So let him walk for nothing because we might be able to get Sprong? 🤦🏼‍♂️

Holy (frank)
- .HOHO.

No, unless you’re able to get someone as useful in return, you’re using him to take a shot at the Cup. If he goes you can use what he would have been paid for someone else. The Leafs have 10 players (not counting Matthews) who could leave at the end of this season. It’s the same for all of them.

Since Gretzky is in this list so much, it reminded me of an article I read that illustrated how ridiculous Gretzky was:

- Gretzky won the scoring title by more than 70 points – six times.
- If Gretzky never scored a goal, he still would’ve recorded 11 straight 100-point seasons and won four scoring titles.
- Gretzky won eight consecutive MVPs at one point. In the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB, no other player has won more than four consecutive MVPs.
- If you chopped Gretzky’s entire career numbers in half, he’d still be 17th all-time in points.
- Only five players have recorded 150 or more points in a season. Gretzky did it nine times, a.k.a. in 45 percent of his seasons.
- Gretzky is the only player to record a 200-point season, and he did it four times.
- In a two-season stretch from 1983-84 to 1984-85, Gretzky scored 23 shorthanded goals. He has the most shorties of all time at 73.
- Gretzky led the league in assists in each of his first 13 seasons, and 16 times overall – 80 percent of his seasons.
- If you only counted Gretzky’s seasons after turning 30, he’d still rank fourth all-time in points per game.
- Gretzky could’ve ended his career with a 1,370-game pointless streak and still would’ve been a point-per-game player.

* I always add one more: Gretzky is the all time leader in goals. But if you took every single one of Gretzky’s goals away from him, he would still be the NHL’s all time leader in points. That is madness.
- Salami_Tsunami

Simply said, no other player compares to that.

No, unless you’re able to get someone as useful in return, you’re using him to take a shot at the Cup. If he goes you can use what he would have been paid for someone else. The Leafs have 10 players (not counting Matthews) who could leave at the end of this season. It’s the same for all of them.
- Canada Cup

This. The leafs aren’t rebuilding anymore so now it’s time to start risking losing talent for nothing in order to use them.

Game plan is year by year atm, not the next year or the year after, etc.

No, unless you’re able to get someone as useful in return, you’re using him to take a shot at the Cup. If he goes you can use what he would have been paid for someone else. The Leafs have 10 players (not counting Matthews) who could leave at the end of this season. It’s the same for all of them.
- Canada Cup

We are not winning the cup with this D group.

We are not winning the cup with this D group.
- fifty__missions

And then you’ve let all your players go for nothing because you want them as “own rentals”? 🤦🏼‍♂️

We are not winning the cup with this D group.
- fifty__missions

They’ll be fine throughout the regular season… if it gets tweaked to be tougher that will be at the deadline. Otherwise unless there is a notable move to make I won’t be shocked if they start the season with who they have.

Rielly Brodie
McCabe Klingberg
Gio/Liljegren/Timmins

Not dominant by any means but still decent.

And then you’ve let all your players go for nothing because you want them as “own rentals”? 🤦🏼‍♂️
- .HOHO.

Unless they’re in the top 5 of the team that’s an unfortunate truth.

Right now the top 5 for the leafs is Matthews, Marner, JT, Rielly, and Samsonov

This isn’t strictly about talent either, it includes the importance of necessity and the NMC’s as well.

We are not winning the cup with this D group.
- fifty__missions

If you can make a trade that improves the team, do it. In your view that means trading for an upgrade on D. If there’s no trade that makes the team better, take a shot. You can see what’s available at the TDL. The notion that you have to trade all your expiring contracts doesn’t make sense.

Not sure what to do... Drink my expiring beer to get poopfaced now or sell it to brew some and get poopfaced in the future.

Not sure what to do... Drink my expiring beer to get poopfaced now or sell it to brew some and get poopfaced in the future.
- Tee-Dot

You might get hit by a truck. Drink it now. This is your window

We are not winning the cup with this D group.
- fifty__missions

Oh we are too.

Not sure what to do... Drink my expiring beer to get poopfaced now or sell it to brew some and get poopfaced in the future.
- Tee-Dot

Expiration dates are pretty meaningless, just drink it. I drank a beer that was 20 years past its date the other day, it was fine.

Dr. Pepper is outstanding. As are Shreddies.

Expiration dates are pretty meaningless, just drink it. I drank a beer that was 20 years past its date the other day, it was fine.
- Zezel

You’re 20 years past your expiration date

Since Gretzky is in this list so much, it reminded me of an article I read that illustrated how ridiculous Gretzky was:

- Gretzky won the scoring title by more than 70 points – six times.
- If Gretzky never scored a goal, he still would’ve recorded 11 straight 100-point seasons and won four scoring titles.
- Gretzky won eight consecutive MVPs at one point. In the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB, no other player has won more than four consecutive MVPs.
- If you chopped Gretzky’s entire career numbers in half, he’d still be 17th all-time in points.
- Only five players have recorded 150 or more points in a season. Gretzky did it nine times, a.k.a. in 45 percent of his seasons.
- Gretzky is the only player to record a 200-point season, and he did it four times.
- In a two-season stretch from 1983-84 to 1984-85, Gretzky scored 23 shorthanded goals. He has the most shorties of all time at 73.
- Gretzky led the league in assists in each of his first 13 seasons, and 16 times overall – 80 percent of his seasons.
- If you only counted Gretzky’s seasons after turning 30, he’d still rank fourth all-time in points per game.
- Gretzky could’ve ended his career with a 1,370-game pointless streak and still would’ve been a point-per-game player.

* I always add one more: Gretzky is the all time leader in goals. But if you took every single one of Gretzky’s goals away from him, he would still be the NHL’s all time leader in points. That is madness.
- Salami_Tsunami

I've always thought the sheer crushing power of his stats cuts through any debate about eras or strength of teammates or anything else. The numbers are just tsunami-like.

You’re 20 years past your expiration date
- Canada Cup

Yeah, but I've got a great necromancer.

They’ll be fine throughout the regular season… if it gets tweaked to be tougher that will be at the deadline. Otherwise unless there is a notable move to make I won’t be shocked if they start the season with who they have.

Rielly Brodie
McCabe Klingberg
Gio/Liljegren/Timmins

Not dominant by any means but still decent.
- Dozzer

Decent but Leafs are still in a situation that will require some moves for them to be cap compliant by the start of the season. Four of the options that I see possible

1) Trade Brodie and replace him with a smaller salary D-man
2) Trade Nylander and replace him with a smaller salary (1 and 2 can both happen)
3) Trade Jarnkrok and replace him with prospect or pick and red line the cap
4) Have Pridham play the Cap Olympics all year dressing fewer than max players and/or using injury cap re-capture to the maximum.

"Mitch Marner was the league's best playmaker, who also finished as a top three defensive forward.

From Datsyuk, to Bergeron, now to Marner, it's time to give him his recognition as the league's best two-way player."

https://twitter.com/nylan...0nNg7wrbgQ0_5Ud-CHcA&s=19

And then you’ve let all your players go for nothing because you want them as “own rentals”? 🤦🏼‍♂️
- .HOHO.

Ya the "own rental" for a core piece player is simply foolish.
Tree wont let willie walk for nothing.
He'll sign or will do a sign and trade, not too worried

"Mitch Marner was the league's best playmaker, who also finished as a top three defensive forward.

From Datsyuk, to Bergeron, now to Marner, it's time to give him his recognition as the league's best two-way player."

https://twitter.com/nylan...0nNg7wrbgQ0_5Ud-CHcA&s=19
- Fakepartofme

Marner is outstanding.

Ya the "own rental" for a core piece player is simply foolish.
Tree wont let willie walk for nothing.
He'll sign or will do a sign and trade, not too worried
- Fakepartofme

Not so sure. If he walks Leafs are trading $6.9M cap hit this year for 40 goals and 90 points plus what he does in the playoffs, plus $9M (approx) of cap space next year.

If they trade him they will likely get a third line NHL player and a first rounder not in the top ten (not guaranteed to ever have any meanigful contribution to an NHL team) Plus whatever cap space created by getting that 3rd liner instead of the projected $9M hit next year. Sign and trade is possible, but the haul better be pretty juicy or go pound salt.

Not so sure. If he walks Leafs are trading $6.9M cap hit this year for 40 goals and 90 points plus what he does in the playoffs, plus $9M (approx) of cap space next year.

If they trade him they will likely get a third line NHL player and a first rounder not in the top ten (not guaranteed to ever have any meanigful contribution to an NHL team) Plus whatever cap space created by getting that 3rd liner instead of the projected $9M hit next year. Sign and trade is possible, but the haul better be pretty juicy or go pound salt.
- winsix

I can't think of many contending teams that traded star players at the deadline, in any sport.

I can't think of many contending teams that traded star players at the deadline, in any sport.
- Zezel

If the Leafs want to have the best team with their current talent, moving Nylander out is not an option. They do have to make at least one move to be cap compliant. Brodie seems to be the most likely candidate IMO. FFS, his cap hit is almost the same as Nylander's.

It continues to boggle my mind that Esposito was so dominant - he couldn't skate.

My dad is also one of the "nobody was better than Orr" guys.

I'm taking Gretzky, but Orr winning the Art Ross - twice! - is insane.

Never before, never again.
- Atomic Wedgie

I would agree with this, but there is something to be said for players that were absolutely the best in the league that had their careers shortened by injury. Bossy was simply the best pure goal scorer during his ten year career. He won four cups as well. Orr was the best d-man I ever saw play period. Could skate around an entire team and score a highlight reel goal. McDavid does this but for a top defensive d-man to do this, it was simply amazing. Another truly amazing thing about Gretzky was that he could have had higher totals had that POS Suter not shortened his career with a dirty cross check. Not many talk about goalies being the best players ever, I don't believe NJ would have won a single cup without Brodeur, yet for me Hasek was the best goalie to play in the NHL.

Decent but Leafs are still in a situation that will require some moves for them to be cap compliant by the start of the season. Four of the options that I see possible

1) Trade Brodie and replace him with a smaller salary D-man
2) Trade Nylander and replace him with a smaller salary (1 and 2 can both happen)
3) Trade Jarnkrok and replace him with prospect or pick and red line the cap
4) Have Pridham play the Cap Olympics all year dressing fewer than max players and/or using injury cap re-capture to the maximum.
- winsix

1) I am not sure I see where or how. One plausible approach is to trade Brodie for something and sign Dumba to $4m or less (we need $498k). I am not a fan of Dumba's, but this would at least offer a right-side solution for Rielly. But in looking at trading partners, the only immediate right-side options I see with legitimate trading partners might be Tanev ($4.5m) or DeMelo ($3m).

2) Nylander for Pesce+ is still an option. I think it's a net value loss based on what Pesce adds to the lineup compared to what you lose with a Nylander departure.

Of the remaining FAs, if you could get Suter to go for a Show-me deal, jettison Jarnkrok and get better. Maybe a guy like Motte comes in on the ZAR deal and lets you move out Jarnkrok. I don't know. There are options that ideally give you some flexibility.

I don't like the idea of #4 because you'll lose guys on waivers which will kill us later in the year when we need those players to help with the injuries.