16 Sep 2020 15:56:04
Lots of thoughts on Manson. Opinions differ for sure. May be easier and worth a flyer on Gudbranson instead. Expriring contract, coming off a great year. He is a defensive minded D, plays a tough game and when he is playing well, he can play in your top 4.
I am going to assume Dermott is gone in the expansion draft if we pick up a RHD with term, so I am not against moving him.
Minor deal, but something like
To Ducks
Dermott RFA
To Leafs
Gudbranson 4 (Ducks retain 1M)
2020 2nd
Even retaining 1M the Ducks create cap space as Dermott is likely getting a bridge deal between 1.5-2. Ducks get younger and more cost controlled. They have a lot of really good forward prospects, not as many D prospects.
Leafs get a oft-injured NHL D that checks a lot of boxes when healthy while moving an asset they are likely to lose and would have to play the right side anyway. Also get an asset in the 36th overall pick.
16 Sep 2020 16:40:51
Gudbranson is a cap dump even at 50% retained. Not the guy the leafs will target when there are cheaper and better options out there that they can get for Dermott.
16 Sep 2020 17:14:23
Ive always liked Gudbranson. Others always disagree with me. He is a 2nd pair shutdòwn hard hitting guy on a good day but a really reliable but expensive 3rd pairing guy. He is always hurt as well. I think he has had 2 seadons over 70 games played but averages 54 over his 9 year career. Heck he was even hurt during his days in kingston. i still like him. now aniheim has cap problems as well and unfortunetly have tunnes of LHD. this very well could be a colorado leafs like deal like last summer
Gudbranson (50% retained 2 million) plus deslauriers (1 million)
For
Johnsson 3.4 plus vegas 2020 5th
Barrie (at the time was considered goid. much better than what gudbranson is considered now) @ 50% along with a good RFA C for a 2nd line C on a great contract in Kadri plus a 3rd
This deal is involving way less higher end players but its the same type of deal
While leafs are at it why not try to go get taylor doherty his d partner in jr as minor leag signing to play with alex gudbranson with marlies plus go take risk on minimal deal for ryan spooner another jr teamate. thoughts.
16 Sep 2020 17:44:52
I like Gudbransson, as a depth player. He never even came close to living up to expectations. For what he brings to the table, I’d rather the Leafs just sign Schenn outright. Won’t cost any assets and is cheaper AAV.
16 Sep 2020 18:48:41
Connections to gudbranson
Taylor Doherty 6'8 245 LHD who was eriks D partner in jr for kingston. These 2 were such a site. Talk about men amongst boys. They were great partners and even better buddies. He unfairly got pegged the next Tyler Mylers and was even compared to Chara. Poor kid could never live up to those expectations and it hurt his development. Still a solid teamate and a well traveled AHLer with a bit of european experience. Now i'm not saying he is part of the solution. Heck he won't even be a leaf. i'm just typing sign him to a 3 year AHL contract and bring the cambridge native home to retire a marlie mentoring and protecting all the young baby leafs to end his playing career before he gets a minor coaching job with MLSE as he is a really nice guy. It helps Eriks brother Alex is in leafs organisation and Doherty knows him well. They can be D partners to end their careers. Doherty has spent 12 games as a marlie in the past so i'm sure he'd come back to do the mentoring thing and be clise to family to end career. If for some chsnce leafs run into the injury bug by the condensed season and somehow 5 LHD all go down at same time he is a solid 7th LHD. lol. sorry so long for such a nobody but it just brought back memories of seeing these 2 play together back many moons ago.
16 Sep 2020 19:04:50
Next connection to Erik Gudbranson
Ryan Spooner was traded to kingston from peterborough and played a part of year with gudbranson. The kid could fly and had pretty good vision and once he developed a shot he became a quite the dynamo to watch. Scouts labeled him a great secondary compliment offensive threat but was very one dimensional with no care for defence. He was fun for boston fans half the time. He got labeled hard to cosch and slthough very skilled was dealt numorous times as gms hopef their coaches could knock his ego into check. It never happened. Fast forward to today. he spends a few seasons in europe and then ends up in russia this year. The guy grew up started listening to the coaches and learned some 2 way hockey while putting up goid numbers in the khl. Now i'm not typing he will win the frank selke but why not offer the ottawa native a 1 year 1 million dhow me deal. Try him on 3rd line and if it doesn't work have him be 4th line C. Very low key signing thst could be a success
Just a thought.
16 Sep 2020 19:08:50
Thought was that Leafs have little to lose getting Gudbranson on an expiring deal as it is not the top 4 D they are looking for and will still pursue one.
Dermott ceiling is a 3, but most likely a 4 d-man. Yes Anaheim has LD's and not many RD's, but some cap space and stocking the shelves is likely more important than if it is a LD or RD at the moment. they need a D who can play now and is young.
They also have many good forward prospects, so not sure Johnsson is a target for them.
From Anaheim's side. Why not get something for Gudbranson now instead of waiting. He may get injured, he may not play well and lose value.
For the Leafs. It's a gamble that could payoff or bust, but a 1 year gamble likely. It also gives the 3rd pair LHD job to Sandin or Lehtonen basically. If Gudbranson plays well, awesome. If not, maybe you move him at the deadline for a mid pick or something. It is not like Dermott was going to land the RHD they want and I doubt he is a key piece in any deal for one.
C12- I will assume the possible signings of Gudbransons old Junior teammates was sarcasm.
16 Sep 2020 20:10:29
Last connection through Gudbranson
Ok last one i promise
So gudbranson left kingston to start his professional career and spooner was still in kingston to stsrt the next seadon. Kingston stunk without gubby and Dohtree so spooner got dealt to sarnia to play with soon to be 1st overall pick Nail Yakopov. LOL . i'm not going that route just thought i'd scare the heck out of you.
Anyways, during spooners final stay in kingston he had a descent young Russian goalie. Although this goalie didn't have the greatest numbers on a crappy team aniheim saw something in him. Aniheim drafted him in the 3rd round 2011. Unfortunetly for him 2 other young goalies by the names of gibson and andersen got all the respect so tthis russian goalie spent all his ELC and 2 RFA years in the minors. He had little success in all but 1 of these years. His success came in the echl and his ahl life came to an end. This russian goalie made his way to the KHL.
The next 2 years he progressed quite well but then hit a speed bumb in year 3. However, the following year aftet his bsd year he worked his tail off and became a legit goalie. Last year and this year he was without a dought one of the best non NHL goalies. He even has mapleleaf connections as his teamate last year was Ilya Mikhayev. He even played witn ex leaf Cody Franson in russia
His name
Igor Bobkov
This is how the inadvertent connection to gubranson with a great twist goes down
Gudbranson kingston spooner ohl to drafted to aniheim to being outgoalied by andersen to going to the khl and being teamates of franson and Mikhayev.
I suggest leafs make this gudbranson deal or some sort of deal to get gudbranson in a leaf uniform. Sign doherty to a minor league deal. Sign spooner to a low risk nhl deal. Get these three as well as mikhayev and franson to help pitch the idea of bobkov playing in toronto. Trade Andersen now for a dman making everyone believe they have no plan to replace him and have hockey world turned upside down. Then when things look bleek in net announce Bobkov signing and put up his khl stats on the tv screen for the world to see. In a great hockey twist it was Andersen that bested Bobkov causing him to develop in KHL only to return to replace that very same Andersen. and the circle of hockey life concludes.
Thoughts?
17 Sep 2020 15:41:03
How could anyone say No after all that research.