Knowing what you know now.....

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Would you rather redo

1) The Kessel Trade. You are guaranteed both Seguin and Hamilton

or

2) The Clarkson signing.

I realize one was under the Burke era, one under the DN era. Which move would you rather have back? Getting a #1C and top pair D for Reilly outweighs Clarkson's terri-bad contract imo, but just curious as to what other leafs fans think. Thanks.

Edit: added a poll

Click to read more...

 

[headwire]

Would you rather redo

1) The Kessel Trade. You are guaranteed both Seguin and Hamilton

or

2) The Clarkson signing.

I realize one was under the Burke era, one under the DN era. Which move would you rather have back? Getting a #1C and top pair D for Reilly outweighs Clarkson's terri-bad contract imo, but just curious as to what other leafs fans think. Thanks.

This is easy.

2) The Clarkson signing.

The Kessel trade netted us one of the best wingers in the league. The Clarkson signing netted us an anchor at over $5M cap hit for 7 years.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

Clarkson contract, not even close.

Kessel is an elite talent. We could trade him now and get close to what we gave up.

 

[JMcLeaf]

If I wasn't guaranteed Seguin and Hamilton then probably the Clarkson signing, but since I am then i'd redo the Kessel trade for sure.

 

[MSG*]

Kessel trade. Assets lost during what should have been a rebuild.

Clarkson can be moved or bought out.

 

[KuleminFan41]

Clarkson contract, not even close.

Kessel is an elite talent. We could trade him now and get close to what we gave up.

You could make a case, you could get even more for a guy who's in top 5 of goal scoring in the last 4 seasons.

 

[achtungbaby]

Clarkson contract, not even close.

Kessel is an elite talent. We could trade him now and get close to what we gave up.

I can see both sides of this one. I'd probably go back and not try to accelerate the rebuild. Clarkson is a huge weight around our necks, don't get me wrong, but had we gone the rebuild route in the first place, he might not get signed by us at all because we'd still be patiently building through drafting and development... Hopefully, you never know with this team.

 

[The Apologist]

If I wasn't guaranteed Seguin and Hamilton then probably the Clarkson signing, but since I am then i'd redo the Kessel trade for sure.

How are you guaranteed those two?

 

[JMcLeaf]

How are you guaranteed those two?

OP said I am

 

[The Apologist]

OP said I am

OHHH, and here I am *****ing about others reading comprehension

 

[DD03]

Lol at these people voting for Clarkson.

Hamilton looks like a pretty good defenseman. (we could use one of those right now.)

Seguin also produces at a similar level offensively, and plays more of a position of need.

Some of you people need to stop hating on Clarkson and really look at the scenario.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Lol at these people voting for Clarkson.

Hamilton looks like a pretty good defenseman. (we could use one of those right now.)

Seguin also produces at a similar level offensively, and plays more of a position of need.

Some of you people need to stop hating on Clarkson and really look at the scenario.

Exactly how I see it.

Also for sake of making the discussion easier, assume that all trades/ free agent signings remain the same

 

[DD03]

Exactly how I see it.

Also for sake of making the discussion easier, assume that all trades/ free agent signings remain the same

If that were true, you add in Hamilton and we're trading Franson from a massive position of strength to address our forward core or anything like that. We'd be far better off even with Clarkson.

 

[The Apologist]

Lol at these people voting for Clarkson.

Hamilton looks like a pretty good defenseman. (we could use one of those right now.)

Seguin also produces at a similar level offensively, and plays more of a position of need.

Some of you people need to stop hating on Clarkson and really look at the scenario.

Could possibly be that we LIKE Kessel?

 

[StatsNightHero]

I can see both sides of this one. I'd probably go back and not try to accelerate the rebuild. Clarkson is a huge weight around our necks, don't get me wrong, but had we gone the rebuild route in the first place, he might not get signed by us at all because we'd still be patiently building through drafting and development... Hopefully, you never know with this team.

This^

 

[Dreakmur]

What do we get if we undo the Clarkson signing? Cap space.

What do we get it we undo the Kessel trade? A legit #1 center and a top 4 defenseman who will likely be a top 2 soon, and could be a #1.

 

[The Apologist]

I can see both sides of this one. I'd probably go back and not try to accelerate the rebuild. Clarkson is a huge weight around our necks, don't get me wrong, but had we gone the rebuild route in the first place, he might not get signed by us at all because we'd still be patiently building through drafting and development... Hopefully, you never know with this team.

This was actually my first thought, but then he said all other moves stay the same....

 

[DD03]

Could possibly be that we LIKE Kessel?

More then a possible #2 d man and a #1 centre?

That's our problem then.

 

[The Apologist]

What do we get if we undo the Clarkson signing? Cap space.

What do we get it we undo the Kessel trade? A legit #1 center and a top 4 defenseman who will likely be a top 2 soon, and could be a #1.

What do we LOSE if we undo Clarkson: ....

If we undo Kessel: A top three winger in the entire world right now.

 

[The Apologist]

More then a possible #2 d man and a 'possible' #1 centre?

That's our problem then.

For an ELITE winger, yes....

 

[Byron Bitz]

Does seguin still get traded for loui eriksson?

 

[DD03]

For an ELITE winger, yes....

Seguin looks pretty elite to me. Add in a defenseman with some major upside and really?

 

[Daisy Jane]

here's another option.

knowing what we know now - would you offer sheet Stamkos?
You would lose:

Seguin, Hamilton, Rielly and, i do believe this years? (or Naz. I don't remember when Stamkos hit RFA).

that's the wicket that i keep thinking about. I would have laid down the boom on Tampa offer them the picks, and offer Stamkos oodles and oddles of money that at the time Tampa couldn't match (OR put them in a situation that they match but had to give up other quality talent, and swoop in that way).


for the two presented - I don't do the Kessel trade. I like Kessel - but where we were at the time - it didn't make sense. I defended the move because that's me - I trust our management until they breech it. For someone who flat out said he wanted out of Boston, was not going to sign with Boston, and would have been open to an offer sheet, and wanted to come to Toronto - it could have even been TWO picks. (1st & a 2nd). like i had written about - it could have been top five protected (see Buffalo/Islanders) [so we still have Seguin - but we lose Hamilton].

i just think it could have shaken a lot differently then it had. Kessel's amazing abilities or not.

 

[Jes5ant]

I like to think that if we never made the Kessel trade and had Seguin and Hamilton, that we would never have been desperate enough to acquire Clarkson.

 

[The Apologist]

here's another option.

knowing what we know now - would you offer sheet Stamkos?
You would lose:

Seguin, Hamilton, Rielly and, i do believe this years? (or Naz. I don't remember when Stamkos hit RFA).

that's the wicket that i keep thinking about. I would have laid down the boom on Tampa offer them the picks, and offer Stamkos oodles and oddles of money that at the time Tampa couldn't match (OR put them in a situation that they match but had to give up other quality talent, and swoop in that way).


for the two presented - I don't do the Kessel trade. I like Kessel - but where we were at the time - it didn't make sense. I defended the move because that's me - I trust our management until they breech it. For someone who flat out said he wanted out of Boston, was not going to sign with Boston, and would have been open to an offer sheet, and wanted to come to Toronto - it could have even been TWO picks. (1st & a 2nd). like i had written about - it could have been top five protected (see Buffalo/Islanders) [so we still have Seguin - but we lose Hamilton].

i just think it could have shaken a lot differently then it had. Kessel's amazing abilities or not.

I dont get the logic here.
You wouldnt do Kessel for Hamilton and Seguin but you would do Stamkos for Hamilton, Seguin, Kadri and Rielly?

Stamkos is good, but he's not lightyears better than Kessel