Free Agents and Trade Thread - Training camp edition

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WTFMAN99

Registered User
Jun 17, 2009
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I can't believe it was stopped either but if it's written into the new CBA were completely ******, ain't no way of getting around that

I don't think it was in the CBA - sounded like "hey don't do that" from what it sounded like in the media.
 

Gabriel426

Registered User
Jun 30, 2015
16,522
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I don't think it was in the CBA - sounded like "hey don't do that" from what it sounded like in the media.
I agree. I doubt the NHLPA is stupid enough to say let’s make sure teams don’t open facilities and give players help in the off season.
If I were the Leafs or any other teams that open their facilities in the off season. I would just go to the players, doors are open for all staff and families in the Summer, you just need to book ahead of time, that’s all.
 

Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,639
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While im sure there is probably some regulation against it, MLSE should really just buy one of those European pro league teams to use permanently as a developmental tool. Would allow them to get around that AHL age restriction for those guys too good for the chl on their D+1 season

Forget the team, they should buy a pro league.
 

GBLeaf

Registered User
Feb 13, 2014
1,723
647
England, GB.
Forget the team, they should buy a pro league.

That's a good idea. Come buy the EIHL.

I think there's a real market the UK for hockey. It's definitely growing right now, but it's main struggle is TV Exposure. Sky Sports TV have started to get into American Football and Basketball recently, and they're gaining traction over here. But with how much we love football (Soccer), Ice Hockey is the closest to that and I think it would gain a growing audience if targeted expansion was to occur.
 
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I am Canadian

AM34|WN88|MM16
May 22, 2008
6,409
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Toronto
Trade Johnsson and Kerfoot for draft picks, free up cap space.
Sign Spezza and Clifford.
Use Engvall at 3C all season, if it doesn't look like he's improving as season progresses move on from him.
Use cap space from Kerfoot and AJ for a D.

Hyman Matthews Nylander
Mik Tavares Marner
Robertson Engvall Kapanen
Clifford Spezza Barabanov
Gauthier

Rielly- ??
Muzzin Holl
Dermott- Lethonen

I like how you think - I would drop Clifford imo unless he wants league minimum.

Sign Johan Larsson or trade for someone like Pavel Zacha.

Robertson Zacha/Larsson Kapanen

Engvall Spezza Barabanov

Gauthier

Rielly - Manson/Severson/Dumba

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Lehtonen

Rosen

Liljegren & Sandin ready for injuries to be called up and we improve our depth. Maybe look for a veteran RHD on league min if possible
 

SprDaVE

Moderator
Sep 20, 2008
51,546
32,305
With a flat cap for awhile, I'm not sure how the Leafs plan on keeping both Johnsson and Kerfoot long-term. Sure maybe short-term they can fit one or both depending on a few things but for the most part, I think it's time to recuperate some picks from the recent trades and inject some youth into the pipelines.
 

SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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With a flat cap for awhile, I'm not sure how the Leafs plan on keeping both Johnsson and Kerfoot long-term. Sure maybe short-term they can fit one or both depending on a few things but for the most part, I think it's time to recuperate some picks from the recent trades and inject some youth into the pipelines.

That seems like a given for at least one of them (they can likely afford to keep the other until they need to re-sign a guy like Rielly, as long as Andersen is not demanding some ridiculous raise that he is not worth).

However if the Leafs want to pick up a top 4 defenseman in UFA, as many people want but I personally feel is unnecessary, then it would likely require trading both.
 
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SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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I like how you think - I would drop Clifford imo unless he wants league minimum.

Sign Johan Larsson or trade for someone like Pavel Zacha.

Robertson Zacha/Larsson Kapanen

Engvall Spezza Barabanov

Gauthier

Rielly - Manson/Severson/Dumba

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Lehtonen

Rosen

Liljegren & Sandin ready for injuries to be called up and we improve our depth. Maybe look for a veteran RHD on league min if possible

Johan Larsson is not a 3C caliber player, and Zacha has struggled at center from day 1 (which is why he is effectively a 3LW at this point). Effectively, you would be better off just having Engvall as a 3C instead of Zacha, and use Spezza or Gauthier as a 3C instead of Larsson.
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
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While I'm okay with a more defensive #3C strategy, they need to still be fairly capable offensively. Otherwise they're just a #4C playing up in the line up.

Haula would be a nice target depending on cost, especially if the Leafs move AJ, Kerfoot, and/or Kapanen for cap reasons. Could be cheaper and on a shorter contract. Can play both left wing and centre, and has been good on the draw in his career. Solid possession player too. Had success in an up tempo system in Vegas, similar to how the Leafs play.
 
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SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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While I'm okay with a more defensive #3C strategy, they need to still be fairly capable offensively. Otherwise they're just a #4C playing up in the line up.

Haula would be a nice target depending on cost, especially if the Leafs move AJ, Kerfoot, and/or Kapanen for cap reasons. Could be cheaper and on a shorter contract. Can play both left wing and centre, and has been good on the draw in his career. Solid possession player too. Had success in an up tempo system in Vegas, similar to how the Leafs play.

I doubt you are saving money on Haula. There are essentially 5 categories in the UFA market this year:

1) Haula and Soderberg, who are the cream of the crop and likely the only ones who are legit 3C's in this market right now. I expect both are getting a number with at least a 3 in front of it.
2) Spezza, Thornton, Brassard, Boyle and Koivu, who are old and may still have something left in the tank, but are effectively iffy 3C's right now. I understand Brassard is only 32, but he has really fallen off and is probably not even capable of being a full time center anymore.
3) Eakin, who gets his own category because he is that inconsistent. When he is on, he is as good as Haula and Soderberg. When he is not, then he is in the 4C category at best.
4) Richardson, Nosek, Larsson, Grant, Sheahan, etc., who are 4C's at best.
5) Granlund, Ennis, Girgensens, Gagner, Lewis, etc., who are oddly still listed as centers even though they are clearly wingers at this point.

If you are looking for a cheaper but still effective 3C this year, the UFA market is probably not the place to look... Not unless you are willing to accept the risk on Eakin, Boyle, Thornton or Spezza (who will likely be back anyways), but even a guy like Eakin may receive a legit contract this year if he has a strong playoffs.
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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With a flat cap for awhile, I'm not sure how the Leafs plan on keeping both Johnsson and Kerfoot long-term. Sure maybe short-term they can fit one or both depending on a few things but for the most part, I think it's time to recuperate some picks from the recent trades and inject some youth into the pipelines.

I think its a lock one of them is moved this fall during the offseason. With maybe a small chance its Kapanen if another team makes a trade offer the team cant refuse
 
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Kiwi

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Mar 5, 2016
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I think its a lock one of them is moved this fall during the offseason. With maybe a small chance its Kapanen if another team makes a trade offer the team cant refuse

I'd be seriously tempted to move Kapanen, if this current iteration of him is what he's going to be moving forward (good 3rd liner) I don't think he's ever going to be as valuable as he is right now

I also think Johnsson is a better option if we need somebody to play up the lineup in season
 

nuck

Schrodingers Cat
Aug 18, 2005
11,340
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I doubt you are saving money on Haula. There are essentially 5 categories in the UFA market this year:

1) Haula and Soderberg, who are the cream of the crop and likely the only ones who are legit 3C's in this market right now. I expect both are getting a number with at least a 3 in front of it.
2) Spezza, Thornton, Brassard, Boyle and Koivu, who are old and may still have something left in the tank, but are effectively iffy 3C's right now. I understand Brassard is only 32, but he has really fallen off and is probably not even capable of being a full time center anymore.
3) Eakin, who gets his own category because he is that inconsistent. When he is on, he is as good as Haula and Soderberg. When he is not, then he is in the 4C category at best.
4) Richardson, Nosek, Larsson, Grant, Sheahan, etc., who are 4C's at best.
5) Granlund, Ennis, Girgensens, Gagner, Lewis, etc., who are oddly still listed as centers even though they are clearly wingers at this point.

If you are looking for a cheaper but still effective 3C this year, the UFA market is probably not the place to look... Not unless you are willing to accept the risk on Eakin, Boyle, Thornton or Spezza (who will likely be back anyways), but even a guy like Eakin may receive a legit contract this year if he has a strong playoffs.

I would see if I could get Jumbo on a cheap 1 year deal along with Spezza. They have two centers capable of running over 20:00 a night so the #3 is not a big hole to fill. Both are good on face offs and extremely hard to push around. So long as they have at least one jackrabbit winger to offset the center's lack of foot speed it seems like a safe and inexpensive option.

JT and AM should be playing 20:00+ and the #4 guy somewhere under 10:00. While I would love a 6'4" #3 with 55% on the dot and 200 hits a year as a #3 that can't be done in the cap era. Sakic and Forsberg, Crosby and Malkin, those were the core and the guys they plugged in after that were the filler. The Leafs have to follow that model because even predating the cap it made sense. How good does your #3 have to be to keep Matthews and Tavares off the ice? Part of the reason why you can overspend on your top 2 is because you can spend less on the bottom two.

FWIW I don't think this is all Kerfoot has to offer and he doesn't have to do much more to prove he is a real asset. Its just his cost in the role and their other options for dedicating that money make him less necessary, and the club being kitten soft with its best players means they would probably not suffer from more abrasion in the bottom. There are a whole bunch of moves that would help them and then there are the moves that the cap will accommodate. Less $ on forwards and more on D but there is n't much to play with.
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
55,037
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Simcoe County
I doubt you are saving money on Haula. There are essentially 5 categories in the UFA market this year:

1) Haula and Soderberg, who are the cream of the crop and likely the only ones who are legit 3C's in this market right now. I expect both are getting a number with at least a 3 in front of it.
2) Spezza, Thornton, Brassard, Boyle and Koivu, who are old and may still have something left in the tank, but are effectively iffy 3C's right now. I understand Brassard is only 32, but he has really fallen off and is probably not even capable of being a full time center anymore.
3) Eakin, who gets his own category because he is that inconsistent. When he is on, he is as good as Haula and Soderberg. When he is not, then he is in the 4C category at best.
4) Richardson, Nosek, Larsson, Grant, Sheahan, etc., who are 4C's at best.
5) Granlund, Ennis, Girgensens, Gagner, Lewis, etc., who are oddly still listed as centers even though they are clearly wingers at this point.

If you are looking for a cheaper but still effective 3C this year, the UFA market is probably not the place to look... Not unless you are willing to accept the risk on Eakin, Boyle, Thornton or Spezza (who will likely be back anyways), but even a guy like Eakin may receive a legit contract this year if he has a strong playoffs.

If Haula could be had for a few years at a $3.5 AAV cap hit, that might be a good investment to lock down someone who can play #3C .. I'm not sold an Kerfoot and would like to move him.

Obviously there are other priorities (re-signing Soup and Dermott, securing the blue line) but I think the #3C spot is right in line with those needs. Some additional depth is important and with a flat cap, a solid body that can fill that role.

That being said if the price is too high we can continue to stop gap. I assume Spezza will be re-signed and if they can bring in Thornton, that would be great.
 
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Mickey Marner

Registered User
Jul 9, 2014
19,225
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No way Haula comes in at =<3.5, he's the best center in free agency. I don't care for Kerfoot, but I doubt we move him given how shallow we are on center depth.

If not for our utilization of the LTIR, Johnsson would've been gone already. He'll be off to the nations capital for a 2nd round pick.
 

The Podium

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
22,846
10,014
Toronto
I doubt you are saving money on Haula. There are essentially 5 categories in the UFA market this year:

1) Haula and Soderberg, who are the cream of the crop and likely the only ones who are legit 3C's in this market right now. I expect both are getting a number with at least a 3 in front of it.
2) Spezza, Thornton, Brassard, Boyle and Koivu, who are old and may still have something left in the tank, but are effectively iffy 3C's right now. I understand Brassard is only 32, but he has really fallen off and is probably not even capable of being a full time center anymore.
3) Eakin, who gets his own category because he is that inconsistent. When he is on, he is as good as Haula and Soderberg. When he is not, then he is in the 4C category at best.
4) Richardson, Nosek, Larsson, Grant, Sheahan, etc., who are 4C's at best.
5) Granlund, Ennis, Girgensens, Gagner, Lewis, etc., who are oddly still listed as centers even though they are clearly wingers at this point.

If you are looking for a cheaper but still effective 3C this year, the UFA market is probably not the place to look... Not unless you are willing to accept the risk on Eakin, Boyle, Thornton or Spezza (who will likely be back anyways), but even a guy like Eakin may receive a legit contract this year if he has a strong playoffs.

Not as a 3C obviously, but i think Girgensons would be a great add. One of the better defensive players and PKers in the league, hed be solid as a 4th liner.
 

Gabriel426

Registered User
Jun 30, 2015
16,522
10,128
I doubt you are saving money on Haula. There are essentially 5 categories in the UFA market this year:

1) Haula and Soderberg, who are the cream of the crop and likely the only ones who are legit 3C's in this market right now. I expect both are getting a number with at least a 3 in front of it.
2) Spezza, Thornton, Brassard, Boyle and Koivu, who are old and may still have something left in the tank, but are effectively iffy 3C's right now. I understand Brassard is only 32, but he has really fallen off and is probably not even capable of being a full time center anymore.
3) Eakin, who gets his own category because he is that inconsistent. When he is on, he is as good as Haula and Soderberg. When he is not, then he is in the 4C category at best.
4) Richardson, Nosek, Larsson, Grant, Sheahan, etc., who are 4C's at best.
5) Granlund, Ennis, Girgensens, Gagner, Lewis, etc., who are oddly still listed as centers even though they are clearly wingers at this point.

If you are looking for a cheaper but still effective 3C this year, the UFA market is probably not the place to look... Not unless you are willing to accept the risk on Eakin, Boyle, Thornton or Spezza (who will likely be back anyways), but even a guy like Eakin may receive a legit contract this year if he has a strong playoffs.
I think Spezza is coming back and that solves one of the bottom 6 Cs.
Thornton would be interesting at 3C since his projected wingers are Robertson/AJ and Kap. That’s two very speedy wingers for Thornton to swing a stretch pass to from the Dzone.
Problem is Leafs 3C needs to PK. And both Thornton and Spezza don’t do that anymore.
 

LeafsOHLRangers98

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
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Not as a 3C obviously, but i think Girgensons would be a great add. One of the better defensive players and PKers in the league, hed be solid as a 4th liner.
Just because he is used in those positions a lot, doesn't mean he's good at them.

He plays a lot in the defensive zone but the problem is that he can never get it out.

He's terrible on the draw and when he loses it he's not the best at getting it back. A part of the reason why the Sabres got caved in in their own end.

Kerfoot is a much better 3C.
 

SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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Just because he is used in those positions a lot, doesn't mean he's good at them.

He plays a lot in the defensive zone but the problem is that he can never get it out.

He's terrible on the draw and when he loses it he's not the best at getting it back. A part of the reason why the Sabres got caved in in their own end.

Kerfoot is a much better 3C.

Girgensens is a 4th line LW at this point.

Essentially a worse version of Engvall at this point IMO. We are not lacking for those kinds of guys. We have Gauthier who can also play center and win draws, we have Korshkov who is more physical, etc.
 
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TML1967

Registered User
Jul 20, 2010
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If we are going for another C who is a veteran, id prefer Koivu personally.
54% career faceoff guy, always positive Corsi and Corsi Rel, positive Fenwick and Fenwick Rel, starts most of the time in the defensive zone.
His offensive punch has dropped off, but he still had 21 points in 55 games. Not bad at all if he is a 4th liner, or 3C if you want someone more defensively responsible between Robertson and Kappanen. (Loosing Kerfoot and AJ saves like 6.5m)

He ranked 3rd in GA/60 (Goals Against Per 60), 5th xGF/60 (Expected Goals For Per 60), 6th in xGA/60 (Expected Goals Against Per 60), 14th in CF/60 (Corsi For Per 60) and 5th in CA/60 (Corsi Against Per 60).

100% would take him over Goat, Engval, maybe over Clifford.
 

SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
35,591
16,773
If we are going for another C who is a veteran, id prefer Koivu personally.
54% career faceoff guy, always positive Corsi and Corsi Rel, positive Fenwick and Fenwick Rel, starts most of the time in the defensive zone.
His offensive punch has dropped off, but he still had 21 points in 55 games. Not bad at all if he is a 4th liner, or 3C if you want someone more defensively responsible between Robertson and Kappanen. (Loosing Kerfoot and AJ saves like 6.5m)

He ranked 3rd in GA/60 (Goals Against Per 60), 5th xGF/60 (Expected Goals For Per 60), 6th in xGA/60 (Expected Goals Against Per 60), 14th in CF/60 (Corsi For Per 60) and 5th in CA/60 (Corsi Against Per 60).

100% would take him over Goat, Engval, maybe over Clifford.

Koivu is likely not going to leave Minnesota, if he is back in the NHL at all. He already refused to waive his NTC to move at the TDL. He has played there his entire career. He is more likely to head back to Finland than play on an NHL team that is not Minnesota.
 

Legion34

Registered User
Jan 24, 2006
17,986
8,088
Has anyone heard any more about section 17
Of the new CBA? On his podcast freidman mentioned a “termination” clause in the CBA that sounded new and the teams had agreed not to use it this year.

he had speculated on pandemic language before....
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
73,092
38,153
How long will the off season be this year? Dubas will have a lot of work to do, that’s got to be his focus now.
 

Duffman955

Registered User
Mar 4, 2010
14,612
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I have no problem running Engvall and Spezza as 3/4 C.

They can both easily put up 3C offense for very cheap. On top of that Engvall is great defensively and Spezza is great at faceoffs.
 
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