I don't know about you guys, but I think the reason you stockpile bottom 6 forward depth is to use it. You have to have 4-5 of your bottom 6 players on cheap deals so that you can afford a legitimate top 6, a stud goalie and a well rounded, balanced defense core that includes a great top 4. I also think you need cheap, effective scoring from your third line.
This would be my 2020 team if I could pull it off. It gives Toronto a 5+ year window as a cup contender, IMO, if Ilya Mikheyev is good enough to step up into the top 6...
Let's say for argument sake it's a $83 million dollar cap in 2020.
1. I would trade William Nylander and Travis Dermott to Carolina for Brett Pesce , Julian Gauthier and a pick. I don't want to lose Nylander but if we can get 80% of his production from Mikheyev, at half the price, I make that trade all day and get a future stud in Gauthier who can play now and an ultra reliable, still improving D-man in Pesce. Dermott isn't a huge loss. Sandin is going to be better and Liljergren is going to be similar.
2. I would trade Kasperi Kapanen for a 1st round pick or quality defensive prospect.
3. Sign Alex Pietrangelo and let Tyson Barrie walk
Andreas Johnson (3.4) / Auston Matthews (11.6) / Ilya Mikheyev (3.0)
Zack Hyman (2.25) / John Tavares (11.0) / Mitch Marner (10.9)
Trevor Moore (775k) / Alexander Kerfoot (3.5) / Julian Gauthier (863k)
Dmytro Timashov (925k) / Jason Spezza (700k) / Yegor Korshkov (925k)
Kenny Agostino (737K) or Jeremy Bracco (842k)
Morgan Reilly (5.0) / Brett Pesce (4.0)
Jake Muzzin (5.0) /Alex Pietrangelo (9.0)
Timothy Liljegren (863k) / Rasmus Sandin (894k)
Martin Marincin (900k)
Frederik Anderson (5.0)
Michael Hutchinson (700k)
Phil Kessel (1.2)
Total: $83 million
If Ilya Mikheyev is the player I think he is going to be, that looks like a cup contending team to me. Julian Gauthier adds some much needed size and strength and is going to be a stud, top 6 goal scorer... And that D-core... An elite offensive guy and a well rounded 2 way guy on each of the top 2 pairings, with young studs playing insulated minutes on the third pairing. What's not to love about that group of blueliners?
Don't get me wrong I like Barrie but at 8M+ per LT with the CBA CAP in place I don't. Same reason Avs unloaded him. Again don't get me wrong I love the way he skates puck up the ice. If he wants to stay at 5M LT then I'm good with him and trade Dermott. But Dermy at 2.5M per looks at lot better to me than Barrie at 8M+. and my opinion Dermy a little better defender than Barrie. Barrie clearly a ton better offensively.You're usually decent at player analysis but I have no idea where you went with this one.
There's a damn good reason Barrie led TOI for the Avs by as much as he did in the playoffs.
Ewww. I love how Carolina just trades us pesce because reasons and I love moving out controlled talent for 1sts because of fantasy... So cringe...
Note to other posters. We are not going to trade ANYONE of our roster for picks until Matthews, tavares,marner and nylanders deals are done at the EARLIEST. ...facepalm
You're forgetting Andersen in two years and Rielly in three.
Cap goes up. Rielly won't shred us like the kids have and we may lose Anderson... It will all work out
Cap goes up. Rielly won't shred us like the kids have and we may lose Anderson... It will all work out
Whole lotta wishful thinking here
Rielly will want top dollar too, having watched the Me three take Dubas to the cleaners. There is NO WAY his agent doesn't want a BIG payday too! JMHO.Cap goes up. Rielly won't shred us like the kids have and we may lose Anderson... It will all work out
A real franchise goalie doesn't help the opposition score goals as often as Andersen does. JMHO.How is losing a franchise goalie "working out?"
A real franchise goalie doesn't help the opposition score goals as often as Andersen does. JMHO.
How is losing a franchise goalie "working out?"
Even if they have the Cap space giving a large contract to an aging Freddy will never be a good idea. You find a new one. You're not scrambling to find one immediately so they should already have a plan in place by the time it comes.
Between prime Belfour and Freddy, it took about a decade to find a goalie. So yeah.
Giving Freddy a large contract after this one at his age is objectively a terrible idea. If he'll take a short deal that's a different story.
I would like to give him a 2 year extension.
I'd be happy to give him a 2 year extension (Also dependent on Woll/Scott's development, I'd hope by the time Freddy's first contract expires one of them has become an up and coming young tender who has our back up spot on lock and looks ready to step into the Starter role).
I just don't see him being happy to take a 2 year extension.