Lets see...marner is a shrimp who is insanely talented offensively. Sound like someone on the leafs...difference is marner plays with heart and a 200 ft game.

Kessels best years are done (or soon will be). Not saying marner will be the next kessel, or be worse/better. But thats the risk you take when u are trading a 28 year old for an 18 year old.

Kadri to me is an afterthought. Could care less.
- clark_griswold

I think the stigmastism from the Seguin/Hamilton trade will always follow Kessel. It's time to cut bait so we can finally put that god awful trade to rest. I didn't like it then, still don't like it now, but it's time to move him and move on!!!!

He provided some nifty goals for us! Thanks for the memories pal!!!

For sure, I would too.. We just need to look at it from Carolina's angle.. Why would they?

If it was Kessel for Semin and #5 do it, do it now..

Realistically, Leafs are not going to hit a home run on a Kessel trade..Clarky, you know this
- PatC80

If we don't hit a home run then walk away. We don't HAVE to trade Phil. He's worth the #5 pick all by himself...easily. And yet some people want us to take a contract dump as well? That's ridiculous. He was a top 10 scorer 3 years running, but people want to devalue him based on one sub-par (61 points!) year. Hold on to him...maybe the Cap loosens up and he has a better year. This is a very important trade for the Leafs...we shouldn't be getting rid of an elite player just because we want changes.

Lets see...marner is a shrimp who is insanely talented offensively. Sound like someone on the leafs...difference is marner plays with heart and a 200 ft game.

Kessels best years are done (or soon will be). Not saying marner will be the next kessel, or be worse/better. But thats the risk you take when u are trading a 28 year old for an 18 year old.

Kadri to me is an afterthought. Could care less.
- clark_griswold

I'll take a shrimp that plays like a pit bull any day of the week. He is my second wish after Hanifin now.

I really hope that isn't true.

Kessel for the third pick and Semin is probably fair, or close to it. But the Leafs moving Kadri seems absolutely idiotic. I feel like the Leafs front office and all their analytic guys would be highly unlikely to move Kadri.

I really hope that isn't true.

Kessel for the third pick and Semin is probably fair, or close to it. But the Leafs moving Kadri seems absolutely idiotic. I feel like the Leafs front office and all their analytic guys would be highly unlikely to move Kadri.
- James_Tanner

I'm confused. Third pick?

I really hope that isn't true.

Kessel for the third pick and Semin is probably fair, or close to it. But the Leafs moving Kadri seems absolutely idiotic. I feel like the Leafs front office and all their analytic guys would be highly unlikely to move Kadri.
- James_Tanner

i'll give you kadri then. I mean you say leadership is overrated; you take kadri on your team. Use analytic all you want to justify his mediocre game. Kadri and kessel are very talented guys who are not ideal teammates by any means and lack drive.

now you will ask how i know this since i'm not in the room. Then i will say i argued about this with kadri for a year, finally he got busted and shanny suspended him for being a moron with the whole late thing.

As for fatty, i watch the on ice performance and the fact that he is nearly always the first guy off the ice after practices etc, to me that speaks volumes when he is one of the guys everyone looks to.

But again, leadership isn't your thing, so you take these 2 and i'll take the picks(s)

Win-Win. Cheers.

I'm confused. Third pick?
- PhilMcCracken

I think he meant 5th

If we don't hit a home run then walk away. We don't HAVE to trade Phil. He's worth the #5 pick all by himself...easily. And yet some people want us to take a contract dump as well? That's ridiculous. He was a top 10 scorer 3 years running, but people want to devalue him based on one sub-par (61 points!) year. Hold on to him...maybe the Cap loosens up and he has a better year. This is a very important trade for the Leafs...we shouldn't be getting rid of an elite player just because we want changes.
- djamon

Why do you care if the Leafs take a contract dump? They are going to be poop for 4-5 years at least.....

agreed and there's no way carolina should do this. For every leaf fan who thinks they should, they are in the same boat as us...would we move our 4th overall for a 28 year old one dimensional winger?
- clark_griswold

Actually they are not in the same boat as us. Not as far as I know anyway. If Carolina wants to go the rebuild route then they have to move Eric Staal now and possibly Jordan later. But if they plan to hang onto the Staals then they have to try and make moves to win now. Think like the Islanders did by trading their 1st. Yes it wasn't a guaranteed top 5 pick but it could have been.

If Carolina wants to win now then why wouldn't they trade a top 5 pick that could only develop into a 2nd line player or worse (low chance but still), when you can pick up a guaranteed elite scorer to join the Staals. Especially when you are dumping a toxic contract like Semin. Add $1M in salary to get an elite scorer and dump a terrible contract and all it costs is a pick that may not be a top liner? Easy choice. Also worse case the pick becomes a top line player, who cares? You gave up a top line player in 5 years for a top line player now.

Worth it to me. If we were that one or two pieces short of being a contender I would move the 4th pick right now for an elite top liner.

Would a deal of Phaneuf for Skinner and Fleury work
- PatC80

Why would they deal Fleury when he will be better than Phaneuf in a year? Let alone adding Skinner?

Why do you care if the Leafs take a contract dump? They are going to be poop for 4-5 years at least.....
- Mr_Smokey

Why do I care that the Leafs make a bad trade? Oh, I dunno...I like evidence that their Management knows what they're doing. I'm weird that way.

Phil is an asset...our BEST asset. In order for us to do this rebuild thing properly we need to get as much as possible back for him. This isn't a case of "addition by subtraction"...we won't be better in the long run by getting rid of Phil unless we get value for him. I don't know why some people don't get this. Semin is a league joke...like Clarkson was. If they want us to take him to match the salaries then fine, you give us an elite prospect as well. That's how that works.

I'm salivating at strome/marner up the middle for the next decade....

Make the deal Shanny! This could be you blackhawks (Toews Kane) moment.

I just found tons of free Steam games at http://getsteamgifts.com/ 31038 people already got their gift cards!

Why do you care if the Leafs take a contract dump? They are going to be poop for 4-5 years at least.....
- Mr_Smokey

ppl will hold on to phil if the return isn't what they like...he's useless to us. Get the right return, but at the end of the day, he has to be moved to the highest bidder, regardless of the deal.

How has he worked out / helped us last 5 years? how will he help us next 5 years with guys being shipped out? it's elementary

Actually they are not in the same boat as us. Not as far as I know anyway. If Carolina wants to go the rebuild route then they have to move Eric Staal now and possibly Jordan later. But if they plan to hang onto the Staals then they have to try and make moves to win now. Think like the Islanders did by trading their 1st. Yes it wasn't a guaranteed top 5 pick but it could have been.

If Carolina wants to win now then why wouldn't they trade a top 5 pick that could only develop into a 2nd line player or worse (low chance but still), when you can pick up a guaranteed elite scorer to join the Staals. Especially when you are dumping a toxic contract like Semin. Add $1M in salary to get an elite scorer and dump a terrible contract and all it costs is a pick that may not be a top liner? Easy choice. Also worse case the pick becomes a top line player, who cares? You gave up a top line player in 5 years for a top line player now.

Worth it to me. If we were that one or two pieces short of being a contender I would move the 4th pick right now for an elite top liner.
- Steven_Dean

probelm is eric has 1 year left on his deal.

i guess we also disagree how much prime kessel/staal have left. to me, they don't do much more than what staal / semin do now. I'd love that deal, if carolina does it, the GM should be fired immediately

Why do I care that the Leafs make a bad trade? Oh, I dunno...I like evidence that their Management knows what they're doing. I'm weird that way.

Phil is an asset...our BEST asset. In order for us to do this rebuild thing properly we need to get as much as possible back for him. This isn't a case of "addition by subtraction"...we won't be better in the long run by getting rid of Phil unless we get value for him. I don't know why some people don't get this. Semin is a league joke...like Clarkson was. If they want us to take him to match the salaries then fine, you give us an elite prospect as well. That's how that works.
- djamon

true, but if the absolute best offer is a top 10 pick for phil, do you not take it?

i take that pick over what phil will do for the next 7 years on a bare bones team any day. while i agree you do your homework for trading phil, it's No time to be stubborn during a rebuild. the market is what it is. doesn't matter what you or i THINK he's worth. If the best bid is 2 1sts and a second, or if it's just a late 1st, that's what phil is worth.

Thoughts on Ryan at 7M?
- Feeling Glucky?

7.5 isn't 7. 8 isn't 7.5..... I'm not having Kessel on any team making 8m...AND...

Are you joking? Kessel is still a massive upgrade on Semin. Semin is just a throw in to make the salary work for Carolina. Kessel for a 5th is a great deal for the Canes.

You're ludicrous .
- Jeropotato

Kessel's talent is amazing. I wouldn't have him on my team at that term and that cap hit especially since he isn't a complete player consistently enough. I don't know if it's fair to see it's effort or that he "can't play a 200 ft game". So upgrade over Semin, obviously, but factor in term and cap hit. Unless (like I said!) you eat some salary in which case its a much better deal.

Edmonton would never do it, but that is far from the worst trade idea I have ever seen.
- Aetherial

When I posts trades their looking at the most accurate value (atleast imo) no F**king way McDavid is being moved for anyone - even Karlsson. That sounds crazy in my ears but he's the only guy I'd think about trading for in this league - period.

Its because theres something wrong with leafs organization. Its not like the leafs managed to pick 23 idiots and lazy bums, its problems as a whole. Individually under different circumstances and leadership each player would potentially have different outcomes. Not to say there arent a few bums on the team Of course.

So Ek further to your last blog about your "source" and Babcock...Holland says he will not be granting ANY teams permission to talk to Babcock before his contract is up June 30th. Time for you to get some new sources...

So Ek further to your last blog about your "source" and Babcock...Holland says he will not be granting ANY teams permission to talk to Babcock before his contract is up June 30th. Time for you to get some new sources...
- Iggysbff

his source is 'saneopinion'...your favorite blogger

his source is 'saneopinion'...your favorite blogger
- clark_griswold

I could believe that

true, but if the absolute best offer is a top 10 pick for phil, do you not take it?

i take that pick over what phil will do for the next 7 years on a bare bones team any day. while i agree you do your homework for trading phil, it's No time to be stubborn during a rebuild. the market is what it is. doesn't matter what you or i THINK he's worth. If the best bid is 2 1sts and a second, or if it's just a late 1st, that's what phil is worth.
- clark_griswold

We don't HAVE to trade Phil at this point. The idea is make the team better and trading him for a late first will NEVER make the Leafs better than just having him on the team. You're right in that the Leafs don't set the market, but they also don't have to be a victim of it either.

Oh okay, so were gonna trade what essentially was our 2009, 2010 and 2011 1st round picks for..... Alex Semin and Mitch Marner?

Alrighty then

If that's the deal I take it and laugh so so hard.

I don't think it's a good deal if we have to take Semin. $7M salary and he's in the Carolina dog house. Scratched in a bunch of games I believe. This is a salary dump and getting rid of a Clarkson like contract. So in essence we're trading Kessel and Kadri and a third for Mitch Marner. Doesn't make sense to me. Don't get me wrong I'd like to see Kessel go that way and us getting the pick; but we need a different deal package.