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If the Leafs wanted Werenski and it was actually possible to get him, moving Rielly and Joshua frees up over 10m. its not that hard.
They also have assets to make a deal, its whether they want to pony up or not.They havent moved Rielly yet, I assume because the offers have not been enticing enough. But i dont doubt he could be moved.
but it sounds like Werenski toss water on that fire and its out…so move onThe Rielly soap opera is getting annoying. The Leafs are slightly over the Cap, but moving Rielly would alleviate that problem. It still would leave them about $7M under the Cap. The Leafs should call it a day on the trade front, unless there’s an opportunity to move Rielly for a 2nd rounder somewhere. Still, the defense is vulnerable. One key injury and it falls apart.
If the Leafs want to trade for Zach Werenski, they shouldn’t sell the youth to do so. He’s 28 and at best, has 10 years left. He’s at his peak right now. A package like Rielly, Stolarz and the Colorado 1st is as much as they should consider paying. Keep the current core, keep the young core and add to the back end. The bottom 6 looks set as does the top 6. Defense is where they need to upgrade the most. Werenski should be the target.
Just need that top 4 defenseman and move Rielly. They seemed to have filled out most of their roster today. They still should look for an upgrade at 2C or 3C. Some of these small, quick teams are going to get a lesson next year. They can play firewagon hockey, but they’ll struggle against bigger, tougher opponents. The Leafs and Habs are built totally different. Detroit, Boston and Ottawa may be the 3 teams out of the playoffs. Boston will be life and death to get in. Tampa may finally take a step back. In the West, a new juggernaut has appeared in San Jose. They’re going to make a lot of trouble this year.
OK, now that Bobrovsky is in the fold, the Leafs need to beef up on the bottom 6. Boon Jenner for 3C should be the next domino. Also make the trade for Rielly and backfill with a better, tougher defenseman, in free agency. It’s time to get tougher to take on the Panthers, who now are the most goonish team in recent history. The Atlantic is going to be a battlefield, every night.
Honestly, B Tkafack isnt that effective imo. He’ll be injured soon enough.
That may be so, but Florida have a tough, experience lineup. They will rebound. After 2 straight years of going to the Cup finals, they had to wear down from too much play. Many of those players competed in the 4 Nations Cup and the Olympics. They played allot of hockey. The same could be said for the Leafs. They played allot of hockey too, but not as much as Florida. Being in Toronto can drag down a player because of the 24/7 scrutiny. It amazes me that a player can be canonized for years, then they become an anchor, then scorned. You don’t get that in many other markets. When players leave the arena, they blend in with the citizenry and nobody notices them. In Canada, they’re recognized most of the time and their privacy is often nonexistent. The upside is the adulation when you’re winning and producing. It’s quite a rollercoaster ride. Anyway, my digression got the best of me. I’m hoping that Chayka is looking for another upgrade or two for the defense. A second line center is also required. The Leafs can throw out two potent lines, but the bottom 6 need to be puck hounds and aggressive. If this team is to contend for a playoff spot, in the toughest division in hockey, they need to get off to a fast start. Last season, they got off to a poor start. What made it worse, was the schedule. It was top heavy with too many home games at the beginning of the season. Once they got off to the poor start, it was uphill because the majority of their games were on the road after Christmas. The last part of the schedule saw them do 3 west coast road trips, and with injury issues, they couldn’t catch up. Add to that, it was a compressed schedule because of the Olympics. The Leafs need to be 3 games over .500 after 10 games. If they can’t achieve this, they’ll miss the playoffs again this year. Too many good teams in the division and it’s too hard to jump over them, once the season trends happen.
But why do the Leafs need Hayton and why does Utah want to get rid of him? Chayka draftees mostly suck. Look at Maccelli.
He’s not really a shutdown center, he’s 26 so he’s not super high on potential and he had 10 goals, 25 points. And that’s WITH 2 min of PP time per game. That’s a giant meh. And an RFA.
I don’t see the benefit or the point in giving up assets to acquire Hayton unless Utah takes back Maccelli or Robertson as a 1 for 1 swap of RFAs.
Blueger would be lower on my list but an option if the others disappear. Would much prefer Jenner, Sissons, Acciari and Stenlund. All 4 could probably be signed for 12 million.
With Florida bulking up, the Leafs better take this in consideration when they make a deal. Yes, the Leafs have to get younger, but they need to get harder to play against. Move off of Robertson and Maccelli. They’re just guys who score when the game is out of reach, either way.
I still like the Mason McTavish angle. The Leafs really need a 2nd line center and McTavish fits the bill. That Colorado 1st for Roy and a 2nd pairing defenseman gets it done. McTavish is only 23, the same age as Knies. That is the next tier of Leafs top end talent, if that can be done. Losing a top 4 defenseman isn’t a huge loss, when you can backfill in free agency. If the Leafs do go sideways, again this year, then you move the two big dogs and get your boatload of draft picks and young talent for a real rebuild. Having Knies, McTavish and McKenna on cheap deals for 3 years gets you to a fast rebuild.
All I can tell you, the Atlantic is going to be a war zone. Any one of the 8 teams could squeeze into the playoffs. Florida and the Leafs had major injuries on their roster last year. Florida could very well climb back up to the top, but they could also have injuries and fight for a playoff spot. Leafs aren’t done yet, in regards to making a splash in free agency. They really need to evaluate the Knies possible trade. They must keep him, unless they get a top 6 pick and a second first rounder. The price that Brady got was obscene and Knies is younger and not a bullshit artist. The Leafs should get a good return for him, if they go down that road. I’m fine with keeping him for the start of the season. If the Leafs were to fade, then all bets are off and then you could entertain moving him. I’d rather see Nylander moved and possibly Matthews. But it depends what’s available in a trade. It’s one big dogs breakfast in the Atlantic. I figure Detroit goes dead last so the deck chairs are going to get moved quite a bit. Boston really hasn’t done anything, so they too might be ready to go south for a year. Going to be an interesting year.
I think the Sens are in a great spot. Brady was acting like a mercenary and needed to be sent packing. All of that draft capital and cap space make it possible to fill multiple holes. They’re now where Buffalo was 2 years ago. Just on the cusp and with the right moves, put themselves in contention for a top 3 spot in the Atlantic. Buffalo won it last year, but seem to be shedding players that they can’t afford. Tampa and Florida are getting older. Boston is just treading water. Detroit seems to be in a shambles with Larkin wanting out. Leafs are retooling and not sure where they’re heading. Montreal will be the team to beat this year, after a run to the Conference final. They too have a wealth of young talent and with Carolina winning their Cup Championship, they might lose a bit of the edge. The Metro is putrid and really not a threat, with the exception of Carolina. It’s going to be a battle this year, with most of the Atlantic ready to fight to the death. Ottawa is in the mix. Good luck.
