nashville still makes the most sense. we ain't getting jones though. we're just not.
- daeth

for kessel? of course we can get seth jones, without seth jones no deal.. you hang up the phone on them and then answer phone calls for the rest of the playoff teams

it scares me to think of how garbage the leafs picks would turn out if they gutted the team for futures right now. they'd make edmonton look great

for kessel? of course we can get seth jones, without seth jones no deal
- DougGilmour_93

good luck

good luck
- daeth

so hang up the phone, dont accept trash for high valued players

You think you're going to get more than a Brassard type player now. The Rangers got a bunch of other prospects with him. That's what you're going to get with Kessel now or 3-4 years from now. If you trade him now you're going to get prospects/picks. What's the most likely skill level you end up with? Brassard. Now or the future.

Oh Kessel hasn't peaked. Iginla didn't peak until 34-35 same with Ray Whitney, Hossa, Sedin. They all peaked (or still haven't) around 34-35 and still produced at 60 points a year. Goal scorers tend to turn into more play makers as they age but they still produce.
- KesselRules

iginla led the league in scoring in 02 as a 25 year old. hossas best year was at 27 100 pts

trade phil now or in the summer. he's peaked.

iginla led the league in scoring in 02 as a 25 year old. hossas best year was at 27 100 pts

trade phil now or in the summer. he's peaked.
- clark_griswold

Peaked I dont think so. Pair him with Tavares, 100 pts, 40-50 goals
.. could easily pull some Corey Perry seasons

for kessel? of course we can get seth jones, without seth jones no deal.. you hang up the phone on them and then answer phone calls for the rest of the playoff teams
- DougGilmour_93

nashville is on the rise for years...we are going in the gutter and have been for over a decade. They will easily walk away with a franchise 19 year old defenseman and build for the next 10 years while we finish bottom 4-7 with a guy who is 27 and has a great wrist shot.

no chance they give up jones for anyone let alone a 27 year old one dimensional player. Jones has great numbers, size and plays PP and PK. You build around guys like that, not phil.

Peaked I dont think so. Pair him with Tavares, 100 pts, 40-50 goals
.. could easily pull some Corey Perry seasons
- DougGilmour_93

i like your enthusiasm..but i disagree. night pal..i think i proved it with the hossa/iginla..kessel ain't getting better. if anything he's regressing.

nashville is on the rise for years...we are going in the gutter and have been for over a decade. They will easily walk away with a franchise 19 year old defenseman and build for the next 10 years while we finish bottom 4-7 with a guy who is 27 and has a great wrist shot.

no chance they give up jones for anyone let alone a 27 year old one dimensional player. Jones has great numbers, size and plays PP and PK. You build around guys like that, not phil.
- clark_griswold

So then you move on to another team that will give up significant assets. Doesn't have to be Nashville. We are just pinpointing Nashville because they are always looking for offensive opportunities

hossa was basically a point a game at 32/33. dont look at 100 points in the first couple years coming out of the lockout as being par with 100 now. there were as many 100 point players then as there will be 80 point players this year lol

there's no reason to assume kessel wont be more or less the same in three years. maybe he will be worse, maybe he'll have an even better season then. we dont know.

iginla led the league in scoring in 02 as a 25 year old. hossas best year was at 27 100 pts

trade phil now or in the summer. he's peaked.
- clark_griswold

Iginla also scored close to the same amount (2 goals off) 5 years later. Hossa didn't start scoring less until he went to the Wings (a defensive minded team and then to the Hawks which is another one). That's not peaking. It's called maturing and learning to play defense. Plus there's the fact he had Kovulchuk in Atlanta with him. Another player who just wants to score.

i like your enthusiasm..but i disagree. night pal..i think i proved it with the hossa/iginla..kessel ain't getting better. if anything he's regressing.
- clark_griswold

Definitely not with Iginla he put the same stats 5 years later.

Definitely not with Iginla he put the same stats 5 years later.
- KesselRules

iginla types peak earlier typically too due to playing a more physical game.

kessel would compare more with the sedins really. very few games missed and more or less no serious injuries while not playing a rough style.

iginla types peak earlier typically too due to playing a more physical game.

kessel would compare more with the sedins really. very few games missed and more or less no serious injuries.
- daeth

Iggy and Kess are nothing alike, and iggys best years were from 28-32 years old... Iggy also produces far more in the second half of pretty much all his seasons...

Iggy and Kess are nothing alike, and iggys best years were from 28-32 years old... Iggy also produces far more in the second half of pretty much all his seasons...
- aminnes

I look at Kessel right now; he has played 400+ season games for the Leafs. Straight. Not including Olympics, World Championships and other hockey, the guy has played pretty much without missing games to injurie his entire career as an NHL Winger. The guy is in amazing shape to do that, the fitness staff praise him every year on condition yet I see the rebuild clamourer on the boards saying he's fat and out of shape. The guy plays 18+ minutes a night consistently for 5 years and he's peaked? Dude has a lot left in the tank and is one of the NHL's premier scorers right now. He only looks better and better each year offensively.

What exactly is that worth now? I look at Gabby/Nash trades and see what they got;

Nash - Nash, Delisle and a condition 3rd for a 1st rounder (Rychel), Dubinsky, Anismov and Erixon. Every piece Columbus received has been on the roster or likely will be for a few seasons.

Gabby - Gaborki, Delisle (again), Parlett for Brassard, Moore and Dorsett and a 6th rounder (They parleyed it into Justin Falk)

Kessel has more value than either of the two has ever had. It is not hard to imagine a team, somewhere will be told to refer to the Nash trade, with the expectation of having to top that.

For Kessel, I can easily see a First Rounder (Likely 12-19), a roster Top 4 Defenseman/Top 6 centerman another roster player and a prospect. I could see it happening with a team like Nashville for Jones as the lynch pin. I can see it with maybe the Panthers with Huberdeau as the marque return. And the next possibility, maybe the Jets, for a solid package including Bogo and Schiefiele .They might have to "Add" pieces, but the aforementioned pieces in those deals have been so far negligible. I don't see the Leafs having to add anything substantial other than average prospects other teams would sit and risk on.

It's not likely to happen, though. It's finding that one partner that makes the most sense, that the cap would allow and can afford the price without losing something that would cost them success. Those 3 teams are the only suitable market where a desired price can be extracted from, in my opinion.

i like your enthusiasm..but i disagree. night pal..i think i proved it with the hossa/iginla..kessel ain't getting better. if anything he's regressing.
- clark_griswold

I don't think you've proven anything with that statement. You had only listed two players who hit a plateau around Kessel's age, but remained relevant for almost another decade.

There were no survivors.

Reimer resurrected.

who knows what nurse will be. I see him as a 2-3 guy but rock solid. Take away dion's first few years in calgary, and nurse can easily be him. And i don't think dion sucks.
- clark_griswold

Coaches and GMs in the league see Dion as a solid 2-3 guy as well.

bernier is an average starter. not a savior unfortunately.
- daeth

How many saviors are there in the league. Price, Lundkist, Renne,

funny i don't get the same reception lol. leaf fans still don't like bleak. I hate it. i don't come on during games and rip them. I just like to discuss the moves they need to make. Just look at how bad top to bottom the franchise is. Cap, roster, prospects....and considering how bad we've been?? jerseys on the ice are well deserved IMO and last year i never would have said such a thing...need to send the message strongly. re-frickin-build for once
- clark_griswold

Not true. I have been almost as bleak as UG for the past 8 years and look how popular I am!!


oh wait, nevermind

trade them all, so we lose every game.

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 12m12 minutes ago
To finish behind Buffalo's current pace, the Leafs can only get four points in their final 32 games. Which seems unlikely.
- DougGilmour_93

Ryan Strome (young center) and DalColle should be fine to obtain. Ryan Strome is having a good season so far.. im sure with the success the isles are having at the moment, kessel would be an excellent addition to play with tavares in the playoffs, having that offensive threat would be deadly
- DougGilmour_93

Would trade Kessel for those 2 in a heart beat ... so don't think it gets done ...

- Aetherial

Nope.

But of their lat 32 games how many wins do you think they collect? 10? This team could catch Arizona and Carolina at this rate.

Zacha. Go with Leafmans drafting idea. All centers. In every round.
- Aaron_85

Would choose Zacha also over Marner. Our other top prospect is Nylander. I can't imagine those two pixies playing together.

Lots of teams are interested in Phaneuf, so any specific deal is unlikely, but I think people will be surprised as to what the Leafs get back. Many are assuming he's a flat out salary dump, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.
- The Shrike

he isn't a salary dump, but I can't see a huge return coming back.