Other draft day targets

[Kin]

So by saying "broader parameter," what do think is the best route to adding a quality 1 netminder, and is that within the next year or two, or farther down the road than that?

If you think free agency, when would you make your move to get such a goalie, and what goalies fit that description as coming UFAs?

If you think via trade, what goalie(s) would you target? And, what would the Leafs offer to swing such a deal?

If you are thinking via draft and development, how far down the road before you think the Leafs can seriously compete? And, what are the goaltending solutions in the short term?

Just wondering?

What I was trying to say with the idea of there being broader parameters in adding a #1 goalie is that I don't think one way of going about it is necessarily better than the others. I think you want to be open to all avenues of improvement. You want to add good prospects and keep an eye out for good trade opportunities and look at the UFA market. Goaltending is so volatile from year to year that except in rare cases like Lundqvist or Price you're probably not going to hit that "Well, we've got our #1, no need to worry about goaltending for 15 years" sort of thing you got in the 90's. I think you constantly need to have good goaltending options in the system and all avenues should be pursued in that regard.

Because I don't think it's that important that the Leafs are a good team in the short term I don't know that I look at the need for a "solution" right now. I think Bernier will go into next year splitting the role with someone via the UFA market and that's a good enough tandem for what they need for now.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I was reading some more about the goalie protections and the NMC rules, even on contracts that expire at the end of this upcoming season.

It means we are likely to see the busiest summer on record in terms of trades and or buyouts.

An example, a number of guys who only have one year left but the contract still carries a NMC protection would need to be protected in an expansion draft. Teams won't go for that and risk exposing younger more valuable assets.

It might mean we see the youngest-ever NHL next year as teams give slots to youngsters who meet the first and second-year pro-exemption that is apparently in place.

Someone get me Mitch Marner on the line.

I also wonder if the professional exemption will be impacted by guys playing pro in Europe after being drafted and before coming to the NHL.

 

[slapshot]

Florida deal for then 35 year old Luongo to help his team take a step towards winning. Lou dealt for then 28-year-old Cory Schneider for a Devils team that was no where near competing for anything significant, so he obviously places a high importance on goaltending.

Except those are also two perfect examples of other things entirely. Florida was in a very different situation from the Leafs. They were at the end of a stretch of five years where they'd made four picks inside the top 3. Barkov was in the middle of a promising rookie year, Huberdeau had won the Calder the year before. The Leafs are about to make their first top 3 pick in 26 years. Adding Luongo was done at the end of their process and even then I think it's fair to say that given how poorly he was playing in Vancouver his resurgence in Florida came as a bit of a surprise.

New Jersey, far from being an example, should be a cautionary tale. When they traded for Schneider they were a bad team, drafting in the top 10. They traded for Schneider, have gotten three years of terrific goaltending and...are still a bad team drafting in the top 10. They're caught in a no man's land of not being good enough to compete but not bad enough to add the upper tier prospects. They might have the worst combination of NHL roster/prospects in the entire league. Even more so than Edmonton, I'd do everything I could to make sure the team doesn't end up like the Devils.

I think a team's mentality comes from a coach. There's a danger in losing becoming complacency but that doesn't happen one year into things and it won't happen if Babcock is the coach he's being paid to be.

Just to clarify. I was using those to example, not to say their situations are exactly the same as where the Leafs are right now. Or that the Leafs should trade for Fleury or anyone else for that matter. Just pontificating on what may happen, whether I agree with it or not.  I am making assumptions, rightly or wrongly, 1) that management probably wants to improve next year and not finish last again, 2) that the Leafs goaltending situation is somewhat tenuous right now. I expect something to happen that we'll see some sense of direction coming from Shanahan and Co. Just throwing out possibilities for purpose of discussion, not trying to justify a particular position.

 

[slapshot]

So by saying "broader parameter," what do think is the best route to adding a quality 1 netminder, and is that within the next year or two, or farther down the road than that?

If you think free agency, when would you make your move to get such a goalie, and what goalies fit that description as coming UFAs?

If you think via trade, what goalie(s) would you target? And, what would the Leafs offer to swing such a deal?

If you are thinking via draft and development, how far down the road before you think the Leafs can seriously compete? And, what are the goaltending solutions in the short term?

Just wondering?

What I was trying to say with the idea of there being broader parameters in adding a #1 goalie is that I don't think one way of going about it is necessarily better than the others. I think you want to be open to all avenues of improvement. You want to add good prospects and keep an eye out for good trade opportunities and look at the UFA market. Goaltending is so volatile from year to year that except in rare cases like Lundqvist or Price you're probably not going to hit that "Well, we've got our #1, no need to worry about goaltending for 15 years" sort of thing you got in the 90's. I think you constantly need to have good goaltending options in the system and all avenues should be pursued in that regard.

Because I don't think it's that important that the Leafs are a good team in the short term I don't know that I look at the need for a "solution" right now. I think Bernier will go into next year splitting the role with someone via the UFA market and that's a good enough tandem for what they need for now.

Thanks for the clarification. I agree that is probably good enough for now. But I guess I was asking you, beyond now, what direction do you think they should go? Or do you have an opinion on that at this point?

 

[Kin]

Thanks for the clarification. I agree that is probably good enough for now. But I guess I was asking you, beyond now, what direction do you think they should go? Or do you have an opinion on that at this point?

Right and again the best answer I have is that they should be omni-directional. They should explore every avenue for finding goaltending talent. Draft, UFA, trades. The draft is probably the best place but I don't think that should rule out the others.

 

[bustaheims]

I was reading some more about the goalie protections and the NMC rules, even on contracts that expire at the end of this upcoming season.

It means we are likely to see the busiest summer on record in terms of trades and or buyouts.

An example, a number of guys who only have one year left but the contract still carries a NMC protection would need to be protected in an expansion draft. Teams won't go for that and risk exposing younger more valuable assets.

I guess we'll see about that in the next week or so. What I've read recently makes me feel like expansion isn't all that imminent. If the league does push for expansion, it really won't surprise me to see them push it back another year - which would temper some of the player movement this summer.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I was reading some more about the goalie protections and the NMC rules, even on contracts that expire at the end of this upcoming season.

It means we are likely to see the busiest summer on record in terms of trades and or buyouts.

An example, a number of guys who only have one year left but the contract still carries a NMC protection would need to be protected in an expansion draft. Teams won't go for that and risk exposing younger more valuable assets.

I guess we'll see about that in the next week or so. What I've read recently makes me feel like expansion isn't all that imminent. If the league does push for expansion, it really won't surprise me to see them push it back another year - which would temper some of the player movement this summer.

That's a good point Busta, will this have an impact on the kind of commitment teams will be prepared to make to free agents this summer?

I'm not talking the elite per se but the guys just below who might be capable of normally getting an NMC but might not because it'll tie teams hands in an expansion situation. Will we see them go to some lesser lights or sign for less with teams prepared to provide NMC protection?

You have to think for FA's with families, this will be a pretty big deal.

The only bad protection slot the Leafs would have as the rules stand right now is for Nathan Horton who would need to be protected due to his NMC.

 

[Tigger]

The only bad protection slot the Leafs would have as the rules stand right now is for Nathan Horton who would need to be protected due to his NMC.

I don't think he has to be protected, is that a requirement? I mean, it's really unlikely an expansion team is going to claim a guy who isn't receiving his compensation from an insurance company.

 

[bustaheims]

I don't think he has to be protected, is that a requirement? I mean, it's really unlikely an expansion team is going to claim a guy who isn't receiving his compensation from an insurance company.

Because of the NMC, he would have to be protected, but, my guess is there will be allowances for players to waive their NMCs. Obviously, most won't, but someone like Horton probably wouldn't care.

 

[Tigger]

I don't think he has to be protected, is that a requirement? I mean, it's really unlikely an expansion team is going to claim a guy who isn't receiving his compensation from an insurance company.

Because of the NMC, he would have to be protected, but, my guess is there will be allowances for players to waive their NMCs. Obviously, most won't, but someone like Horton probably wouldn't care.

Good lord, I hope so.

 

[bustaheims]

That's a good point Busta, will this have an impact on the kind of commitment teams will be prepared to make to free agents this summer?

I imagine guys that would ordinarily get multi-year deals with NMCs still will. If a team sees a player as a long-term piece, it won't matter. If the league does announce expansion, I actually wouldn't be surprised to see a number of contracts that take good but not great players into the expansion draft with a season left on their deal as bait. Since teams can only lose one player per team involved in the expansion draft (and, right now, it looks like, if there's expansion, it'll probably only be Vegas), some teams will try to make sure they have a number of attractive, but superfluous pieces to expose.

 

[Al14]

That's a good point Busta, will this have an impact on the kind of commitment teams will be prepared to make to free agents this summer?

I imagine guys that would ordinarily get multi-year deals with NMCs still will. If a team sees a player as a long-term piece, it won't matter. If the league does announce expansion, I actually wouldn't be surprised to see a number of contracts that take good but not great players into the expansion draft with a season left on their deal as bait. Since teams can only lose one player per team involved in the expansion draft (and, right now, it looks like, if there's expansion, it'll probably only be Vegas), some teams will try to make sure they have a number of attractive, but superfluous pieces to expose.

I imagine that a few UFA players will be signed in hopes of exposing them in the expansion draft.  Maybe a few of these guys will return from Europe.  Who knows what will happen with expansion.

 

[gunnar36]

If there is any way we could nab Max Jones at pick 30 I would be thrilled.  I don't see him falling that far down but for what its worth (probably not much) Craig Button now has him down at #42 on Craig's list.
Every game I've watched him he has been so impressive with outside speed, physical play, willingness to drive net and a scoring touch also.  His numbers were good and on most other CHL teams he would have been a first liner and garnered a lot more ice time and PP time but on the stacked Knights team it was a different story.

 

[Kin]

I'd never say never but it seems pretty unlikely that the Leafs take a forward with either Pittsburgh's 1st or their 2nd.

 

[gunnar36]

I'd never say never but it seems pretty unlikely that the Leafs take a forward with either Pittsburgh's 1st or their 2nd.

A young physical forward with size/skill is exactly what they need long term to help insulate and create space for some of their smaller skilled players (Nylander, Marner, Brown etc)

 

[Kin]

A young physical forward with size/skill is exactly what they need long term to help insulate and create space for some of their smaller skilled players (Nylander, Marner, Brown etc)

Well, they have Hyman and they'll be drafting a fairly physical forward with size/skill in Matthews.

And just right now the goaltending/defensive cupboard is so bare that I'd bet pretty heavily that that's where they'll lean.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I think I'm all aboard the Samuel Girard train at 30/31.

 

[Kin]

I think I'm all aboard the Samuel Girard train at 30/31.

Yeah, baby. After the ill-fated Oliver Kylington express of last year I have high hopes for this one coming true.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I think I'm all aboard the Samuel Girard train at 30/31.

Yeah, baby. After the ill-fated Oliver Kylington express of last year I have high hopes for this one coming true.

Dmen at 5'9" scare me a little.

 

[bustaheims]

I'd never say never but it seems pretty unlikely that the Leafs take a forward with either Pittsburgh's 1st or their 2nd.

Agreed. Unless they think there's a significant gap in quality between the D and goaltending available - in which case, I imagine, they'd trade down instead of going off the board.