Trade and Free Agent Discussion Thread - 2018/2019 Season v9 - Deadline Looming

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nuck

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Aug 18, 2005
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I am of the belief that Zaitsev wouldn't be too hard to deal like some think. He is a useful defenseman and would plug into many teams top 4 throughout the league on a cap hit that only handcuffs the Leafs as it does. Many teams can use his presence and take on his cap hit to plug into their top 4.

It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to retain $1M to open up more options to move him. Without the NT I would be inclined to see how he might look long term beside Muzzin but you can't mess around with a player you might not want to keep, and then be handcuffed on whether he lets you deal him.
 

GBLeaf

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Feb 13, 2014
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England, GB.
Nashville sounding like favourites to pick up Duchene, potentially long-term.

Could put them in a situation whereby going forward, they may need to move a well paid D-man. Ellis/PK?

In a years time... if Leafs can remove Marleau, Z, Gardiner and replace them internally. Wonder if it's something that could be done?
 

WTFMAN99

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Jun 17, 2009
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Nashville sounding like favourites to pick up Duchene, potentially long-term.

Could put them in a situation whereby going forward, they may need to move a well paid D-man. Ellis/PK?

In a years time... if Leafs can remove Marleau, Z, Gardiner and replace them internally. Wonder if it's something that could be done?

I've heard Nashville is a possible landing spot. Didn't hear anything about it being a long term option. They have Turris locked in. Although it would be kind of funny if they traded Turris back to Ottawa for Duchene.

Ottawa could have just re-signed Turris and kept the 1st overall pick LOL.



Just piggy backing off McKenzie speculating yesterday.
 

Cor

I am a bot
Jun 24, 2012
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Dermott - McQuaid would be a fine bottom pairing with Gardiner-Rielly, and Muzzin-Zaitsev as the top four.

However, we have Hainsey already, who brings just as similar, if not better, results as McQuaid.

We have Oz, Marincin, Rosen, Holl who could all enter the lineup in a pinch, so we don't really need to give up assets for McQuaid to be a depth guy.


Just doesn't make sense unless Hainsey or Zaitsev are leaving.
 

Buds17

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Nov 29, 2015
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I think if that happens we have 2 months to figure it out. I'd start off with replacing Hainsey with Rielly and rolling Rielly - Muzzin or Mussin - Rielly on the top pair, Dermott-Zaitsev on the second and Gardiner-McQuaid on the 3rd and go from there. Hainsey's not a 1st pairing defenseman - that's obvious to everyone. At 38 come postseason, he will struggle. It comes down to either McQuaid vs Hainsey or McQuaid vs Zaitsev, and my guess is that Babcock likes Zaitsev more than Hainsey on that 2nd pairing in the playoffs.

I was hoping the Muzzin-Rielly pairing would've been long term. Maybe Babcock doesn't like either on their off hand side enough for that, or maybe it is something he'll eventually return to. I'd certainly hope Muzzin is a key cog on the blueline come playoff time though, in any fashion.

I can see the appeal in a McQuaid in that he's a RHD and very familiar with the Toronto-Boston playoff series that might very well be happening again. He hasn't played as many games this season as Hainsey (or Zaitsev) though, so I don't know if he's the answer we're looking for.
 
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ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
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That's what I think will happen - he'll experiment and see what works best. You can't argue with results - if McQuaid sucks and Hainsey outperforms him, then so be it. He'd be under heavy fire in the postseason though if we're getting run all the time, Hainsey is completely gassed (he was last year), and McQuaid isn't even in the lineup.

Z has no net presence. Constantly loses battles in front of Freddy. I would have no problem replacing him with McQuaid unless McQuaid proves to be a dud in Blue and White.

Rielly Hainsey
Mussin Dermott
Gards McQuaid
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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I was hoping the Muzzin-Rielly pairing would've been long term. Maybe Babcock doesn't like either on their off hand side enough for that, or maybe it is something he'll eventually return to. I'd certainly hope Muzzin is a key cog on the blueline come playoff time though, in any fashion.

I can see the appeal in a McQuaid in that he's a RHD and he's very familiar with the Toronto-Boston playoff series that might very well be happening again. He hasn't played as many games this season as Hainsey (or Zaitsev) though, so I don't know if he's the answer we're looking for.

The answer is a top 4 RHD (Hamilton, Pesce, Montour, Manson etc.) but is one available and is Dubas willing to pay the asking price? McQuaid is the duct tape answer who might give us the best return on investment.
 
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SeaOfBlue

The Passion That Unites Us All
Aug 1, 2013
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Z has no net presence. Constantly loses battles in front of Freddy. I would have no problem replacing him with McQuaid unless McQuaid proves to be a dud in Blue and White.

Rielly Hainsey
Mussin Dermott
Gards McQuaid

You should, because besides that physical presence, he's far worse than Zaitsev in pretty much every area imaginable. He has not been anything more than a #7 in the past few years, but yet he's supposed to replace a guy who is at worst a mediocre #4?

If we cared so much about bringing in a net-front presence, we would have kept Polak instead of giving Ozhiganov a chance. Also the cap does not work. McQuaid makes 2.75 mill this year when he's worth like 1/3 of that. We can't afford to do that without someone going out.
 

Buds17

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Nov 29, 2015
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The answer is a top 4 RHD (Hamilton, Pesce, Montour, Manson etc.) but is one available and is Dubas willing to pay the asking price? McQuaid is the duct tape answer who might give us the best return on investment.

Going to be tough (though not impossible) to add that top four RHD without subtracting (much?) from the team. McQuaid depends on NYR's ask and where in the lineup one sees him fitting in. He is a RHD on a selling team.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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You should, because besides that physical presence, he's far worse than Zaitsev in pretty much every area imaginable. He has not been anything more than a #7 in the past few years, but yet he's supposed to replace a guy who is at worst a mediocre #4?

If we cared so much about bringing in a net-front presence, we would have kept Polak instead of giving Ozhiganov a chance. Also the cap does not work. McQuaid makes 2.75 mill this year when he's worth like 1/3 of that. We can't afford to do that without someone going out.

You make good points about the money but I am not sure about the rest. Polak was crap last year and is crap this year. His skating and icings are liabilities. With each icing expect the Bruins to send out the Bergeron line. The closer were are getting to the TDL, more and more people are reporting that Leafs are interested in McQuaid. Could it be the Leafs playing one team off against another in order to lower the asking price ?? Could a deal be in the works for Z ? No idea time will tell.
 

Budsfan

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Sep 17, 2006
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Kadri, Holl and Ennis for McQuaid and Ryan Strome

McQuaid gives us a good RHD and his contract is up at the end of the season, so his cap hit would be gone in the off-season, or if a trade is made for Zaitsev, he can fill in at a reasonable cap hit and adding Strome would fill in for Kadri.
Cap numbers are close but it gives us options for the off season, Ennis is a UFA and Holl should be easily replaced.
 

WTFMAN99

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Jun 17, 2009
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Kadri, Holl and Ennis for McQuaid and Ryan Strome

McQuaid gives us a good RHD and his contract is up at the end of the season, so his cap hit would be gone in the off-season, or if a trade is made for Zaitsev, he can fill in at a reasonable cap hit and adding Strome would fill in for Kadri.
Cap numbers are close but it gives us options for the off season, Ennis is a UFA and Holl should be easily replaced.


****** No.
 

dubplatepressure

Registered User
Jul 10, 2007
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Other than Dermott for Polak, our RHD is the same as the one the Bruins shredded last year. That concerns me.

It's just odd to me that Babcock isn't playing Muzzin more on the top pair. Why wear a dude down more than you have to? Too small of a sample size to get an accurate impression of Muzzin - Rielly and counterproductive to postseason success if you plan on making Hainsey play a top-4 role. I guess we'll see what happens over the next couple months. I don't entirely buy the whole Babs-is-stubborn just yet.

We have Washington in 2 days, would be great to trial a new RHD in the lineup for that one.
 

43Kadri43

Registered User
Jun 15, 2017
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Kadri, Holl and Ennis for McQuaid and Ryan Strome

McQuaid gives us a good RHD and his contract is up at the end of the season, so his cap hit would be gone in the off-season, or if a trade is made for Zaitsev, he can fill in at a reasonable cap hit and adding Strome would fill in for Kadri.
Cap numbers are close but it gives us options for the off season, Ennis is a UFA and Holl should be easily replaced.

That’s one of the worst proposals I’ve ever seen
 

Walshy7

Registered User
Sep 18, 2016
25,326
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Toronto
Would you if you could?

Leafs
Ekblad

Panthers
Nylander, Liligren, 2020 2nd

Then

Leafs
2019 1st, Reaves

Knights
Gardiner

absolutely not. the panthers deal, are you a panthers fan?

possibly the vegas deal with a prospect added in
 

Judas Tavares

S2S (Sundin2Sandin)
Sponsor
Feb 9, 2007
10,163
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I wouldn’t mind going after Hayes as well. Kreider is a pipe dream, can’t afford the price. Hayes would come cheaper, but with his cap hit, we would need to unload Zaitsev and Brown on them.

So with Hayes + McQuaid’s value and then them taking Zaitsev off our hands, we would have to toss more cookies their way than we would want. Especially when we are getting two pending UFAs.

Zaitsev
Brown
Min price contract for cap
++++++

Hayes
McQuaid

Nice premise, but the +s would make this undoable.
 

SprDaVE

Moderator
Sep 20, 2008
51,545
32,304
Eh. I've brought him up a thousand times, but Jensen is cheap for cap reasons. He's the only rental I could see them going up.

Maybe oz + 3rd?

But then who is he bumping out? Hainsey isn't sitting. Dermott sitting seems very unlikely to sit but he's the only one that would get out of the lineup really.

I don't see the point of adding Jensen without someone from the top 6 traded out.
 
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