Poll 2: If we draft a #1 line forward this year, what becomes our next hole to fill?

[TankNationTillDeath]

In all likelihood, we will draft a forward this year with our top 5 pick. Let's assume we don't take Chychrun at 4 or 5 if we land there.

Now, considering we will have an Edmontonesque lineup up front, what position do we seek to fill next as a priority, and, via draft or trade? Remember, this question is based on PRIORITY. Although more than 1 can occur, just choose the top priority.

1: Doesn't matter the position, just keep drafting and trading for best skill available, our depth at all positions is sufficient.
2: #1 NHL RD, young 20s, via trade (Trouba for example)
3: #1 NHL RD or LD, junior via draft or trade at draft (Charlie McAvoy I believe is top RD this year at #14, maybe not a #2 guy though).
4: Young NHL proven goaltender via trade (Anderson for example)
5: Young unproven (already drafted) Tender via trade. (Subban for example)
6: Top NHL Proven talent via UFA this summer or next (Stamkos/Tavares)

No goalies are projected to go first round, therefore drafting a starting goalie this year seems out of the picture.

Click to read more...

 

[Canada4Gold]

D, prefereably RD

and there's so much wrong with that last sentence of the OP. Carter Hart in the 2nd round seems like a massive yes please. You can get good goalies outside of the 1st round, in fact most of them get picked outside the first round, because they're tough to project at 18. Rarely do you see a Carey Price these days.

 

[TankNationTillDeath]

D, prefereably RD

and there's so much wrong with that last sentence of the OP. Carter Hart in the 2nd round seems like a massive yes please. You can get good goalies outside of the 1st round, in fact most of them get picked outside the first round, because they're tough to project at 18. Rarely do you see a Carey Price these days.

I think that's my point. It's an oxymoron stating top priority would be to rely on a tendie not of superstar projection, too high of a gamble, even if they did draft a Hart I'd still think they may try for a proven #1 tender in 1-2 years.

 

[7even]

No goalies are projected to go first round, therefore drafting a starting goalie this year seems out of the picture.

Starting goaltenders are frequently available from the second round solidly through the seventh.

 

[as Pure as Evil]

ill say keep drafting and let us get our own top tier defence core and the next big thing for a goalie.

 

[Christ]

Keep drafting best player available. Hopefully we pick a goaltender/defenseman in there somewhere who fills one of our needs. Goaltenders are a crapshoot, pretty hard to guess who will thrive and who will wilt, good chance of landing a good to great one after the first round.

 

[Mess]

I got this !!!!

1) JVR to Winnipeg for Trouba
2) Komarov to Washington for G prospect Ilya Samsonov
3) Sign UFA winger Jimmy Vessey and Dman Nikita Zaitsev
Assuming we don't have a top 3 pick.

Draft Chychrun

Rielly -- Trouba
Gardner -- Chychrun
Zaitsev --- Dermott

as our top 6 in the future with goalie Samsonov in net.

 

[613Leafer]

Multiple of these.

Hopefully we would:

-draft a dman with the Pens 1st
-draft a top goalie prospect with our 2nd
-explore the trade market with valuable pieces of ours like Komarov, JVR, and maybe Kadri to see what almost NHL ready high potential or youngish NHL RHD/G could be acquired

None of these things are guaranteed, so having multiple high potential options in the pipeline at various stages of development should help solidify the situation. The forward group should be fine longterm if we either draft one with our 1st or sign Stamkos, either one would be adding a big piece to an already deep longterm forward group.

 

[gabeliscious]

I got this !!!!

1) JVR to Winnipeg for Trouba
2) Komarov to Washington for G prospect Ilya Samsonov
3) Sign UFA winger Jimmy Vessey and Dman Nikita Zaitsev
Assuming we don't have a top 3 pick.

Draft Chychrun

Rielly -- Trouba
Gardner -- Chychrun
Zaitsev --- Dermott

as our top 6 in the future with goalie Samsonov in net.

no stamkos?

 

[Mess]

no stamkos?

Listening to McKenzie/Dreger on TSN insiders this seems to be only a remote possibility Stammer lands in Leafland.

 

[thewave]

Package UFA picks and whatever to get a top 4D in here ASAP.

 

[Fogelhund]

I got this !!!!

1) JVR to Winnipeg for Trouba
2) Komarov to Washington for G prospect Ilya Samsonov
3) Sign UFA winger Jimmy Vessey and Dman Nikita Zaitsev
Assuming we don't have a top 3 pick.

Draft Chychrun

Rielly -- Trouba
Gardner -- Chychrun
Zaitsev --- Dermott

as our top 6 in the future with goalie Samsonov in net.

Chychrun is a LHD I believe.. and probably not the pick that will happen if we get unlucky enough to drop to fourth.

As far as Dermott... interesting prediction, but then there is Valiev, Nielsen, Corrado and a host of others that could fill those spots, and I doubt it is easy for anyone to predict who could fill these rolls.

Trouba sounds like an interesting move though.

-----------------------

As far as the OP is concerned... It really depends on which player we get. If we get Matthews, we might still need elite wingers, but most certainly a top line RHD, maybe even an elite #1D... as good as Rielly is, he isn't that... yet. Plus of course we will need a goalie... but they can be drafted in latter rounds, and are a gamble at best most of the time. If we get one of the Finns... we might just need a #1C still as well.

 

[saltming]

I got this !!!!

1) JVR to Winnipeg for Trouba
2) Komarov to Washington for G prospect Ilya Samsonov
3) Sign UFA winger Jimmy Vessey and Dman Nikita Zaitsev
Assuming we don't have a top 3 pick.

Draft Chychrun

Rielly -- Trouba
Gardner -- Chychrun
Zaitsev --- Dermott

as our top 6 in the future with goalie Samsonov in net.

Make it so #1.

 

[Menzinger]

I think people over emphasize The whole RHD issue - plenty of guys play off their preferred side.

At the moment a bluechip defencemen and Centre prospects should be the main focus - we can always trade for a goalie once the team's defence and forward positions are set.

 

[Doc300c]

I got this !!!!

1) JVR to Winnipeg for Trouba
2) Komarov to Washington for G prospect Ilya Samsonov
3) Sign UFA winger Jimmy Vessey and Dman Nikita Zaitsev
Assuming we don't have a top 3 pick.

Draft Chychrun

Rielly -- Trouba
Gardner -- Chychrun
Zaitsev --- Dermott

as our top 6 in the future with goalie Samsonov in net.

#1 I'd do it depending on the rest of the trade
#2 Would be hard to swallow but, I could see us doing that maybe next year at the draft when Komorov only has 1 season left or the following TD when he only has a third of the season left on his contract. ( Washington wont have much cap space available unless we retain some of his contract)
#3 Seems like its going to happen anyway.

LHD -- RHD
Rielly -- Trouba
Gardiner -- Zaitsev
Chychrun -- Dermott

I like they way you think. Now to race over to the JVR for Trouba thread and see how horrible the Jets fans thing this trade is.

 

[Doc300c]

#1 I'd do it depending on the rest of the trade
#2 Would be hard to swallow but, I could see us doing that maybe next year at the draft when Komorov only has 1 season left or the following TD when he only has a third of the season left on his contract. ( Washington wont have much cap space available unless we retain some of his contract)
#3 Seems like its going to happen anyway.

LHD -- RHD
Rielly -- Trouba
Gardiner -- Zaitsev
Chychrun -- Dermott

I like they way you think. Now to race over to the JVR for Trouba thread and see how horrible the Jets fans thing this trade is.

JVR + Nylander for Trouba .... Forget what I said above .... I don't want Trouba anymore

 

[BertCorbeau]

The need for a legit #1 d-man still looms

But at the same time the Leafs should still be going after high end skill if it's the BPA

 

[Faltorvo]

Kinda a trick question but once you look past the white noise , the answer is very simple

Landing star UFA players like Stammer,Tavs asset free.

See, you stipulated the word "PRIORITY" , meaning first-top of the list

In our current timeline the first PRIORITY decision that we will/might have to make is

go/no go on stammer.

So with that said

UFA stammer 1rst and top priority this summer.

 

[bigcotch]

BPA - everytime

 

[Leafidelity]

In a perfect world, you're looking for another stud defensive prospect. If they draft another forward this year, that answer only becomes more clear.

Imagine adding a Hanifin calibre prospect to a Rielly/Marner/Nylander/Mathews group?

Its not hard to believe they'll be picking high again in 2017

 

[Stephen]

I'd start working hard on stocking defensemen, but you can't ignore other franchise forwards if they're falling into your lap either.

 

[Tigerarmy]

I'd start working hard on stocking defensemen, but you can't ignore other franchise forwards if they're falling into your lap either.

Have to keep drafting Best Player Available but we need to draft a #1 C, hopefully Matthews, a #1 D and a #1 goalie are are biggest priorities as an organization going forwrd

 

[Durrr]

Gota disagree with the poll majority, but this will be the 4th top 10 pick for this team in 5 years, and it's time to start seeing what w have and constructing a real team. If we draft a forward this year, we should be moving our attention to finding a real #1/2 to play with Rielly and looking for some young depth at goal.

This team cannot afford to do what Edmonton did, and just pray that the next draft will address the current needs (especially with goaltending), when in reality the next draft probably couldn't address those needs for 3-5 years anyways.

This doesn't mean you don't draft the BPA at the draft itself, but I'm really hoping this team has enough sense not to just pray for an instant home run through the draft. If our need is young goaltending prospects of right handed D, pay from strengths and sacrifice futures (picks). I wouldn't be affraid to move the 1st pick after this season either if it looks like the core will pan out (Rielly, Marner, Nylander, 2016 1st). I also wouldn't hesitate to pay to move up in this draft with the Pen's pick if they felt they could get that top D prospect.

 

[Durrr]

JVR + Nylander for Trouba .... Forget what I said above .... I don't want Trouba anymore

Doesn't Trouba have like 13 points this season so far?

 

[TankNationTillDeath]

I'd start working hard on stocking defensemen, but you can't ignore other franchise forwards if they're falling into your lap either.

Honestly I don't understand the lack of apparent need for a goaltender for this team to currently build around.

Our D has enough depth right now for a great goaltender to make them all look like studs.

I'd say simply because we have Babcock that only true need is a goaltender, who not only plays well under the structure, but can also steal games (Reimer/Bernier cannot, and no one in our system can).