Speculation: Jensen Gone, We still looking for a RHD?

[Tiggaracing]

Dubas "Hey bro, what's it gonna take for Jensen?"

Holland "Hello Kyle, it's going to cost you a 2nd round draft pick and ..."

Dubas 'click'

 

[Buds17]

Is anyone angry we didn't get Jensen?

He's a righty and is now locked in for four full years. Tough to know if he would've re-signed if traded here, though I'd hope almost any trade we might make for a rental would be conditional on that. Aside from that, I definitely view Muzzin as better.

 

[justafan22]

He's a righty and is now locked in for four full years. Tough to know if he would've re-signed if traded here, though I'd hope almost any trade we might make for a rental would be conditional on that. Aside from that, I definitely view Muzzin as better.

If they didn't have Muzzin, I'd be pissed since the cost + extension weren't too bad if the Leafs still had their 1st + grundstrom/durzi, but after it, it's fine.

 

[Buds17]

If they didn't have Muzzin, I'd be pissed since the cost + extension weren't too bad if the Leafs still had their 1st + grundstrom/durzi, but after it, it's fine.

I suppose adding another RHD would have allowed a lefty to go back to their strong side (probably Dermott). Realistically though, I wouldn't expect Jensen to be higher up in the lineup than a Muzzin, and hopefully the lefty-righty imbalance doesn't have to be an overly big deal with the team.

Bowey obviously has the NHL experience that Grundstrom and Durzi currently do not. Maybe that (more than?) compensates for the difference between the 1st and 2nd rounder in the respective trades.

 

[Judas Tavares]

I would like to flip Brown for an RHD who is under contract for at least next year. Even if he's meh (but has a good enough cap hit). With Hainsey and Zaitsev hopefully being blasted to the moon, it would be nice to have at least one pure RHD plugged in for next year.

 

[indigobuffalo]

1000 %

We are what we are. Now lets get gardiner to blow another series for us

Kadri was the biggest issue of that series by far. Gardiner had some dominant games in both series. Even in the lockout year. He just had one bad game.

Reimer’s bad > Gardiner’s bad
Kadri’s bad > Gardiner’s bad

Yet... here we are...

 

[smitty10]

I want Gudas!

 

[ElbowLander]

Kadri was the biggest issue of that series by far. Gardiner had some dominant games in both series. Even in the lockout year. He just had one bad game.

Reimer’s bad > Gardiner’s bad
Kadri’s bad > Gardiner’s bad

Yet... here we are...

Gardiner is never dominant.

He isnt even an offensive dman anymore and hasnt learned one thing defensively

 

[The Man with a Plan]

Kadri was the biggest issue of that series by far. Gardiner had some dominant games in both series. Even in the lockout year. He just had one bad game.

Reimer’s bad > Gardiner’s bad
Kadri’s bad > Gardiner’s bad

Yet... here we are...

Stop making sense lol

 

[indigobuffalo]

Gardiner is never dominant.

He isnt even an offensive dman anymore and hasnt learned one thing defensively

Okay.

 

[Nooodles]

Dubas will trade 2020's 1st rounder + prospects for a 6'4 1st pairing RHD than Babcock will tell the press how he loves that D is 6'4 every day and makes everyone better just by walking by the others before practice than bench him, and give Hainsey 20+ minutes with 4 minutes in the PK/game

 

[Funk21]

I wonder whether the Leafs offered Ozhiganov and a 2nd for Jensen?

Player wise a wash but are the TML in a position to offer Jensen who should be a third pairing RHD a 2.5 million dollar a year contract?

Nope.

Personally I think we need to dump Gardiner, we already falling behind the big boys TBL, Caps, Bruins in regards to D and I think the Coyle acquisition really improves an already tough Boston team. Duchene to CLB has really made them a team to watch. I would rather gather another asset towards next year or use it to try and complete a trade for a top 4 RHD.

Apparently Miller in Vegas was a healthy scratch again. He is signed to a reasonable cap hit, young and top 4.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Gardiner is never dominant.

He isnt even an offensive dman anymore and hasnt learned one thing defensively

I love the "Gardiner sucks defensively, it's just pure coincidence that he's posting consistently great results defensively seven years in a row where he is the only constant"-takes.

And that's ignoring the take that a d-man who'll likely have 90 points across the last two seasons is somehow not an offensive d-man.

Player wise a wash but are the TML in a position to offer Jensen who should be a third pairing RHD a 2.5 million dollar a year contract?

Jensen has thrived playing on Detroit's top pairing, playing mostly matchup minutes. He's been really good this season, and would be our best RD.

Apparently Miller in Vegas was a healthy scratch again. He is signed to a reasonable cap hit, young and top 4.

I would love Miller. I find it very odd that he's been a healthy scratch.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

We added Tavares and Muzzin and they barely moved the needle.

One player won't help this team. Developing a system with structure will. I don't see us making any trades at all after the way Muzzin has been wasted so far.

Yeah it takes babs forever to adjust to things.
Teams have figured us out. From Arizona all the way to Tampa

 

[Macallan18]

Dubas will trade 2020's 1st rounder + prospects for a 6'4 1st pairing RHD than Babcock will tell the press how he loves that D is 6'4 every day and makes everyone better just by walking by the others before practice than bench him, and give Hainsey 20+ minutes with 4 minutes in the PK/game

Seriously, Dubas is smart enough to dump Hainsey in that deal. The only way to stop Babs from playing with certain toys of his is to take them away.

 

[Jojalu]

NHL Defensemen Stats in Last 3 Seasons

NHL Defensemen Stats in Last 3 Seasons

So whether or not you choose to believe analytics have value ( where Gardiner excels) gong over the last 3 years he is 6th in plus\minus and 19th in points.

He is the least of the Leafs worries. Watch Karlsson, Doughty, Burns or choose any other dman night in and night out and you quickly see all make glaring errors from time to time. All of this recency bias has blocked most from seeing how valuable Gardiner has been for the Leafs. he gets to pucks quickly and makes a quick pass whereas Hainsey would be stuck in a board battle and be forced to dump the puck out losing possession.

Of course, Gardiner has his flaws but if you think it was his fault the Leafs have been bounced in the first round the last two years that is just erroneous.

 

[ElbowLander]

I love the "Gardiner sucks defensively, it's just pure coincidence that he's posting consistently great results defensively seven years in a row where he is the only constant"-takes.

And that's ignoring the take that a d-man who'll likely have 90 points across the last two seasons is somehow not an offensive d-man.


Jensen has thrived playing on Detroit's top pairing, playing mostly matchup minutes. He's been really good this season, and would be our best RD.


I would love Miller. I find it very odd that he's been a healthy scratch.

90 pts is embarrassing on this team with the mins he gets. He cant hit the net ever. Explain that

Second he doesnt pin anyome on defense. That wilson play the other night is prime example why he blows

 

[Stephen]

I don't think Toronto should be handing out futures for this season. It's becoming pretty clear that there's more organizational building that needs to happen before we think finishing touches, and paying deadline deals won't help us a few years down the line when we are in a better position to win.

 

[Davidos193]

Colin Miller scratched last two games. He's aa RH cost controlled Dman. This is a golden opportunity for the Leafs. Gardiner will be asking $5+ million as a UFA. Miller is making $3.8 for next few years. Trade Gardiner, and get Miller. And there you go, you add a RHD cost controlled Dman without giving up Kapanen or Johnsson.

 

[A1LeafNation]

We can do better than Jensen.

 

[indigobuffalo]

90 pts is embarrassing on this team with the mins he gets. He cant hit the net ever. Explain that

Second he doesnt pin anyome on defense. That wilson play the other night is prime example why he blows

What I read:

Well that is a well put argument. I will just make a nonsense response about how defenders should be having 100-pt seasons because the forwards are so talented.

Then I will argue that the reason this player is bad is because he doesn’t do something that I think makes a defender good, but is in no measurable way beneficial.

 

[TML1967]

Not gonna happen. If he adds a legit top 4 d man or moves our Zaitsev before the TDL, I'll do a shot of Siracha for every playoff game we win.

 

[DanM]

I don't think Toronto should be handing out futures for this season. It's becoming pretty clear that there's more organizational building that needs to happen before we think finishing touches, and paying deadline deals won't help us a few years down the line when we are in a better position to win.

OMFG I have been preaching this FOREVER on here, and every fan says "we contender" make all the moves and go for it.

We will win cups, but more building and player graduation is needed.

Honestly, I bleed blue and white, my family has for generations, but we need to do this thing right, no shortcuts. I just have never seen a fanbase take criticism as personal, and to the level we take it to lol

 

[Kiwi]

Colin Miller scratched last two games. He's aa RH cost controlled Dman. This is a golden opportunity for the Leafs. Gardiner will be asking $5+ million as a UFA. Miller is making $3.8 for next few years. Trade Gardiner, and get Miller. And there you go, you add a RHD cost controlled Dman without giving up Kapanen or Johnsson.

Making the money work for Miller will take some doing

This deadline it's a money in money out scenario, so we'd need to send about 3.5M to Vegas (or somebody else) before the deadline to fit Miller and making 3.8M work next year is going to be tough

That's really ugly unless you can move all of Zaitsev, Marleau and Brown imo

 

[Nithoniniel]

90 pts is embarrassing on this team with the mins he gets. He cant hit the net ever. Explain that

Second he doesnt pin anyome on defense. That wilson play the other night is prime example why he blows

His percentage of shots that hit the net is 63% which is very good and the best on the team. 90 pts over two seasons is terrific regardless of what kind of team he plays on. There are 19 d-men in the whole league scoring more, and a whole bunch of guys playing big minutes on high-scoring teams behind him.

You're very welcome to explain how getting hit by the best hitter in the game in a situation where the only way he can avoid the hit is by bailing on the puck shows that he sucks.