Arizona woild be great then Mathews will have a bigger incentive to sign there eventually
- spazzbot

I think Arizona has to start winning and making $ before Matthews would even consider that.


Tavares would not have even met with the Leafs if they were the mess Arizona is.

I think Arizona has to start winning and making $ before Matthews would even consider that.


Tavares would not have even met with the Leafs if they were the mess Arizona is.
- RogerRoeper

true.

for some reason brian burke thinks Matthews is as good as gone... what'd be crazy is if he goes UFA and signs with the Islanders... what a rivalry that'd make... assuming Matthews stays healthy.

anyways, i'd like to see Lafreniere go to in order:
1. Montreal
2. Florida
3. BJs
4. Isles
5. Arizona

true.

for some reason brian burke thinks Matthews is as good as gone... what'd be crazy is if he goes UFA and signs with the Islanders... what a rivalry that'd make... assuming Matthews stays healthy.

anyways, i'd like to see Lafreniere go to in order:
1. Montreal
2. Florida
3. BJs
4. Isles
5. Arizona
- kaptaan

Brian Burke also said Nylander was 100% traded by the 2019 draft. He also said the cap next year would be 40 million...

If Matthews is offered a massive deal a year before UFA he stays.

You have the Canes too high if you're talking about the winner feeling fair. A big part of their "smart" rebuild already includes winning the lottery to get Svechnikov.

Not a Metro team.

You have the Canes too high if you're talking about the winner feeling fair. A big part of their "smart" rebuild already includes winning the lottery to get Svechnikov.
- Hunkulese

A fortuitous bounce.

The biggest part was the slow, smart drafting of guys like Aho, Slavin, Pesce, Foegele, Necas, Fleury, etc.

Then the acquisitions of Teravainen and Hamilton were obviously huge.

A fortuitous bounce.

The biggest part was the slow, smart drafting of guys like Aho, Slavin, Pesce, Foegele, Necas, Fleury, etc.

Then the acquisitions of Teravainen and Hamilton were obviously huge.
- BINGO!

Absolutely. I have no problem seeing teams that do things right get lucky bounces.

Absolutely. I have no problem seeing teams that do things right get lucky bounces.
- Michael_Stuart

They already got one. Two would be a bit much.

It's also hard to argue that they did things right. Without Svechnikov, they'd always be missing that last piece of the puzzle to get them out of mediocrity. The Flames are in the same boat. They mostly did everything right, but are missing that one piece to get over the mediocre hump.

I watched a team try and rebuild for 20 years by always being just good enough to not be awful and get some good picks. Didn't seem like the right thing to do.

Brian Burke also said Nylander was 100% traded by the 2019 draft. He also said the cap next year would be 40 million...

If Matthews is offered a massive deal a year before UFA he stays.
- RogerRoeper

Nylander makes sense. Will still have 4 years remaining on a fairly reasonable cap hit of $7m. However, there are very few teams that have both cap space as well as picks and/or prospects to be able to make a deal happen.

Colorado is positioned really well. They already stole Kadri from the Leafs, may as well add Nylander.

think you are right on Matthews. Agents will be pushing young players to take the cash now. Cap nightmare ahead for multiple teams.

A fortuitous bounce.

The biggest part was the slow, smart drafting of guys like Aho, Slavin, Pesce, Foegele, Necas, Fleury, etc.

Then the acquisitions of Teravainen and Hamilton were obviously huge.
- BINGO!

Is Dougie ready to play in the play in round?
Need some hockey pool intel.

I think Arizona has to start winning and making $ before Matthews would even consider that.


Tavares would not have even met with the Leafs if they were the mess Arizona is.
- RogerRoeper

Mathews will get paid where ever he plays. Many reasons why it could happen....home town...possibly playing with the next crosby.. not saying it will because my crystal ball has been wrong before. I think it really depends on the leafs winning a cup befire his contract expires.

Tavares also signed because of home town reasons.

I really hope #1 Does to Arizona, Florida, Habs, Edmonton or Chicago

Arizona is finally starting to come along and just need that extra push

Florida just simply needs something lol

Habs have a solid line up but #1 would put them over the top to step up to that next level

Edmonton with #1 would be a dynasty for years to come and I like that idea

On some level Chicago as well, they are kind of coming to the end of an era and it would be nice to see them replace the troops.

I really just don't want #1 going to Toronto, or the Pens.

Is Dougie ready to play in the play in round?
Need some hockey pool intel.
- Kevin R

Dougie is 100%

Pesce is questionable.

They already got one. Two would be a bit much.

It's also hard to argue that they did things right. Without Svechnikov, they'd always be missing that last piece of the puzzle to get them out of mediocrity. The Flames are in the same boat. They mostly did everything right, but are missing that one piece to get over the mediocre hump.

I watched a team try and rebuild for 20 years by always being just good enough to not be awful and get some good picks. Didn't seem like the right thing to do.
- Hunkulese

Svechnikov is a fantastic player but they made the playoffs last year with him only potting 20 goals.

Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen carried the load offensively and largely still do.

like, not to discount how good he is, but they made it over the hump last season with him being a solid if unspectacular contributor. That's changing going forward, but let's not act like he's the sole reason for the team's improvement.

Svechnikov is a fantastic player but they made the playoffs last year with him only potting 20 goals.

Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen carried the load offensively and largely still do.

like, not to discount how good he is, but they made it over the hump last season with him being a solid if unspectacular contributor. That's changing going forward, but let's not act like he's the sole reason for the team's improvement.
- BINGO!

Not saying he's the sole reason for their success, but the Canes winning him in a lottery gives them a chance to be a contending team in the future instead of just a good team.

Rumors sens are looking at andreas Johnson and alex kerfoot??.. 🤔🤔

Columbus or Minnesota. Both teams have consistently tried to win the last few years and haven't had the fortune of getting a talent of Lafreniere's level. The next Nash or Gaborik but both teams are better equipped to support them than when their predecessor's first arrived in those cities.

If we exclude the flames as my first choice since they’re my team I would go with the Habs.

They were the worst of all the teams in the play-in (had better odds to win it than the actual placeholder that did), they definitely need it more than 90% of the teams that are in it and as noted Lafreniere is a French Canadian kid which would be a great story/good for the league.

My second choice would be Columbus. While they were in the thick of it at the pause there’s no denying that on paper they aren’t a super talented team (pegged by most to finish in the basement at the beginning of the year). Of the possible lottery winners you could make a real argument they need it.

Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup in 50 years and never won the draft lottery not even once ever. They are the most losingest team in NHL History besides the Buffalo Sabres. They lost the Stanley Cup twice of 3 times in game 7. I guess they dont deserve a little luck to fall there way, good point.

The team that needs and deserves to win the lottery is obvious: the Pittsburgh Penguins. They deserve a little luck and a high pick for once.

I’m kidding. I’m a Penguins fan and I would honestly feel guilty if they won the top pick. That wouldn’t be right. I’d like to see Lafrenierre go to Montreal. They haven’t had a superstar forward in forever and they need a player like that. Plus he’s French Canadian.

Brian Burke has said the Leafs are caught in a hard cap squeeze and William Nylander will be traded. There are multiple teams with similar type cap challenges (Tampa, St Louis, Islanders, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton). They will need to adjust to the cap freeze and the impending Seattle draft.

The problems are as much structural as they are financial. The Leafs, for example, can get under the cap but they will have a tough challenge to put 6 quality defensemen on the ice. In addition, Morgan Rielly and Andersen will have UFA status heading into the Seattle draft. How does Tampa clear cap space in order to sign Cirelli and Sergachev? Can St. Louis resign Pietrangelo? What deal does Lamerello pull off to create the cap space for a huge Barzel deal?

Teams that have big cap space plus a strong pick and prospect position (New Jersey, Ottawa, LA, Anaheim, Buffalo, Colorado) will control the post season trade market. They will use their leverage to discount the value of existing players and drive up the value of picks and prospects.

William Nylander is a "market maker." Is there any team (eg. New Jersey) that would give up a 1st round pick or prospect equivalent for him? Would the Sens, for example, offer up Brannstrom or JBD or Thomson in a deal for Nylander?

The playoffs offer multiple viewing perspectives for the fans of non playoff teams.

Brian Burke has said the Leafs are caught in a hard cap squeeze and William Nylander will be traded. There are multiple teams with similar type cap challenges (Tampa, St Louis, Islanders, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton). They need to adjust to the cap freeze and the impending Seattle draft.

The problems are as much structural as they are financial. The Leafs, for example, can get under the cap but they will have a tough challenge to put 6 quality defensemen on the ice. In addition, Morgan Rielly and Andersen will have UFA status heading into the Seattle draft. How does Tampa clear cap space in order to sign Cirelli and Sergachev? Can St. Louis resign Pietrangelo? What deal does Lamerello pull off to create the cap space for a huge Barzel deal?

Teams that have big cap space plus a strong pick and prospect position (New Jersey, Ottawa, LA, Anaheim, Buffalo, Colorado) will control the post season trade market. They will use their leverage to discount the value of existing players and drive up the value of picks and prospects.

William Nylander is a "market maker." Is there any team (eg. New Jersey) that would give up a 1st round pick or prospect equivalent for him? Would the Sens, for example, offer up Brannstrom or JBD or Thomson in a deal for Nylander?

The playoffs offer multiple viewing perspectives for the fans of non playoff teams.
- spatso

Ok, in Spring of 2019 Brian Burke went on tv and guaranteed Nylander would be traded by June draft of 2019 because Leafs were in such "Cap Hell". I'm surprised he's still going with that and pretending he didn't say that last year.

This has to be a joke? Will a team give-up a first for William Nylander? Uh, yes. And there better be more than that. He's only just turned 24 and is signed through his prime for only 6.9. He just had 31 goals, 59 points in under 70 games. He also was on an 82 point pace once Keefe took over (He was really underused by Babcock, which makes his stats even more impressive) Because of bonus $ the Leafs just paid him, vast majority of his actual $ is paid already. That means struggling financial teams (More of them after COVID) will jump at the chance to get him.

THe Leafs cap situation is overhyped horribly. They can trade any player. 17 NHL teams are within a million of the cap but no one is aware. And virtually all of those teams aside from the Leafs have multiple contracts they can't move.

The Leafs also just signed MUzzin long-term and beat several teams to get Lehtonen. They clearly DO have $ to address D. And if a trade is needed, it'll be the Jonsson/Kerfoot/Kapanen's who will get moved before they even consider Nylander (not all 3 but 1 or 2).That Mikeyev signing by Dubas looks pretty damn good right now. Allows them to move a forward (another situation where Dubas beat many GMs to sign him).

BTW, let the record show Brian Burke went on tv in April and laughably claimed the cap would be 40 million next season ( I have my theory on why he claimed that and once, again it is due to attention with the Leafs).

Media hypes Leafs 'Cap hell" because it gets them ratings. But when you actually examine the cap of all 31 teams you realize it's not that bad at all compared to the rest of the league. For example, Arizona has 0 cap (Not even a dollar) and hasn't made the playoffs since 2012 and quite frankly, that core they have still is not that impressive. No one eve talks about that in the media because, well no one cares. But it is still a fact. I don't know why Vancouver is not talked about as well. Still no playoffs with that core and they are capped-out without Pettersen signed. If that was the leafs it would be talked about non-stop.

Ok, in Spring of 2019 Brian Burke went on tv and guaranteed Nylander would be traded by June draft of 2019 because Leafs were in such "Cap Hell". I'm surprised he's still going with that and pretending he didn't say that last year.

This has to be a joke? Will a team give-up a first for William Nylander? Uh, yes. And there better be more than that. He's only just turned 24 and is signed through his prime for only 6.9. He just had 31 goals, 59 points in under 70 games. He also was on an 82 point pace once Keefe took over. Because of bonus $ the Leafs just paid him, vast majority of his actual $ is paid already. That means struggling financial teams (More of them after COVID) will jump at the chance to get him.

THe Leafs cap situation is overhyped horribly. They can trade any player. 17 NHL teams are within a million of the cap but no one is aware. And virtually all of those teams aside from the Leafs have multiple contracts they can't move.

The Leafs also just signed MUzzin long-term and beat several teams to get Lehtonen. They clearly DO have $ to address D. And if a trade is needed, it'll be the Jonsson/Kerfoot/Kapanen's who will get moved before they even consider Nylander (not all 3 but 1 or 2).That Mikeyev signing by Dubas looks pretty damn good right now. Allows them to move a forward (another situation where Dubas neat many GMs to sign him).

BTW, let the record show Brian Burke went on tv in April and laughably claimed the cap would be 40 million next season.
- RogerRoeper

Roger you know that I love you and I don't disagree with anything you are saying. I did not specifically want to make the Leafs and Nylander as "the issue." Rather, just wanted to use a high profile situation to highlight the fact that there are multiple teams caught in this cap squeeze.

I agree, Dubas will work out a satisfactory transition deal. The real crunch for many teams will come the next year when key players become UFAs and the Seattle draft kicks into play.

In terms of Nylanders' value. I asked would New Jersey give up a mid 1st round pick or would Ottawa give up a first round prospect (Brannstrom, JBD or Thomson).

Do you actually think Dubas could squeeze more out of the market than a 1st round pick or prospect equivalent?

Nylander makes sense. Will still have 4 years remaining on a fairly reasonable cap hit of $7m. However, there are very few teams that have both cap space as well as picks and/or prospects to be able to make a deal happen.

Colorado is positioned really well. They already stole Kadri from the Leafs, may as well add Nylander.

think you are right on Matthews. Agents will be pushing young players to take the cash now. Cap nightmare ahead for multiple teams.
- spatso

Vast majority will agree with you. But I still say it's way too early. Kadri is almost 30 and his #'s have declined the past 2 years. Kerfooot is almost 5 years younger and looked really solid this year until he got injured. Barrie also will very likely be gone, but he's still playing next month for the Leafs.


And Is Nylander most likely to get moved or is it Jonsoon or Kerfoot or Kapnanen? I put Nylander as the 4th most likley forward to be traded. In otherwords, he will once again NOT be moved by the Leafs. He's too good and Leafs have too many moveable contracts.

Roger you know that I love you and I don't disagree with anything you are saying. I did not specifically want to make the Leafs and Nylander as "the issue." Rather, just wanted to use a high profile situation to highlight the fact that there are multiple teams caught in this cap squeeze.

I agree, Dubas will work out a satisfactory transition deal. The real crunch for many teams will come the next year when key players become UFAs and the Seattle draft kicks into play.

In terms of Nylanders' value. I asked would New Jersey give up a mid 1st round pick or would Ottawa give up a first round prospect (Brannstrom, JBD or Thomson).

Do you actually think Dubas could squeeze more out of the market than a 1st round pick or prospect equivalent?
- spatso

I do because of the fact his money is paid so that increases the market to struggling teams (Financially). I also think people will note how he appears to be a 80-90 point forward as long as Keefe keeps using him more than Babcock did. He's entering his prime years and is signed for 4 more years. Teams would line-up imo. But Dubas likes him and they have multiple other options so I do not think it will happen.