Leafs 2015 Offseason plan
Leafs need to retool, not rebuild. They have good, young pieces in place and are therefore further along in a rebuild than a team starting from scratch. Bottoming out this season would be bad for development, however a pick in the 5-10 range could still net them a very good prospect (Rantanen, Barzal, Marner, Strome, Zacha).
TOR: Phaneuf (1 mil retain)
DAL: Ritchie, 2nd round pick 2014
Dallas gets a borderline #1 defenseman, doesn't give up a first round pick, and Toronto keeps some salary. Toronto gets a burgeoning young power forward, a solid pick in a deep draft, and an opening for Morgan Rielly to pick up more meaningful minutes, while also making the Leafs bad enough to secure top 10 pick.
TOR: Bozak, Gardiner
COL: O' Reilly, Bigras/2nd rounder
Colorado gets a talented young defenseman locked up for 5 more seasons and a two way forward who could play anywhere in the top 9. Toronto gets a homegrown two-way player (Grapes should be happy), and a good prospect in either Bigras or the pick.
TOR: Lupul
NSH: Kamenev, 2nd round pick 2016 (conditional on GP by Lupul)
Nashville gets a top-6 forward to help with their playoff push. Toronto gets a big, talented prospect and a decent draft pick that comes with insurance for Nashville. Deal made in offseason, as Leafs still need bodies to play out the rest of this year somewhat competitively.
TOR: Reimer
EDM: Petry, 2nd round pick 2016 if Petry leaves in offseason
Reimer has been a solid #1 behind a terrible defensive team before; Edmonton gets a slightly more proven #1 goaltender in exchange for a pending UFA. Toronto gets a solid two-way blueliner; if he walks, then they get a solid draft pick to aid in rebuilding the prospect pool. Deal made in offseason, as no current UFA goalies worth signing to a contract.
Re-sign Kadri for 5 years, 22 mil (4.4)
Re-sign Santorelli 3 years, 8.25 mil (2.75)
Re-sign Winnik 2 years, 3 mil (1.5)
Re-sign Bernier 5 years, 25 mil (5)
Re-sign Franson 4 years, 20 mil (5)
Re-sign Petry 4 years, 14 mil (3.5)
Sign UFA like Methot/Martin to 4 year, 20 mil deal (5)
Sign UFA Enroth to 2 year, 4 mil deal (2)
JVR - Kadri - Kessel --> Kadri is an underrated top line player whose numbers would undoubtedly increase playing with offensive talent like Kessel and JVR. In addition, Kadri's strong possession numbers and burgeoning two-way game would hopefully rub off on lax defensive players like JVR and Kessel.
Santorelli - O'Reilly - Clarkson --> All 3 of O'Reilly, Santorelli and Clarkson play a two-way, checking and forechecking game that would be like a more offensively skilled 3rd line (talent of a second line, heart of a 4th line). Both Santorelli and O'Reilly play a cycle and possession game, which would hopefully kickstart Clarkson and put him in a role he's more comfortable with.
Ritchie - Holland - Panik --> A young line with some size and skill, these 3 players are low on experience but could be broken up and mixed with the 4th line players, as all 6 of the Leafs' new bottom-6 players are talented and versatile enough to play throughout the lineup.
Winnik - McKegg/Carrick - Komarov --> A line made purely for grinding and agitating. Winnik is a skilled penalty killer, Komarov is great for team chemistry, and this line could be counted on for 10-13 solid minutes of hockey every night, giving the Leafs 4 great lines for the first time in a long time.
Franson - Methot/Martin --> Franson has improved his game greatly, and his hardly frequent defensive lapses could be covered up by the stay-at-home prowess of a player like Methot. However, both players are still mobile and could be adept at clearing the zone with a quick first pass.
Petry - Rielly --> With Rielly blossoming into a star, he needs a solid shutdown partner to hide defensive mistakes and let him work his magic on the offensive end. Petry also gives the Leafs a right handed defenseman that can be used on both the power play and penalty kill while putting up solid possession numbers.
Polak - Percy --> Percy really impressed the Leafs in his audition this season with his heady two-way play and smart decision making skills. These pairings give the Leafs at least one right-handed defender on every pairing, a rarity in today's NHL and a good sign for its versatility.
Bernier
Enroth
Leaves Leafs with a team that can shut down opponents, has a nice mix of veterans and youngsters, and a decent amount of cap space without having to rush the top prospects like Nylander, Brown, Gauthier, or Finn.