Trades and Free Agency 2021 | Trade Deadline 6 weeks away

[SeaOfBlue]

I too would love Staal at 50% retained as our 3rd line C. Where I would still like an upgrade is at wing position next to Tavares. We need another winger with size. How about we ask for Okposo as part of the deal with salary retained there as well. Have Buffalo retain 50% there as well and now we are talking. We add size on wing next to Tavares who was successful with him previously. And we add size at 3C. Everyone else moves down a slot and we become deeper.

Thornton-Matthews-Marner
Okposo-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Staal-Hyman
Simmonds-Spezza-Micheyev

If Micheyev needs to be included in deal along with Engvall. The Leafs should still do it:

Thornton-Matthews-Marner
Okposo-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Staal-Hyman
Simmonds-Spezza-Vesey/Boyd

Buffalo gets to youngish NHL ready forwards at reasonable contracts in Engvall and Micheyev. They pay 50% of both Staal and Okposo for durations of their contracts. Okposo if he doesnt work out slides down to 4th line at reasonable cost next season.

Okposo is barely good enough for a 4th line job right now and would make 3 mill even with 50% retained. He effectively is another Lucic, so even with 50% retention, he has major negative value.

 

[Critical13]

Out of forwards who have played at least 15 minutes this year (166 forwards):

CA/60 - 149th
xGA/60 - 144th
GA/60 - 160th
SCA/60 - 143rd
HDCA/60 - 109th

Our worst PKer is in the 70's in pretty much all of those categories, and that is Spezza (whose main job is to just take draws and get off anyways).

Last year for guys who have played at least 50 minutes (which is all Granlund played on the PK last year) for a total of 173 forwards:

CA/60 - 91st
xGA/60 - 143rd
GA/60 - 91st
SCA/60 - 4oth
HDCA/60 - 78th

So definitely not an excellent PKer, and arguably not even a good PKer. I am not sure he is good enough to crack our PK rotation right now.

In a lot of ways, Granlund is a lot like Galchenyuk. Both have not been centers for 6 years now, they have struggled to produce for 3 straight years (based on their roles), and neither are great defensively. Granlund doesn't have the character issues, but Galchenyuk is already here, is cheaper, and we can send him up and down without waiving him so might as well just give Galchenyuk whatever chances you would have given Granlund.

there goes that idea.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I wouldn't mind double dipping with either the Preds or Redwings. Haula+Cousins or Namestnikov+Ryan

Thornton-Matthews-Marner
Ryan-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Namestnikov-Hyman
Soup-Spezza-Simmonds

Thornton-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Haula-Soup
Cousins-Spezza-Simmonds

Namestnikov is not an upgrade on Kerfoot as a 3C, and I would rather have Mikheyev as a 3rd line winger than him. Ryan is fine if we are going for a wing upgrade, but he would be low down on the list of priorities. The Leafs would probably better off going after a 3C and putting Kerfoot in that 2LW spot instead.

I like Haula. Cousins is fine too but I feel like he would just end up being a less physical, more pesty version of Clifford, which doesn't really help us too much. He doesn't really hit anyone, and he is not particularly effective in tight either. He just likes to get under people's skin. The issue is that he is not really good enough for the other team to care about it, so they will either just leave him alone and let him take a penalty, or get some large guy on their 4th line to beat his face in. We have better guys to put on our 4th line.

 

[Cor]

Yeah, Staal might be top acquisition want.

 

[123offtheglass]

Some names:
Boone Jenner
Colton Sissons
Vladislav Namestnikov
Miles Wood
Alex Iafallo
Rickard Rakell
Kyle Palmieri
Tanner Pearson
Mikael Granlund
Mattias Janmark
Lawson Crouse

 

[LeafChief]

Eric Craig Staal.

 

[Joel Ward]

I'd definitely be interested in Staal to play 3C either at the deadline or on a cheap free-agent deal. If Kerfoot is a winger going forward, it's time to move on. $3.5M for his production from the wing is too expensive for this team this year and next.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

I think staal would be a huge add for us. Seems to match up almost perfectly with what we’re looking for

 

[Menzinger]

Staal could probably be had for fairly cheap. Play him with younger, faster wingers and he'd be able to drive the line in terms of puck distribution.

Getzlaf would be interesting too

 

[WTFMAN99]

Staal could probably be had for fairly cheap. Play him with younger, faster wingers and he'd be able to drive the line in terms of puck distribution.

Getzlaf would be interesting too

Not really possible

 

[Kiwi]

Staal could probably be had for fairly cheap. Play him with younger, faster wingers and he'd be able to drive the line in terms of puck distribution.

Getzlaf would be interesting too

Tough to make that work cap wise, one of the reasons Staal is so attractive as an option is we can fit him without taking anything useful from the roster

 

[Menzinger]

Tough to make that work cap wise, one of the reasons Staal is so attractive as an option is we can fit him without taking anything useful from the roster

I thought Getz was making way less for some reason (thought he was around 5 million)

 

[WTFMAN99]

I thought Getz was making way less for some reason (thought he was around 5 million)

I thought around 6 the other night but tried and yea...not possible.

 

[MarMarSab3]

Reilly + Engvall
For
Ristolainen + Staal

 

[Kiwi]

I thought Getz was making way less for some reason (thought he was around 5 million)

A lot of those types of guys make more than you imagine, when I looked it up I was shocked he was making that much

He would have been a great addition though

Reilly + Engvall
For
Ristolainen + Staal

Hell no, I want Staal but I wouldn't touch Ristolainen with a 10 foot pole and I worry what Rielly leaving would do to the room

The team seems to be in a positive place right now so removing somebody in the leadership group has some risk of backfiring

 

[TheShape]

I'm on the Staal train as well but there is definitely going to be a bidding war. Let's not forget the 14 day quarantine rule also.

Dubas almost always makes his moves early, I'd expect something in the coming weeks.

 

[meefer]

A lot of those types of guys make more than you imagine, when I looked it up I was shocked he was making that much

He would have been a great addition though



Hell no, I want Staal but I wouldn't touch Ristolainen with a 10 foot pole and I worry what Rielly leaving would do to the room

The team seems to be in a positive place right now so removing somebody in the leadership group has some risk of backfiring

An important point which needs to be recognized by Keefe and transferred to Dubas, which I'm sure it has. There's a resilience to this group which I haven't seen from a Leaf team in a long time.

 

[Knies iT]

My only concern with Staal is the foot speed. A C spine of: Matthews-Tavares-Staal-Spezza with Thornton as a top 9LW is molasses slow.

Otherwise, he checks a lot of boxes and is a pending UFA who could be re-upped post expansion if Kerfoot gets snagged. He’s also a more vocal leader, which this team seems to gravitate towards.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Henrique is an interesting case. He's had a bad start this year and has been waived onto the taxi squad .. yet he has a contract extension (with a raise) that kicks in starting next year.

What's stranger is how bad the Ducks are, not like they're competing, that they'd bench him now.

With some good retention (25-50%) I wonder what that cost would look like.

Career-wise, Henrique is strong on the draw, has some offensive ability, can both PK and play the PP, and is moderately physical (not a tough guy, but doesn't shy away from contact).

A deal around him and Kerfoot could help upgrade the Leafs #3C for the next few years, and provide stability at that position through their competing window.

Of course cap space they still lingers as an issue and the risk that he doesn't improve his play. He's 31, so at the peak of his prime but in a sheltered #3C role that could play well until his contract is up.

 

[hamzarocks]

Kings are looking for a dynamic young LHD

I like Sandin quite a bit but am open to moving him if a trade comes along

From the kings what would people want for Sandin (I'm assuming Byfield and Turcotte are off the table for them)

A fan on the main boards offered Kupari + Clauge. Clauge has a lower ceiling than Sandin but should be a NHL-ready LHD I'm assuming as soon as next year. Kupari is a ppg+ player and is a center in the AHL. Is only 20 years old i believe

Assets I would be interested in are:

Vilardi, Clauge, Kupari, Akil Thomas, Kaliyev, Fagemo, and Kinds 2021 1st round pick

Which combination/singular piece from that list would make you think about dealing Sandin

 

[LeafChief]

Kings are looking for a dynamic young LHD

I like Sandin quite a bit but am open to moving him if a trade comes along

From the kings what would people want for Sandin (I'm assuming Byfield and Turcotte are off the table for them)

A fan on the main boards offered Kupari + Clauge. Clauge has a lower ceiling than Sandin but should be a NHL-ready LHD I'm assuming as soon as next year. Kupari is a ppg+ player and is a center in the AHL. Is only 20 years old i believe

Assets I would be interested in are:

Vilardi, Clauge, Kupari, Akil Thomas, Kaliyev, Fagemo, and Kinds 2021 1st round pick

Which combination/singular piece from that list would make you think about dealing Sandin

If you move Sandin and then lose one of Holl/Dermott in expansion, the depth on D starts to deteriorate pretty quick.

 

[hamzarocks]

If you move Sandin and then lose one of Holl/Dermott in expansion, the depth on D starts to deteriorate pretty quick.

That's a fair point though I think if we are getting back Clauge a NHL ready LHD along with say Kupari we might be able to absorb the move as Clauge seems like a good bet at being similar level player Holl was last year.

I do like sandin and risk being rielly potentially leaving does make it hard to move him.

Tough call. Kupari could be our 2C in 2022-2023 letting JT play wing.

Dubas probably waits to see what Sandin becomes with us having developed him the past 3 years

 

[Kiwi]

Henrique is an interesting case. He's had a bad start this year and has been waived onto the taxi squad .. yet he has a contract extension (with a raise) that kicks in starting next year.

What's stranger is how bad the Ducks are, not like they're competing, that they'd bench him now.

With some good retention (25-50%) I wonder what that cost would look like.

Career-wise, Henrique is strong on the draw, has some offensive ability, can both PK and play the PP, and is moderately physical (not a tough guy, but doesn't shy away from contact).

A deal around him and Kerfoot could help upgrade the Leafs #3C for the next few years, and provide stability at that position through their competing window.

Of course cap space they still lingers as an issue and the risk that he doesn't improve his play. He's 31, so at the peak of his prime but in a sheltered #3C role that could play well until his contract is up.

31, shown signs of decline making 5.8M for 3 more years after this one

Even at 50% retention I don't think I'd give anything up for him, There's to much risk for a guy that would be a sheltered 3rd line center

 

[WTFMAN99]

My only concern with Staal is the foot speed. A C spine of: Matthews-Tavares-Staal-Spezza with Thornton as a top 9LW is molasses slow.

Otherwise, he checks a lot of boxes and is a pending UFA who could be re-upped post expansion if Kerfoot gets snagged. He’s also a more vocal leader, which this team seems to gravitate towards.

Matthews isn't slow but not a burner. Spezza is RW now I believe

 

[aingefan]

Kings are looking for a dynamic young LHD

I like Sandin quite a bit but am open to moving him if a trade comes along

From the kings what would people want for Sandin (I'm assuming Byfield and Turcotte are off the table for them)

A fan on the main boards offered Kupari + Clauge. Clauge has a lower ceiling than Sandin but should be a NHL-ready LHD I'm assuming as soon as next year. Kupari is a ppg+ player and is a center in the AHL. Is only 20 years old i believe

Assets I would be interested in are:

Vilardi, Clauge, Kupari, Akil Thomas, Kaliyev, Fagemo, and Kinds 2021 1st round pick

Which combination/singular piece from that list would make you think about dealing Sandin

I’d move Dermott for an expansion exempt asset - ideally a responsible C - before moving Sandin, myself.
Theres the only the six spots on D, and Sandin looks like a good bet for 21-22 like Lili, pending a good healthy recovery.
Dermott being further along (in his development and earning curve) makes it an easy decision IMO.