Next years potential line-up

[Fogelhund]

If he's willing to take a contract of about $2m per year sure, otherwise see ya. Would be nice to go out and get a 6'2+ centerman with a nasty streak.

Please list all UFA C's who fit this requirement. Thanks.

 

[LeafFever]

My guesss:

8 guys won’t be on the Leafs roster next year: JvR,Bozak, Moore,Plekanec, Komarov, Martin, Hainsey, and Polak

And Gardiner and Nylander will be traded in the off-season in order to upgrade the D.

I don't believe for a second they will trade Nylander for a D. Everyone says this, but you've gotta keep the big 3.
Gardiner, yeah given his contract situation he may need to go.

 

[Nineteen67]

There’ll be lots of discussion after the Leafs season, but does Gardiner have just 1 year left? I don’t see him as a core guy, especially if they could land a guy like Carlson from the Caps.

I’m thinking he’d be potential trade candidate.

 

[ToMaLe]

Johnsson Tavares Marner
Kapanen Matthews Nylander
Marleau Kadri Brown
Leivo Aaltonen Hyman
Martin

Rielly Hainsey
Gardiner Rosen
Dermott Zaitzev

Andersen
McElhinney

 

[MattySnipes]

Nylander will be traded in the off-season

We're not the Oilers. Not gonna trade one of our stars for a defenseman. Nylander has a lot of work to do mainly in his competitiveness. That will come with time. You don't trade him just because he looks soft right now and we need help on D. Keep developing and drafting right, when the opportunity comes put forth a nice package (picks, prospects, etc) and pull the trigger. Any package though, won't include Nylander. He isn't going anywhere.

 

[LeafFever]

We're not the Oilers. Not gonna trade one of our stars for a defenseman. Nylander has a lot of work to do mainly in his competitiveness. That will come with time. You don't trade him just because he looks soft right now and we need help on D. Keep developing and drafting right, when the opportunity comes put forth a nice package (picks, prospects, etc) and pull the trigger. Any package though, won't include Nylander. He isn't going anywhere.

Yup. That's an Oilers move and it backfired horribly.
Look at the prices to acquire some pretty ordinary Dmen right now. The Leafs brought up Dermott and he was better than anyone.
We can trade 1st rounders and prospects for D help. It doesn't have to be a Nylander or Marner which people are obsessed with trading.

 

[Fogelhund]

Johnsson - Tavares - Marner
Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Leivo - Gauthier - Brown

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Holl/Borgman/Rosen

Andersen
McElhinney

Cap hit: 67,340.833 (includes Nathan Horton's 5.3 million)
Space: 12,659,167

We can even keep Martin for some heavy lifting/press box role. I think that 4th line needs some playing time. We saw the need for some big bodies and that 4th line can play increased minutes if required. A big cycle line to complement the more skilled lines.

Plenty of cap space to give Marner and Matthews their raises next year as long as some creative accounting is done. Maybe Marleau does retire to free up some cap space. Who knows. This line-up can work. Keep running out the new kids every year and this can work. Sort of a Pittsburgh model if you wish.

So, the same defense the clearly isn't good enough to compete for the Cup?

People's fascination with Tavares is numbing, particularly when we have such glaring weaknesses on D.

I'm not sure on your Cap either. We are at $49.77

Add in Tavares $12 million
Nylander $6 million
Johnsson $1 million
Gauthier $ 1 million
Borgman/Rosen - $925,000

So, you are out by about $4 million...

 

[Duke16]

Keefe calls Rosen his most reliable defenseman (after Marincin) and Babcock always has good things to say. I could see him taking the open spot(s) on D.

 

[ToMaLe]

Keefe calls Rosen his most reliable defenseman (after Marincin) and Babcock always has good things to say. I could see him taking the open spot(s) on D.

Every Marlies game I seen Rosen was the best player on the ice, really like his game.

 

[Menzinger]

The last thing the team needs is a UFA winger, they have too many guys as is.

A reliable 4C is a key priority.

As for bigger UFA names I think they’ll have a much better chance at landing Carlson than anyone else

 

[Nylander88]

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson-Thornton-Kapanen
Grundstrom-Bozak-Brown

Bozak back for a 3yr × 3 Mil
Thornton signs a big 1 year (before Matthews/Marner contracts kick in)

Rielly-Dermott
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Hainsey-Liljergen

Andersen
McElhinney

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Johnsson - Matthews - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Grundstrom - Nylander - Hyman
Engvall - Aaltonen - Brown

Rielly - Dermott
Gardiner - Carrick
Borgman - Zaitsev

Andersen
Sparks
with like a 52-30 split or something. Andy gets way too many games

PP1: Johnsson- Matthews - Nylander - Marner - Rielly
PP2: Kadri - Grundstrom - Kapanen - Marleau - Gardiner

PK forwards: Aaltonen, Kadri, Brown, Hyman, Grundstrom, Engvall, Kapanen, Johnsson
Pk defensemen: Dermott, Borgman, Zaitsev, Rielly

 

[Nineteen67]

Yup. That's an Oilers move and it backfired horribly.
Look at the prices to acquire some pretty ordinary Dmen right now. The Leafs brought up Dermott and he was better than anyone.
We can trade 1st rounders and prospects for D help. It doesn't have to be a Nylander or Marner which people are obsessed with trading.

I’m not trading that asset for an average D. It’d be for a proven stud.
Really the question is- how far away from competing are they- 1 year or closer to 3? I don’t know but I’d guess it’s closer to 3

 

[tmlfan98]

Grundstrom-Matthews (C)-Kapanen
Marleau (A)-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson-Nylander-Hyman
Grabner-Derek Ryan-Brown
*Martin, Aaltonen*

Gardiner-John Carlson
Rielly (A)-Dermott
Hainsey-Zaitsev
*Holl*

Andersen
McElhinney

 

[MattySnipes]

Johnsson - Matthews - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Grundstrom - Nylander - Hyman
Engvall - Aaltonen - Brown

Rielly - Dermott
Gardiner - Carrick
Borgman - Zaitsev

I like this lineup. A LOT.

Something I can see Keefe running if he was head coach. With Babs at the helm, I don't know anymore. He might bribe Lou to forcefully sign Leo and Polak because they're men.

 

[Fogelhund]

Kovalchuk Matthews Hyman
Marleau Kadri Marner
Johnsson Nylander Kapanen
Grundstrom Aaltonen Martin/Engevell/Korshkov

Dermott Carlson
Reilly Tanev
Rosen/Borgman Zaitsev
Carrick/Liljegren as potential RHD when Tanev gets injured.

Gardiner went to Edmonton for their 2018 1st, we selected Noah Dobson RHD.
Brown, our 2018 1st, 2019 2nd for Tanev.
Hyman has played all three Forward positions before... move him to RW
Kovalchuk for $6-7 million two years.
Carlson for $8 million for 6 years.

I toyed with the idea of adding Zaitsev into the Vancouver deal, and getting back Gudbranson... even if we'd have to add something... That $4 mil cap hit on Gudbranson is kind of ugly though... but, he'd give us some size and snarl on the back end. It would be a cap neutral trade though, with Zaitsev headed out of town.

 

[biotk]

Every Marlies game I seen Rosen was the best player on the ice, really like his game.

I think that Rosen has had a strong second half with the Marlies. The games I saw him play in the first half with Marlies....he was bad. Really bad. It is good to see the improvement.

 

[TheKingSlayer]

So, the same defense the clearly isn't good enough to compete for the Cup?

People's fascination with Tavares is numbing, particularly when we have such glaring weaknesses on D.

I'm not sure on your Cap either. We are at $49.77

Add in Tavares $12 million
Nylander $6 million
Johnsson $1 million
Gauthier $ 1 million
Borgman/Rosen - $925,000

So, you are out by about $4 million...

I went nostalgic with Tavaras - put him in at 9.1 million haha. Borgman/Rosen are not counted as they are press/box call-ups. Johnsson and Gauthier are under a million each - around the 800-850K range... as for Nylander, he hasn't proven to be worth 6 million yet. He got 5.5 I believe. I am also working with an 80 million cap, not 75.

 

[TheKingSlayer]

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson-Thornton-Kapanen
Grundstrom-Bozak-Brown

Bozak back for a 3yr × 3 Mil
Thornton signs a big 1 year (before Matthews/Marner contracts kick in)

Rielly-Dermott
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Hainsey-Liljergen

Andersen
McElhinney

Not a single C on that team PKs... that could be a problem, no? Also doubt Grundy is ready for the big squad, but stranger things have happened.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I like this lineup. A LOT.

Something I can see Keefe running if he was head coach. With Babs at the helm, I don't know anymore. He might bribe Lou to forcefully sign Leo and Polak because they're men.

I'd love to see Keefe behind our NHL bench next year. Not necessarily as head coach, but I think he'd be better at assembling a proper lineup for today's league

 

[ToMaLe]

I think that Rosen has had a strong second half with the Marlies. The games I saw him play in the first half with Marlies....he was bad. Really bad. It is good to see the improvement.

like any european coming over here it takes awhile to get used to the smaller ice.

 

[MattySnipes]

I'd love to see Keefe behind our NHL bench next year. Not necessarily as head coach, but I think he'd be better at assembling a proper lineup for today's league

For sure. Would be a great move and Babcock will learn a lot from him, only downside I see is if he leaves the Marlies to come up here someone else will run the Marlies and the players could end up regressing in development (probably not but unwilling to take that risk). The past few years Keefe has been with the Marlies he is just developing our Marlies magically.

 

[kesleaf]

Johnsson - Tavares - Marner
Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Leivo - Gauthier - Brown

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Holl/Borgman/Rosen

Andersen
McElhinney

Cap hit: 67,340.833 (includes Nathan Horton's 5.3 million)
Space: 12,659,167

We can even keep Martin for some heavy lifting/press box role. I think that 4th line needs some playing time. We saw the need for some big bodies and that 4th line can play increased minutes if required. A big cycle line to complement the more skilled lines.

Plenty of cap space to give Marner and Matthews their raises next year as long as some creative accounting is done. Maybe Marleau does retire to free up some cap space. Who knows. This line-up can work. Keep running out the new kids every year and this can work. Sort of a Pittsburgh model if you wish.

Fuuuuuuu that offence would be lethal. If only.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

For sure. Would be a great move and Babcock will learn a lot from him, only downside I see is if he leaves the Marlies to come up here someone else will run the Marlies and the players could end up regressing in development (probably not but unwilling to take that risk). The past few years Keefe has been with the Marlies he is just developing our Marlies magically.

yeah Keefe is fantastic. I really hope we can keep him in our organization, and we might need to promote him for that

 

[hullsy47]

I don't believe for a second they will trade Nylander for a D. Everyone says this, but you've gotta keep the big 3.
Gardiner, yeah given his contract situation he may need to go.

Only if nylander can accept a bridge deal .hes more kadri than all star IMO