JVR must go because the return will be glorious. You can get a 1st from a team that could possibly be bad enough to finish bottom 5 and/or a very good prospect.

Fans and the org (I hope) must realize any good player over the age of 23 on this team is useless now. The team must rebuild and the most important aspect of a rebuild is timing.... It's a clice but timing is everything.
- Mr_Smokey

id say 25 years old!

i will, but i dont think it will matter. Burkes 2-3 year rebuild had many 18 wheelers fall off many cliffs.
- Lee Denault

pffft, I'm way smarter than Burke...I would have never traded for Kessel if I'd watched him play first.

Yeah, please, stab us again.

fuc*&%^# Paul Holmgren
- puckhead17

that really worked out well for the leafs.

When JVR wants to play that is. same problems when he was in philly. without the injuries

i'd love it..but we won't get close to that. Id never say never but be amazed if they gave us jones straight for kessel. Id say wilson, a 1st and a prospect. that's always been my nasvhille deal.

but i'd love to take your deal! Jones is a stud who plays all situations. Has size and is 19. He's a corner stone of a team. it's a pipe dream.
- clark_griswold

In lieu of Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis would be a good target, as part of a package. He's small, but he has a good package of skills, can fill the void of Franson's loss (assuming he's being dealt....separately) on the powerplay, his advanced stats are exceptional, and he's locked in at 2.5 per for 4 more years.

Hmmm Colorado is within striking distance of a wild card spot and lost Johnson for 3 to 8 weeks.

In lieu of Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis would be a good target, as part of a package. He's small, but he has a good package of skills, can fill the void of Franson's loss (assuming he's being dealt....separately) on the powerplay, his advanced stats are exceptional, and he's locked in at 2.5 per for 4 more years.
- The Shrike

he's hurt...isn't he like 5'8"

I like my D big and burly and mean.

i will, but i dont think it will matter. Burkes 2-3 year rebuild had many 18 wheelers fall off many cliffs.
- Lee Denault

Burke didn't have the prime assets at the time. That Leafs team had bare cupboards, due to JFJ's trading of first round draft picks. There were no Kessels or Phaneufs on that team. We have a few good players that would help teams in contention. Winnipeg has a sh!tload of good prospects that you might be able to pry away, with the right deal, if they thought it would get them into the playoffs. Dallas, another one. Looking at California, LA looks like they could be in trouble, missing Voynov and needing to pay their up and coming young players. Anaheim must look at that situation and surmise that they need to bolster their roster to finally defeat LA. Doing so, gets them a ticket to the finals possibly.

I don't want to bet, but in the cap era it shouldn't take as long to rebuild.

Grabbing other teams cap crunch throw aways ( especially if we can shed $7m and $8m and grab a similar skilled ruffian )...plus a couple good picks in the next 2 or 3 years..plus what we have.
- Garnie

i was being hypothetical with a bet. it can definately be done in less but im talking full tear down (i dont like the players on this team. That's a broad statement but it's true. I don't see many if any on this team i'd want to go to war with). I want to build it piece by piece the right way. I've seen good runs in the 90's and 2000's but man the teams were always flawed. We've been lacking in certain positions for too long; corner stone positions.

it won't be easy i know..but it's got to be done. I think ppl will be dissapointed with the returns we get. Im prepared for it. And excited in a wierd way. Build a proper hockey team placing importance on the right positions.

id say 25 years old!
- Lee Denault

You keep JVR, unless you get an offer that you can't refuse.

Burke didn't have the prime assets at the time. That Leafs team had bare cupboards, due to JFJ's trading of first round draft picks. There were no Kessels or Phaneufs on that team. We have a few good players that would help teams in contention. Winnipeg has a sh!tload of good prospects that you might be able to pry away, with the right deal, if they thought it would get them into the playoffs. Dallas, another one. Looking at California, LA looks like they could be in trouble, missing Voynov and needing to pay their up and coming young players. Anaheim must look at that situation and surmise that they need to bolster their roster to finally defeat LA. Doing so, gets them a ticket to the finals possibly.
- PrinceLH

winnipeg in no way will trade one of their players. chevyldeoff doesn't make those kinds of trades. very boring GM, and its working for him

In lieu of Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis would be a good target, as part of a package. He's small, but he has a good package of skills, can fill the void of Franson's loss (assuming he's being dealt....separately) on the powerplay, his advanced stats are exceptional, and he's locked in at 2.5 per for 4 more years.
- The Shrike

i like ryan ellis..but he is an offensive dman. Which is what we have too much of unfortunately. Unless we can move a gardiner. But it's not a bad offer for sure. I just think they'd be insane to give up jones period

i was being hypothetical with a bet. it can definately be done in less but im talking full tear down (i dont like the players on this team. That's a broad statement but it's true. I don't see many if any on this team i'd want to go to war with). I want to build it piece by piece the right way. I've seen good runs in the 90's and 2000's but man the teams were always flawed. We've been lacking in certain positions for too long; corner stone positions.

it won't be easy i know..but it's got to be done. I think ppl will be dissapointed with the returns we get. Im prepared for it. And excited in a wierd way. Build a proper hockey team placing importance on the right positions.
- clark_griswold

Neither do I, but they have talented pieces that have many more years of service in them. They aren't the 34 year old Loungo, or 35 year old Iginla type of players. Guys in their mid to late 20's, under contract for a few more years. The price of players is always going up. Today's contract for 7 or 8 more years, could be a bargain, in 2 years. Teams may mortgage their futures to win now, knowing these players are going to be around for a few years.

You keep JVR, unless you get an offer that you can't refuse.
- PrinceLH

i think he's going to garner a massive return at least 2nd to kessel. Im not saying kessel isn't better than jvr..but jvr is more tradeable with that contract. Move him at the deadline this year. A team going for it would give up prime assets for jvr.

i was being hypothetical with a bet. it can definately be done in less but im talking full tear down (i dont like the players on this team. That's a broad statement but it's true. I don't see many if any on this team i'd want to go to war with). I want to build it piece by piece the right way. I've seen good runs in the 90's and 2000's but man the teams were always flawed. We've been lacking in certain positions for too long; corner stone positions.

it won't be easy i know..but it's got to be done. I think ppl will be dissapointed with the returns we get. Im prepared for it. And excited in a wierd way. Build a proper hockey team placing importance on the right positions.
- clark_griswold

No way in a million years the teams totally changes every guy..that just happened.

Not going to happen again.

IMO

Hmmm Colorado is within striking distance of a wild card spot and lost Johnson for 3 to 8 weeks.
- Aetherial

They need a D badly.

They need a D badly.
- Champ

Bad timing for Phaneuf...frig.

i like ryan ellis..but he is an offensive dman. Which is what we have too much of unfortunately. Unless we can move a gardiner. But it's not a bad offer for sure. I just think they'd be insane to give up jones period
- clark_griswold

The question that Nashville has to ask, can we win it this year? If the answer is, yes, if we get more offense, then it's feasible to move a Seth Jones for a Phil Kessel. Seeing LA struggle and some of the other big western teams with holes to fill, may entice them to make that move.

Neither do I, but they have talented pieces that have many more years of service in them. They aren't the 34 year old Loungo, or 35 year old Iginla type of players. Guys in their mid to late 20's, under contract for a few more years. The price of players is always going up. Today's contract for 7 or 8 more years, could be a bargain, in 2 years. Teams may mortgage their futures to win now, knowing these players are going to be around for a few years.
- PrinceLH

i think jvr falls under this. Lupul no, he is always hurt and that's a value crusher. Bozak is no more than a 2nd line centre at best. Phaneuf may garner a 1st and another piece but it will be a lower tier 1st. Bernier, JVR, Kessel are going to garner the best returns.

i don't think anyone on the leafs now outside of rielly will still be in their prime when we start to come out of a brutal rebuild (5 years min)

Hmmm Colorado is within striking distance of a wild card spot and lost Johnson for 3 to 8 weeks.
- Aetherial

I'd be pretty aggravated as a GM if the doctors told me a player would be but 3-8 weeks. That's a substantial margin.

i like ryan ellis..but he is an offensive dman. Which is what we have too much of unfortunately. Unless we can move a gardiner. But it's not a bad offer for sure. I just think they'd be insane to give up jones period
- clark_griswold

I'm thinking the same, which is why I've been looking at Ellis, but with an upgrade to the rest of the package.

Bad timing for Phaneuf...frig.
- Garnie

Franson?

i think he's going to garner a massive return at least 2nd to kessel. Im not saying kessel isn't better than jvr..but jvr is more tradeable with that contract. Move him at the deadline this year. A team going for it would give up prime assets for jvr.
- clark_griswold

It has to be a lottery pick, or a player drafted early in last year's draft, plus a 2nd, to make that trade. He's a proven commodity and developed. He could be the missing piece that solidifies your top line and makes you a Cup contender.

No way in a million years the teams totally changes every guy..that just happened.

Not going to happen again.

IMO
- Garnie

it's never every player. clarkson, robidas, komarov all stay due to contracts. Rielly stays, Holland stays, sprinkle in some marlies etc. But the major pieces that are tradeable go. the goal is to bottom out as i see it

It has to be a lottery pick, or a player drafted early in last year's draft, plus a 2nd, to make that trade. He's a proven commodity and developed. He could be the missing piece that solidifies your top line and makes you a Cup contender.
- PrinceLH

i agree he's a key comodity (power forward). But a lottery pick is crazy. How can it be a lottery pick if it's a cup contender? It would be a 1st and top prospect. Maybe another pick. The team is getting him in his prime for years and affordable. Big return but not a lotto pick. I'd love it though!!!

i think he's going to garner a massive return at least 2nd to kessel. Im not saying kessel isn't better than jvr..but jvr is more tradeable with that contract. Move him at the deadline this year. A team going for it would give up prime assets for jvr.
- clark_griswold

A team going for it will not give prime assets. They will give you some draft picks and prospects. JVR is worth more than that in the off season.