency.

http://www.tsn.ca/video/will-leafs-be-aggressive-during-free-agent-frenzy-1.320625

 

[htpwn]

Polak should fetch more at the deadline, when teams are usually willing to overpay to get that prototypical playoff warrior.

I'd keep him until then. It can't hurt having him around a young defense core either.

 

[rdawg1234]

Any reason we shouldn't offer Richards a 1 year 1m type of deal like we did with raymond/winnik/santorelli etc.?

he's the perfect reclamation project and is probably dying for redemption. Easily could be traded at the deadline for picks if he pans out, or he'll just move on into nothingness like booth, win win.

and with regards to guys like Bozak, Ithink this is the kind of guy oyu retain to get a deal done here, I have no want for a 29 year old lazy centre, but I recognize that he definitely has skill and would be a great #3(who can step up in case of injury) on a stacked team. He has no place being a rebuilding team as a #1C.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Any reason we shouldn't offer Richards a 1 year 1m type of deal like we did with raymond/winnik/santorelli etc.?

he's the perfect reclamation project and is probably dying for redemption. Easily could be traded at the deadline for picks if he pans out, or he'll just move on into nothingness like booth, win win.

and with regards to guys like Bozak, Ithink this is the kind of guy oyu retain to get a deal done here, I have no want for a 29 year old lazy centre, but I recognize that he definitely has skill and would be a great #3(who can step up in case of injury) on a stacked team. He has no place being a rebuilding team as a #1C.

I bet if the leafs do sign Richards, Babcock is gonna have some long conversations with him before the Leafs sign him [mostly because I don't see a lot of people rushing to get him].

Stoll is going to also be one of those people i don't think people are going to touch right away so that's someone else. [I know that he had the drug thing - but again, you have to assume if we sign anyone, Babcock had the " We're Maple Leafs Talk" with them.

this is gonna be such a weird UFA. there aren't a lot of people i'd overpay for - but you know there are gonna be those dummy GMs that are gonna overpay

there are a lot of million dollar tossers in there though

 

[MJ65]

Globe Hockey ‏@globehockey 3h3 hours ago
Mirtle: Maple Leafs looking at taking on bad deals, big contracts to improve

 

[Cor]

I love how nothing leaks anymore

Pittsburgh media is getting stuff on Kessel, but the Toronto media has nothing

 

[hockeywiz542]

some of the bigger trading dominoes – chicago’s patrick sharp and bryan bickell, the leafs’ phil kessel – are still out there. Teams can afford to be patient with salary dumps, since they don’t need to get cap compliant until the start of the regular season in october. Sometimes, a player of sharp’s pedigree becomes more interesting to a team once the first few days of free agency pass and somebody unexpectedly gets shut out in the bidding.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I love how nothing leaks anymore

Pittsburgh media is getting stuff on Kessel, but the Toronto media has nothing

Toronto MSM misses Burke & Nonis. they'd get stuff.

 

[hockeywiz542]

According to the Toronto Sun, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins might be interested in acquiring Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/nhl-free-agency-frenzy-isnt-what-it-used-to-be

On the trade front, after a busy trade weekend during the NHL draft, some teams still haven’t pulled the trigger, adding more intrigue concerning the potential landing spots for the Leafs’ Phil Kessel (Pittsburgh? Calgary? Boston?), the Blackhawks’ Patrick Sharp and the Canucks’ Kevin Bieksa.

Then there is the entire notion of the offer sheet. Espn.com reported during the Stanley Cup final that the Penguins could be candidates to forward one to young Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad while sources on the draft floor this past weekend claimed the Oilers were comtemplating doing the same to Bruins defenceman Dougie Hamilton before he was shipped to the Flames.

Given all those factors, coupled with the thin available talent pool on the market, free agent frenzy might very well be a snoozefest.

“There’s nothing there,” a high-ranking executive with an Eastern Conference team said Sunday. “We had meetings last week and we decided we’re not going to be active. You don’t want another David Clarkson issue on your hands like the Leafs had.”

 

[hockeywiz542]

Here’s a look at some of the more prominent names - if you can call them that - on the UFA market come July 1.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/nhl-free-agency-frenzy-isnt-what-it-used-to-be

D Mike Green

Logic suggests Green’s cap hit to drop significantly from the $6.08 million it was with the Capitals last season but all it takes is one illogical owner to change that ... Had 38 points and was a plus-15 last season ... Wants to play a “significant†role.

F Antoine Vermette

Thought to be a dud after being acquired by the Hawks at the trade deadline (three points - all assists - in 19 regular season games)... Turned into a stud in the postseason with three game winners for the champs ... Carried cap hit of $3.75 million last season.

F Martin St. Louis

At age 40, he definitely wants to play another season ... It won’t be for the cap-weary Rangers though ... Would the Devils or Pens take a chance? ... 2014-15 cap hit of $5.625 million certainly will not be replicated.

D Cody Franson

Accrued a season-high 36 points with Leafs and Preds ... After three consecutive one-year deals, he’s looking for security ... Had trouble staying in lineup after being dealt to Nashville ... Had 2014 cap hit of $3.3 million.

F Michael Frolik

Racked up 42 point last season, his best as a Jet ... Veteran winger could be seeking as much as $5 miilion ... Jet working hard to re-sign him but he might be too rich for their blood in the end.

D Johnny Oduya

A 33, proved that he could be a second-pairing chew-up minutes blueliner during the postseason ... Hawks would love to retain his services but, as in so many instances, cap issues are their biggest enemy.

D Andrej Sekera

Showed he can be a minutes gobbler during his time in L.A. .... Averaged 19:13 per game after joining the Kings in March ... Had 2014-15 cap hit of $2.75 million.

F Justin Williams

Becoming apparent that Kings won’t be able to afford him under the cap ... Would Habs or Pens view him as a top six forward and take a shot at him? ... 2014-15 cap hit of $3.65 million US.

 

[Trapper]

According to the Toronto Sun, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins might be interested in acquiring Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/nhl-free-agency-frenzy-isnt-what-it-used-to-be

Lol Boston should offer sheet Hamilton.

 

[burpsalot]

According to the Toronto Sun, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins might be interested in acquiring Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/28/nhl-free-agency-frenzy-isnt-what-it-used-to-be

Burke doesn't have the fortitude to go after Kessel again.

I dare ya Burke!

 

[Daisy Jane]

Burke doesn't have the fortitude to go after Kessel again.

I dare ya Burke!

I have a feeling, if Burke was the GM he'd reallly try to do it too.

Bennet,
and 2 2nds. sold.

 

[FlareKnight]

Will the Toronto Maple Leafs be aggressive during Free Agent Frenzy?

Ryan Rishaug and Bob McKenzie break down what the Maple Leafs plan to do during free agency.

http://www.tsn.ca/video/will-leafs-be-aggressive-during-free-agent-frenzy-1.320625

Well if by aggressive they mean buying cheap guys on one-year deal sure.