Eklund: What Team Went Too Far “All in?”

"A bridge 🌉 to far" 🤔 definitely not Chuck. I think EK aiming at Drury. But let us sum up in July.

Eklund: What Team Went Too Far “All in?”
- Eklund

How did the devils go all in? Other than a 1st and possibly another one next year if they make the ECF they didn't mortgage too much of the future especially since they are aiming to sign Meier to an extension

Muk wasn't one of the devil's top prospects and wouldn't have been in the line up for at least a few more seasons

Hamilton
Marino
Siegenthaler
All signed for the future

Hughes and nemec coming up

And then you have bahl who could be #6 or a vet

The easy answer is Toronto. Dubas likely knows he's about to get fired. So he empties out a bunch of draft picks for O'Reilly, Acciari, Lafferty, McCabe, Schenn. Useful depth. But no gamebreakers or high end skill. And too much turnover with 20 games to play. This will end with another playoff failure, Dubas gets fired, and the next GM has no 2nd, 3rd or 4th picks this year, no 2nd in 2025, no 1st, 2nd or 4th in 2025. And Matthews is 1 year away from UFA. Disaster.

Spot on.

Matthews is gone once UFA.
8 Year max contract somewhere in the sunshine.

Trade deadline deals are a mistake. There are not enough games to create chemistry and most teams give up draft picks for short-term rentals or players that get injured as OReilly did for Toronto and are a nonfactor in the playoff.

The easy answer is Toronto. Dubas likely knows he's about to get fired. So he empties out a bunch of draft picks for O'Reilly, Acciari, Lafferty, McCabe, Schenn. Useful depth. But no gamebreakers or high end skill. And too much turnover with 20 games to play. This will end with another playoff failure, Dubas gets fired, and the next GM has no 2nd, 3rd or 4th picks this year, no 2nd in 2025, no 1st, 2nd or 4th in 2025. And Matthews is 1 year away from UFA. Disaster.
- Cooleus

To be fair I think the Leafs have a enough high end talent and were looking for depth. The ROR trade was good imo. With that said here’s hoping it was all for naught.

Eklund: What Team Went Too Far “All in?”
- Eklund

Arizona

I think it was a buyers market. Jeannot was too much IMO. Granlund was moronic but that is Hextall.

I was actually shocked about Nashville basically giving away players to begin the rebuild under the guidance of Barry Trotz after the current campaign ends, Poile could have received more in return than he did by far. The Lightning's Julien BriseBois should have his head examined for the brain dead move he made.

Spot on.

Matthews is gone once UFA.
8 Year max contract somewhere in the sunshine.
- Delios001

I agree, California or Arizona.

When Dubas gets fired, the new GM will not want to be the guy who lets Matthews walk. I expect he'll re-sign for 8 years but he'll have all the leverage to demand whatever he wants. I think it comes in at $15M x 8 with NMC and a bunch of bonus and buyout proof structure.

If he leaves Toronto, he'll want sun and no pressure. California taxes are too high. Arizona is risky because they could end up in Quebec or Kansas or wherever. So I think he goes to Dallas.

75% Toronto. 25% Dallas. Watch Ek start to steal that as his own...

When Dubas gets fired, the new GM will not want to be the guy who lets Matthews walk. I expect he'll re-sign for 8 years but he'll have all the leverage to demand whatever he wants. I think it comes in at $15M x 8 with NMC and a bunch of bonus and buyout proof structure.

If he leaves Toronto, he'll want sun and no pressure. California taxes are too high. Arizona is risky because they could end up in Quebec or Kansas or wherever. So I think he goes to Dallas.

75% Toronto. 25% Dallas. Watch Ek start to steal that as his own...
- Cooleus

Not happening, no matter what happens in the playoffs.

Didn't Dubas pretty much not ask for a long term contract basically saying that it should be based on Toronto's performance this year?

Leaf’s by far but I do believe they will get by the Lightning. They won’t get by the Bruins. So is it a failure on their part ? I think not , Dubas did what he had to do. ROR is a different player when the playoffs start anything is possible. I’m sure another team will scoop up a young smart GM if he isn’t brought back by the Leafs ……

Leaf’s by far but I do believe they will get by the Lightning. They won’t get by the Bruins. So is it a failure on their part ? I think not , Dubas did what he had to do. ROR is a different player when the playoffs start anything is possible. I’m sure another team will scoop up a young smart GM if he isn’t brought back by the Leafs ……
- jsrstl1

Not trying to be a homer, but no one in good faith can say the Leafs "by far." They kept their prospect pool largely intact and even recovered a first when all was said and done. Maybe it was the Leafs, but not "by far."

When Dubas gets fired, the new GM will not want to be the guy who lets Matthews walk. I expect he'll re-sign for 8 years but he'll have all the leverage to demand whatever he wants. I think it comes in at $15M x 8 with NMC and a bunch of bonus and buyout proof structure.

If he leaves Toronto, he'll want sun and no pressure. California taxes are too high. Arizona is risky because they could end up in Quebec or Kansas or wherever. So I think he goes to Dallas.

75% Toronto. 25% Dallas. Watch Ek start to steal that as his own...
- Cooleus

I don’t think Dallas has the cap space. I quickly looked at cap friendly and even with a 4 million dollar increase in 2 years if they signed Matthew’s 15/16AAV it leaves them with like 5 million at like 14/15 players. It won’t be DAL.

If there is even a 6 million increase I don’t think they can afford him

Leaf’s by far but I do believe they will get by the Lightning. They won’t get by the Bruins. So is it a failure on their part ? I think not , Dubas did what he had to do. ROR is a different player when the playoffs start anything is possible. I’m sure another team will scoop up a young smart GM if he isn’t brought back by the Leafs ……
- jsrstl1

Should we even play out the rest of the season or should Bettman just hand the SC to Bergeron now?

Toronto and Tampa. Toronto overdid the amount of change this late in the season. Too much new chemistry now needs to be built, with not a lot of time to do it. Tampa WAY overpaid for Jeannot, who is not exactly the “playoffs kind of player” he’s made out to be, with 0g, 2a in 9 previous NHL playoff games.

I don’t think Dallas has the cap space. I quickly looked at cap friendly and even with a 4 million dollar increase in 2 years if they signed Matthew’s 15/16AAV it leaves them with like 5 million at like 14/15 players. It won’t be DAL.

If there is even a 6 million increase I don’t think they can afford him
- KINGS67

So Dallas couldn't move out a contract to make room for Matthews?

Pavelski will be gone. A guy like Faksa at $3.25M could be easily traded. Suter and Benn will be in their final year. Could one of them go on LTIR? If Matthews is an option for Dallas there are numerous ways to make that work.

Too lazy to investigate but if a team is loaded with young talent that they believe they can keep, then spending too much at the deadline is a problem. If your talent is at their career's End Game (hello Hextall) then spend as much as you can. Last chance no matter how far the team goes.

Spot on.

Matthews is gone once UFA.
8 Year max contract somewhere in the sunshine.
- Delios001

Ya I think all teams best players their fans are excited will leave once their contract is done:

McDavid/Draistle will leave

Caufield (is that their best player? Bad team so I don’t know) will leave

Makar won’t resign in Colorado

But if I have to answer which team went too far - well the easy answer is Toronto cause everyone is obsessed with the Leafs because they are the centre of the hockey universe the Mecca of hockey. So I will be like all the other obsessed fan bases and say the Leafs screwed up and they suck!! Even though their fans don’t ever even consider other teams unless they are playing them - I think it’s awesome that we all think about them day and night and hope more for their failure vs our own teams success.

#Leafspoop

I think it was a buyers market. Jeannot was too much IMO. Granlund was moronic but that is Hextall.
- jfkst1

Hexy is in process of "Flyering" the Pens. Next up for the Pens, Chuck Fletcher once he's fired here! He'll only "improve" upon Hexy's tenure.

Remember there is only one CUP winner every year A hot goalie can cool off any rival but who that is remains to be seen. You can load up and still lose Perfect example Penguins 93 after winning two cups, a third looked like only a formality and then the freakin Islanders showed up with outrageous goaltending and that bubble burst. Russians in 1980 were loaded and lost to a bunch of college dropouts and the rest is history Spending somebody elses money is easy Doing your job responsibly is a whole different breed of cat. We have idiots as GM'S in the league and probably all sports leagues Too bad they are bad at their jobs.

So Dallas couldn't move out a contract to make room for Matthews?

Pavelski will be gone. A guy like Faksa at $3.25M could be easily traded. Suter and Benn will be in their final year. Could one of them go on LTIR? If Matthews is an option for Dallas there are numerous ways to make that work.
- Cooleus

Of course any team could move out a contract. Sometimes it’s not that easy. But yes they could and I did factor that in but as of right now it can’t be done without a move or 2 depending on players.

Also this whole putting them on LTIR can’t just magically happen they literally have to have some sort of legitimate injury and one to keep them out long term.

DAL would have to roster manage while LA would have the cap space unless a player or 2 plays phenomenally to earn massive contracts in 2 years