Must be weird to not be able to reply with substance or intelligence.
- MJL

You're obviously an expert in that field

When your core is all 20-25 except for Muzzin I think you can afford to take some risk.
Especially for a top 5 D in the NHL.

Thats also 6+years away. JTs contract will be done. Severely underestimating the power of having a top 5 D in the NHL for 6 years.
- Santo_44

A top 5 D now, most likely next year...after that, he may not be

None of those guys, except Doughty, are good defensively. They're different type of D-men.

Pietrangelo also doesn't rely on speed in his game to be effective, like Karlsson and Subban did.

I'd liken Pietrangelo more to Weber, where he'll remain a great and effective player well into his 30's, because of the style he plays.
- GreatGigInTheSky

thats a nice caveat to point out.
Something to think about for sure

A top 5 D now, most likely next year...after that, he may not be
- Fakepartofme

Top d in the NHL historically stay stay elite well into their 30s.

Reminds me of Weber in MTL. If you pay too much attention to age you will get burned.

AA's shtick is that Willy has so little value that teams don't even want him, which is obviously nonsensical gibberish. It's tradition at this point, like 'any Habs rumours' or '6-1 Leafs', it's not an actual take.
- Zezel

Nah he just doesn't like Nylander period.

so he focus on all the negative of him.

That his whipping boy

Yep. The idea to trade your skill players first and figure it out later seems dubious to me. It's how Edmonton has no Taylor Hall or Eberle and still haven't figured it out.
- Zezel

Exactly, trade the other players, not your best ones. Kerfoot, Johnsson, Holl, etc.

Then if you need to fill gaps at the deadline

Coyotes are (frank)ed.

I think they relocate soon.

Hartford, Quebec, Halifax or Tuffnell SK would give them better support.
- Byfuglien Ate Me

Nah he just doesn't like Nylander period.

so he focus on all the negative of him.

That his whipping boy
- dmnted

I feel like a lot of fans use a player to use all their bottled up anger on.

It makes him feel better bashing Willy all day because he gets satisfaction brining a good player down plus the satisfaction of getting a lot of people on here angry.

Exactly, trade the other players, not your best ones. Kerfoot, Johnsson, Holl, etc.

Then if you need to fill gaps at the deadline
- Archaic

perhaps those players are better than the filler player you are referring to.

the Leafs need a few of those Spezza type contracts

Funny how you see on twitter the start of a shift on non leaf fans opinions on Petro.

5 months ago he was a top 5 D. Now people are starting to bring him down in preparation of him possibly becoming a Leaf.

Love to see it

I don't think so, which is exactly what I was trying to demonstrate with the RS comparison.

If Suter hasn't declined yet - and has arguably been playing his best hockey the past 5 years - why do you assume AP's best years are "behind him"?!

Also, Suter's contract (specifically) and his numbers all point to a very solid signing.
- mjones242

The player worked out.

The parise/suter combo has not. Minny has been a middling playoff team with those 2.

Did he find the time machine?? Or is he timeless.

If he becomes a Leaf .. he instantly declines.. not so much from his ability .. but from the standpoint the Leafs are not as defensively sound or structured the way Blues were and are... Leafs don't have a horse like Parayko to soak up tough matchups or minutes, so just by that you have to anticipate a decline in performance.
- dozerD10

Rielly? Muzzin?

Are they any better or worse than what Suter has played with? Is Parayko so much better than what the Leafs currently have in the aforementioned Rielly and Muzz?

The player worked out.

The parise/suter combo has not. Minny has been a middling playoff team with those 2.
- Tumbleweed

Two of the remaining cap circumvention deals. Minnesota will pay at some point. Minnesota will get hit with a cap recapture when one of them retires. Both players make only $2M, $1M and $1M in the final three seasons (cap hit is $7.538M) Very similar situation to the Luongo deal

Must be weird to always be the only guy to understand those simple facts...
- 21peter

You must not have had the pleasure of meeting uggie.

The player worked out.

The parise/suter combo has not. Minny has been a middling playoff team with those 2.
- Tumbleweed

It's good thing the Leafs don't have a bad contract like Parise.

Rielly? Muzzin?

Are they any better or worse than what Suter has played with? Is Parayko so much better than what the Leafs currently have in the aforementioned Rielly and Muzz?


- mjones242

No Dozzer just wants to be correct. If Pietrangelo is available or Parayko, Leafs have to move hard on it. Biggest need a horse of a RHD that will play for 20-25 minutes a night.

You must not have had the pleasure of meeting uggie.
- joel878

Or his alts

No Dozzer just wants to be correct. If Pietrangelo is available or Parayko, Leafs have to move hard on it. Biggest need a horse of a RHD that will play for 20-25 minutes a night.
- winsix

Completely agreed.

Still think the Avs could be the destination for AP but I'm really hoping the Leafs can somehow make it work.

It's good thing the Leafs don't have a bad contract like Parise.
- mjones242

Parise was productive in his 1st 4-5 years in minny; when he played. Too many injuries.

He's still a +25 goal player. I was surprised


But my point is more about tying too much money into to few players. I don't think it'll put us in a good position to win.

Two of the remaining cap circumvention deals. Minnesota will pay at some point. Minnesota will get hit with a cap recapture when one of them retires. Both players make only $2M, $1M and $1M in the final three seasons (cap hit is $7.538M) Very similar situation to the Luongo deal
- winsix

They need to rebuild but keep trying to stay competitive. They swung and missed with those 2 contracts.

Good article in the Athletic from Burnside on the challenges facing the NHL for next season.

Rielly? Muzzin?

Are they any better or worse than what Suter has played with? Is Parayko so much better than what the Leafs currently have in the aforementioned Rielly and Muzz?


- mjones242

Well to me yes Parakyo is younger, bigger and stronger and better than both Reilly, by not much... and Muzz by quite a bit.

Look AP helps a great deal.. No doubt.. my issue is big money and term to a 31yr old ... no matter how well or gracefully he ages.

Add to that the pieces needed to be moved to fit him in. And the possibility of hamstrung with the contract later.

You must not have had the pleasure of meeting uggie.
- joel878

Afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you there; I don't think he's that bad. He knows quite a bit bout hockey and there's worse besserwissers in here than him imho.

Parise was productive in his 1st 4-5 years in minny; when he played. Too many injuries.

He's still a +25 goal player. I was surprised


But my point is more about tying too much money into to few players. I don't think it'll put us in a good position to win.
- Tumbleweed

I tend to agree with this and it's why I have been pushing for the Leafs to trade Nylander to make room for AP.

If the Leafs are going to have 4 "big" contracts, at least one of them should be for a legit, stud D.

Rielly... will, of course, be a challenge to re-sign. But the Leafs have a couple of years to figure that out. All the more reason to trade Willie, whose NTC will kick in after two more seasons...

Funny how you see on twitter the start of a shift on non leaf fans opinions on Petro.

5 months ago he was a top 5 D. Now people are starting to bring him down in preparation of him possibly becoming a Leaf.

Love to see it
- Santo_44

It's a beautiful pattern in nature. Like the change of seasons or phases of the moon, Leaf fans gracefully move idealization to devaluation.