17 Aug 2021 13:08:30
This is coming off of Parkgardens trade of basically Nylander for Konecny, which I felt Philly would have to add.

Would you?

Phil
Nylander 6.96
Dermott 1.5

Tor
Konecny 5.5
Sanheim RFA

Philly gets a young higher end offensive player in Nylander and a bottom 4 D-man in Dermott. Both signed 2+ years. With the additions of Ellis and Risto, Sanheim may be expendable especially with Dermott in the return. Nylander gives them a great puck carrier at a reasonable cap hit.

Leafs get a lesser talented winger but more physical player in Konecny and a solid Top 4 LD in Sanheim while reducing the cap hit by $3M, but still have to re-sign Sanheim. This would set up a situation to move Rielly for quality picks/prospects, but have a capable player in place already. I can't imagine Sanheim wanting much more than what Rielly makes now on a longer term deal. Leafs should still have cap space when all said and done.

Seems like a win for both teams and a real hockey trade over a money trade. Maybe I'm wrong.

17 Aug 2021 16:27:05
Just to continue the trade thought. If this one went through then a possible destination for Rielly would be LA I would think. Lots of prospects and need another high end D-man moving forward.

LA
Rielly $5M
Kivihalme $.725

Tor
Maata $3.33M
Wagner $1.33
Kaliyev .894
2022 2nd (becomes 2023 1st if Rielly re-signs with LA)

LA-Lots of promising prospects and some good vets. With Brown, Edler and Carter's retention coming off the books end of season, re-signing Rielly should be no problem. Doughty and Rielly would really solidify that D-core. They take Kivihalme contract to balance contracts.

Leafs-take on the last year of Maata's contract and use him for depth. He will walk end of season and open up $3.33 in cap space. Wagner is a physical bottom 6 guy who plays hard. Kaliyev is a very talented forward, but like Nylander, sometimes lazy and should be ready to jump in by next season at the latest. Leafs get a 2nd next draft or a 1st the following one if Rielly re-signs in LA. Lefa cap issues would be resolved for a while and have another good prospect and pick. We should have some cap space left over as well for the deadline

Ritchie Matthews Marner
Kerfoot Tavares Konecny
Wagner Kampf Mikheyev
Engvall Spezza Simmonds
Multiple extra options (Anderson, Bunting, Kase, Brooks, Amadio, Seney)

Muzzin Brodie
Sanheim Holl
Maata/ Sandin/ Liljegren/ Biega

Mrazek
Campbell

Kaliyev, Robertson, Amirov developing and Leafs add another 2nd or 1st round pick depending on Rielly re-sign.

17 Aug 2021 17:40:25
I don’t hate it, but nyladers defensive deficiencies aren’t worth the extra 4 million marner makes per year so ideally I’d rather get out of that contract some how.

18 Aug 2021 00:33:04
Overall I like it. I think Sanheim is the tipping point for me.

I'm very partial to Dermott though. I would love to see him given a shot in a top 4 role.

18 Aug 2021 00:39:29
@Randy I agree Marner is the guy that needs to move but the issue as I see it is; as team like EDM would want Marner. Someone to put them over the top. They will want retention or Dubas takes a bad contract back in order to make the cap work.

Other scenario is a team like CBJ takes Marner and builds around him but he isn't signed long enough to last through a full rebuild.

If he signed an 8/ 11 I think he's far more moveable right now. As is though, the term and money left really ties your hands. Unless you want to retain 50% and go into a full rebuild I'm not sure how Marner gets moved.

18 Aug 2021 14:09:39
The Nylander trade is good and fair value. The Leafs are giving up the best player in that trade.

The Rielly trade does not provide enough value. Rielly alone is worth a roster player, high end prospect and a 1st

For LA, that would be something like this:

To TOR: F - A. Kempe + F - A. Turcotte + 2022 1st round pick

To LAK: D - M. Rielly.

18 Aug 2021 14:37:43
@T-buds. I see what you are saying based on the Jones deal. Let's remember, Jones immediately signed an extension and you can be sure it was known ahead of the deal. If Rielly re-signs, we get a former 1st, a 1st, a bottom 6 winger and a bottom 6 D.

Jones deal was Jones, a 1st (32nd 0verall), a 6th for a former 1st (12th overall), a 2nd and a 1st. Remove the first the Hawks got and you remove the 2nd the Jackets got to get closer and you Have Jones and a 6th for a former 12th overall and a 1st.

For Rielly you want a top 6 forward, a former 5th overall and a 1st with no extension signed by Rielly. I have a former 2nd (33rd overall), a bottom 6 winger, a bottom pair D and a 1st (based on him re-signing like Jones did. You think Rielly is worth that much more than Jones. Sorry, I don't see it.

18 Aug 2021 19:28:24
Kempe is at best a middle six forward, doubt he could play up on the top line. As for Turcotte, yes he is a former 5th overall. But the Kings are deep a C prospect and he is their 3rd ranked C prospect behind Vilardi and Byfield.

I would dream for the Leafs to have a top pairing of Rielly and Doughty, so if the Kings want that, they need to pay up!

Instantly, the Kings have one of the best top pair D in the league IMO.

18 Aug 2021 20:41:17
Mid 6 is fair evaluation for Kempe, but Leafs need a top line LW, so he may make the top line in Toronto. Ritchie, Kerfoot and Kempe. Don't see a lot of difference and I don't feel Robertson is ready and may never be for 1st line duty. If they have to pay for a need, you don't think we will?

Turcotte may be behind the other two as a C, but many high picks are a C at the draft, but are converted to wing in the NHL. Nylander was behind Matthews and Marner, but that doesn't mean we should have given him away at 20-22 years old because we had other guys. He still held lots of value and I would think Turcotte does as well.

Yes, Doughty and Rielly would be great, but the $19M+ for the two of them won't be.

If there is no extension in place, max I think you get is Kempe and a 1st or maybe Turcotte and a 1st. That would be slightly less to about even in what CLB got for Jones.

19 Aug 2021 00:12:40
@RLF good to know I'm not the only one that's cautiously optimistic about Robertson. Everyone in Leafs nation is ready to crown him as a Rocket Richard winner already.

19 Aug 2021 13:06:09
He exploded goals wise his last year of junior and I think many are fixated on that. He had 5 goals in 21 games at the AHL level, 19 a season pace. Good for a rookie. In comparison, Nylander had 14 goals in 37 games as a rookie in the AHL. Over 30 goal season pace.
Except for that one year in junior, Robertson hasn't really done anything to suggest he will score a lot at the NHL level. He is small, but not Marneresque skill wise. He has good energy and a hard wrister, which he needs time and space to load up from what I have seen. He may pan out and be able to play in the top 6, but I would say premature to be sure with any certainty. Personally, I have his ceiling as a mid 6 guy that will need to produce on the PP to be a full time NHLer.

19 Aug 2021 13:24:57
I am high on Robertson, but not ready to anoint him either. He is top 6 winger material and I do feel he would slot well on a line with Matthews and Marner or with Tavares and Nylander.

I think he has potential to be a consistent 20 - 25 G player which is fine with me.

19 Aug 2021 14:59:41
@T-buds. I think it fair to say he could be a 20-25 goal scorer in the right situation. He will need PP time and top 6 minutes for sure. He will still need time to mature before he reaches his potential.

With Matthews and Nylander both UFA in 3 years. The real question is, is he the right option for our first or second line come playoff time when he still needs to grow his game and mature? I don't think he is at this time and we don't have time to wait.