No offense, but I see a lot of optimism in threads.
I see a lot of optimism in everybody else's threads about everybody else's players and prospects except the Leafs.
Dermott is already on this year's team, so effectively the Leafs would be losing Muzzin and having the replacement on the roster be a guy on an ELC.
That's one way to look at it I guess, even though that prospect wouldn't be expected to fill that role that is being lost.
A highly thought of prospect - sure. But highly thought of prospects either bust, or take time to develop a hell of a lot more often than they immediately contribute.
Highly thought of defensive prospects either bust or take a ton of time to contribute after making the NHL? I don't agree with that. Have you looked around the league? They may hit their primes later, but they can still contribute,
especially in, once again, a bottom pairing role.
People vastly overrate the quality of the average bottom pairing defenseman. Was Tampa doomed by Sergachev and Cernak playing roles on their team in their season that challenges for all-time best ever? Was Boston doomed by McAvoy joining them as a teenager, only to become their #1 D? Were the Leafs doomed when they added Dermott? Is Colorado doomed? They just traded away the guy who led their D in ice time by 5 minutes in the playoffs to go all-in on a bunch of ELC guys in much bigger roles, but I see no talk about them.
I just hope the organization has the pipeline ready to supply cheap contributors going forward.
All current indications are that they do. Their 2 best prospects are in their biggest position of need. They have 1-2 good, young goalie prospects. They have a top winger prospect. The only place they arguably lack a high-end prospect is center, and they have two of the best centers in the world locked up for the next 5+ years.
That's the best part. They don't need any of their guys to be the next great thing (even though they very well could be), because they already have those guys on their team with term in their prime.