Official Armchair GM Thread 2014-2015 Leafs

[Highlander]

We would run him out of town. Just like everybody else. What a fish bowl, what a snake pit, what a hockey Vatican. 

 

[freer]

With all the rumors around right now, I for one would like to keep Polak. Thoughts?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

With all the rumors around right now, I for one would like to keep Polak. Thoughts?

He only has 1 year left on his contract, and it's unlikely he'll want to re-sign with a rebuilding team. So he's pretty much for sure getting traded at some point before next years trade deadline. If somebody like LA makes an offer that the Leafs think will be better than what they'll get next year then it makes sense to pull the trigger.

I wouldn't trade him for scraps though, he's the type of defencemen playoff teams covet. So if there's nobody biting now because there's a year left on his contract and teams are wary about next years cap situation, then hold onto him until 2016 when he might have more value as an expiring contract.

 

[Rebel_1812]

I don't think that's awful, might be some salary concerns on Boston's end. I also wonder if they would really be all that interested in bringing Phil back. But I do agree with the value-side of it. My basic structure of a Kessel deal would be...

1) a A prospect/young player, but not an A+ prospect/young player like you said
2) 1st round draft pick
3) a B prospect/young player
4) cap space

Subban and the 1st obviously tick the first two boxes. Eriksson could be flipped for a 2nd rounder of somebody a little further along in his development. There's no long-term deals coming back and we aren't eating any of Phil's contract.

Obviously I would like a little more, but I'm coming to the grips that we'll end up a little disappointed in whatever return Kessel brings. That's kind of just the nature of how trades like these usually work out.

two 1st round picks and a 2nd seemed to have worked out for boston.  So I think your price is decent return.

 

[Rebel_1812]

With all the rumors around right now, I for one would like to keep Polak. Thoughts?

He only has 1 year left on his contract, and it's unlikely he'll want to re-sign with a rebuilding team. So he's pretty much for sure getting traded at some point before next years trade deadline. If somebody like LA makes an offer that the Leafs think will be better than what they'll get next year then it makes sense to pull the trigger.

I wouldn't trade him for scraps though, he's the type of defencemen playoff teams covet. So if there's nobody biting now because there's a year left on his contract and teams are wary about next years cap situation, then hold onto him until 2016 when he might have more value as an expiring contract.

yeah, he just got traded here and said it was an adjustment because their isn't the winning culture here.  I don't think he wants to stay, so it is best to get some value for him.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

With all the rumors around right now, I for one would like to keep Polak. Thoughts?

He only has 1 year left on his contract, and it's unlikely he'll want to re-sign with a rebuilding team. So he's pretty much for sure getting traded at some point before next years trade deadline. If somebody like LA makes an offer that the Leafs think will be better than what they'll get next year then it makes sense to pull the trigger.

I wouldn't trade him for scraps though, he's the type of defencemen playoff teams covet. So if there's nobody biting now because there's a year left on his contract and teams are wary about next years cap situation, then hold onto him until 2016 when he might have more value as an expiring contract.

yeah, he just got traded here and said it was an adjustment because their isn't the winning culture here.  I don't think he wants to stay, so it is best to get some value for him.

"Bloo-bloo I'm dumb too" - The Courageous Story of Potvin29's Failed Response

 

[pmrules]

I don't think that's awful, might be some salary concerns on Boston's end. I also wonder if they would really be all that interested in bringing Phil back. But I do agree with the value-side of it. My basic structure of a Kessel deal would be...

1) a A prospect/young player, but not an A+ prospect/young player like you said
2) 1st round draft pick
3) a B prospect/young player
4) cap space

Subban and the 1st obviously tick the first two boxes. Eriksson could be flipped for a 2nd rounder of somebody a little further along in his development. There's no long-term deals coming back and we aren't eating any of Phil's contract.

Obviously I would like a little more, but I'm coming to the grips that we'll end up a little disappointed in whatever return Kessel brings. That's kind of just the nature of how trades like these usually work out.

I guess it depends on the range of the 1st round draft pick - it's too wide a range with varying values to just call it a first.  A Florida (maybe even a Boston) first then yes I can accept an A prospect...if its Anaheim's first, then I need a better than A prospect since they are likely to go far.

What I would like to do is I am willing to sacrifice that 3rd "B" prospect to make the A prospect an A+ and put a range on that pick. 

1.  A+ type prospect
2.  Expected Late 1st rounder or equivalent prospect.
3.  Cap space equalizer.

Although, my ideal trade has always been Kessel for a current/prospect 1st pairing defenseman.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Yes the guy with 6 career playoff games has to adjust to a non-winning culture.

And actually he didn't say that anyway.  He said there was a lot of "negative energy" and then clarified that by saying: "It's not like guys are negative in the room. What I meant is around the team, like from the media. It comes with the market."

Might want to re-read what you were quoting.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Yes the guy with 6 career playoff games has to adjust to a non-winning culture.

And actually he didn't say that anyway.  He said there was a lot of "negative energy" and then clarified that by saying: "It's not like guys are negative in the room. What I meant is around the team, like from the media. It comes with the market."

Might want to re-read what you were quoting.

Damn it.

Too many storylines to keep track of these days.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

I'm starting to come around on the idea of moving JVR.

I think he's the most valuable asset on this team (outside of Rielly and Nylander) and I'm just not certain he'll ever take that next step to become a consistent 70-80 pt threat.

I'd hate to see him go, but he's good enough that he'll hurt our draft position the next few years.

Anyone think NJ might have interest in him for their first and someone like Larsson/Severson?

As of today that's the 6th overall pick....

 

[Kin]

What I would like to do is I am willing to sacrifice that 3rd "B" prospect to make the A prospect an A+ and put a range on that pick. 

That's very generous of you but the point CTB is referring to of mine is that teams don't trade that sort of prospect. If a team is willing to trade a young player there's going to be a reason. Even Seguin, who's probably going to take Joe Thornton's place in people making unrealistic trade proposals from now on, was only available because there were serious concerns about his maturity level.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

What I would like to do is I am willing to sacrifice that 3rd "B" prospect to make the A prospect an A+ and put a range on that pick. 

That's very generous of you but the point CTB is referring to of mine is that teams don't trade that sort of prospect. If a team is willing to trade a young player there's going to be a reason. Even Seguin, who's probably going to take Joe Thornton's place in people making unrealistic trade proposals from now on, was only available because there were serious concerns about his maturity level.

Yeah, the basic point is that no team is going to trade a prospect that they think will be as good as Phil Kessel (or at least someone with legitimate/elite 1st line potential) for Phil Kessel. Any trade that happens is going to be the old 4 quarters for a dollar type deal (or more accurately a 75-cent piece plus some change).

To illustrate, we won't get a Rielly/Nylander type player back, but hopefully a Gardiner/Kadri guy.

 

[Chris]

I don't know...maybe a team thinks having Kessel now (and for the next few years) will help them win a Cup, as opposed to waiting for their 18 or 19 year old phenom to develop.

Who knows if Nylander (for example) will ever be as good as Kessel, will ever have the impact Kessel has had? I could see a team trading a Nylander-like prospect for Kessel if the circumstances were right. Not saying I'd recommend it, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[Kin]

Who knows if Nylander (for example) will ever be as good as Kessel, will ever have the impact Kessel has had? I could see a team trading a Nylander-like prospect for Kessel if the circumstances were right. Not saying I'd recommend it, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.

That was CtB's example but what I'd say is that Nylander is probably about the upper limit on the kind of player who would get traded. Nylander's a very good prospect but he's not a great one. He was the #8 overall pick a year ago and is still largely an unknown. A lot of the prospects people here are throwing around regarding Kessel are top 5 picks and, in some cases, top 5 picks who are already in the NHL and playing well. Those are the sorts of prospects I'm talking about.

 

[Chris]

Agree that it's unlikely that some of the players being mentioned would be traded for Kessel, especially if they are already making an impact in the NHL. But for someone who is still 18 or 19 and years away from having the impact of a Kessel right now, even a top-5 type (which Kessel was), it could happen.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Nylander was recently named the top ranked drafted prospect in the league by ESPN/Corey Pronman, although Corey's been a fan of Nylander for a very long time so maybe he's a tad biased. I'll admit though that Nylander is likely on the line of the two groups, I just wanted to throw his name out there with the other 3 guys I mentioned to show the difference.

 

[Kin]

Agree that it's unlikely that some of the players being mentioned would be traded for Kessel, especially if they are already making an impact in the NHL. But for someone who is still 18 or 19 and years away from having the impact of a Kessel right now, even a top-5 type (which Kessel was), it could happen.

Well, arguing about what is or isn't possible is kind of pointless but I really think that anyone banking on the Leafs landing that sort of prospect needs to ready themselves for some serious disappointment.

 

[Chris]

Leaf fans disappointed? Hard to imagine 

 

[Britishbulldog]

I wasn't able to catch a lot of games last year and only have seen a few this year and those have mostly been recent.  The 10 or so games I have watched have seen Kessel throwing the puck away, not back checking and not reading the plays well. 

My question is: Is this how Kessel played last year or has it only been the last month and a half?

I had found Kessel before seemed to set up plays with great anticipation and seemed to care.  Now he is terrible.  Is that some of the negativity or was he always not that engaged and I didn't notice it?  He has caused goals more than he has scored them in the games I have watched.  No matter how talented he is that isn't something that is good on the 1st line or 4th line.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

I wasn't able to catch a lot of games last year and only have seen a few this year and those have mostly been recent.  The 10 or so games I have watched have seen Kessel throwing the puck away, not back checking and not reading the plays well. 

My question is: Is this how Kessel played last year or has it only been the last month and a half?

I had found Kessel before seemed to set up plays with great anticipation and seemed to care.  Now he is terrible.  Is that some of the negativity or was he always not that engaged and I didn't notice it?  He has caused goals more than he has scored them in the games I have watched.  No matter how talented he is that isn't something that is good on the 1st line or 4th line.

Early on in the year he was the same Kessel as you described form last year IMO. In the last month + he's looked different. Nervous with the puck, turns it over for no reason/puck bounces of his stick type of stuff.

That's what I'm seeing anyway. I don't think it's a long term thing, just a bad spell combined with a season going off the cliff again.