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Who Gets Dealt?

LeafOfFaith

LeafOfFaith

Well-known member
Franson and Santo are gone, but there are so many left who seem like they could be out the door any minute.

Bozak
Lupul
Kessel
Phaneuf
Polak
Winnik
Booth
Robidas
Jokinen
Bernier or Reimer

Lots of prime candidates, and I think we can expect four or five of them to be gone by the deadline. But let's say it's five players. Who do you think?

My guess is that we'll see one of Bozak and Lupul, and one of Phaneuf and Kessel, exit within the next two weeks. Here are my guesses overall.

Winnik
Phaneuf
Lupul
Polak
Booth

The easy one is Winnik. Phaneuf, I feel they have to get rid of for symbolic purposes alone heading into the offseason. Lupul I think they will be very desperate to move just because of the injuries, and if they find any taker offering reasonable value, he's dumped. Polak has had a bit of a big mouth, rightly or wrongly, but comes reasonably priced, has playoff experience, is a tough dman, and signed for another year - I could see him fetching something. And Booth, while he's been completely ineffective, I think some team takes him on for depth and drops a 6th rounder or so in our laps.

Your guesses?
 
I'd like to see Robidas get dealt, but highly doubtful, unless packaged with someone else. ie Phaneuf and Robidas to Colorado or Dallas
 
I wouldn't be surprised to see Robidas get dealt. Dude has been a warrior for a long time and will get the "Toronto is a shit show" mulligan from a lot of GM's when evaluating him. We won't get **** all for him, but I'd be that we can dump the contract
 
I think we have to keep one of Polak and Robidas. Not because either is so great, but because we'll need a dman back there, especially if Phaneuf goes before March 2.

I believe we could find a taker for both, but Polak will get the better return. He has less money and less term on his contract, he's younger, tougher, etc. And I do feel he's maybe worn out his welcome in a tough situation within the room.

My guess is we keep Robidas to be a third pairing guy and mentor the kids on D, and deal off Polak. And I think if we wait till deadline day, Polak gets us a 2nd.
 
Why trade Polak now? Reilly is playing his best hockey of the year...no need to rush a move as we don't really have anyone to slot in as a vet for Reilly to play with atm with dion out of the lineup.
 
Love how Polak, who has been the only guy with the balls to be honest about the problems with this team, has 'worn out his welcome'.

It really strikes at the heart of this team's problem, and precisely why they need to start shipping out the temperamental little babies. Guys who throw temper tantrums and shrink to the size of a mouse when challenged will never win when it matters. Heck, this team hasnt' even been able to win when it doesn't.
 
polak's just not that good.

leaf fans always resort to this chemistry crap when the team is bad.
 
It could be that all this talk/rumour of JVR being in the same untouchable boat as Rielly is posturing. He could land a nice ransom, possibly even close to Kessel due to the contract/upside allure.
 
Polak is fine. He's strong, tough, skates well and is one of the only guys on the team that has shown any backbone.

Chemistry is a huge component in sport. Stat junkies are quick to dismiss it because they are likely the ones that never played organized team sport.
 
Polak's got one more year left on his contract, then he's a UFA. So, just keep him around so there's some veteran presence on the team next year, and then cash him in to pick up another free 2nd round pick at next year's deadline.
 
If someone offers a second in this years draft, for any of these old guys, you have to take it imo, but good thought LeafGM, probably what ends up happening.
 
mbow30 said:
Love how Polak, who has been the only guy with the balls to be honest about the problems with this team, has 'worn out his welcome'.

It really strikes at the heart of this team's problem, and precisely why they need to start shipping out the temperamental little babies. Guys who throw temper tantrums and shrink to the size of a mouse when challenged will never win when it matters. Heck, this team hasnt' even been able to win when it doesn't.
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When things are going tough and he's consistently vocal about other players, I doubt it's appreciated inside the room. At this point, we have to clean out all conflict from the inside out.

But aside from that, aside from the heart and compete level, he doesn't do anything much that we'd miss for the next year. Since we have to most likely keep Robidas in the absence of any takers, I would prefer to see Polak dealt, rather than still have both patrolling the blue line again next year.

A 2nd in this draft from a bubble team is a pretty excellent return that we shouldn't toss aside. At the very least, even just to get another asset to potentially move up in the order should we need to, it's valuable.
 
BeLeafer said:
It could be that all this talk/rumour of JVR being in the same untouchable boat as Rielly is posturing. He could land a nice ransom, possibly even close to Kessel due to the contract/upside allure.
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If you sell on JVR now, you sell low.

And huge, young, affordable, stand in front of the net guys who score like him don't grow on trees.

He's young enough that you keep him and build around him. He's a great player.
 
LeafGm said:
Polak's got one more year left on his contract, then he's a UFA. So, just keep him around so there's some veteran presence on the team next year, and then cash him in to pick up another free 2nd round pick at next year's deadline.
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Keep Robidas for that, since he'd be tougher to move.
 
zeke said:
polak's just not that good.

leaf fans always resort to this chemistry crap when the team is bad.
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polak's a perfectly fine 4/5 defenseman, who plays a simple game and who is a good enough skater to not get burned on the outside or at the bluelines.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
When things are going tough and he's consistently vocal about other players, I doubt it's appreciated inside the room. At this point, we have to clean out all conflict from the inside out.

But aside from that, aside from the heart and compete level, he doesn't do anything much that we'd miss for the next year. Since we have to most likely keep Robidas in the absence of any takers, I would prefer to see Polak dealt, rather than still have both patrolling the blue line again next year.

A 2nd in this draft from a bubble team is a pretty excellent return that we shouldn't toss aside. At the very least, even just to get another asset to potentially move up in the order should we need to, it's valuable.
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if he isn't appreciated for speaking the truth, the problem is with everybody else, not with him.
 
mbow30 said:
polak's a perfectly fine 4/5 defenseman, who plays a simple game and who is a good enough skater to not get burned on the outside or at the bluelines.
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This is true, but that's exactly why we can find replacements easily enough in the offseason.

For now, let's get the asset (a 2nd or whatever) if it is available to us.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
This is true, but that's exactly why we can find replacements easily enough in the offseason.

For now, let's get the asset (a 2nd or whatever) if it is available to us.
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the same asset will be available next year. replacing him in the off season will easily cost either the same or more in a trade, or $4+ mn on the trade market.

tanking doesn't mean trade everybody... especially a guy who seems to put in the attention to detail off the ice that actually helps teams win, has accountability and who can lead by example with his work ethic.
 
mbow30 said:
if he isn't appreciated for speaking the truth, the problem is with everybody else, not with him.
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I don't disagree with you. But I don't subscribe to our best players just not trying anymore. The decay goes deeper than that.

So when you have guys like JVR and Kessel doing what they can, but not succeeding, and then you have a guy like Polak, who isn't expected to show up on the scoresheet and doesn't (and is thus tougher to criticize), I could see that leaving a bad taste in some mouths. Especially when Kessel is taking responsibility with the media, and not pulling Clarksonesque shit about how his benching was a message to people other than him.

All of that to the side, though. We really have one objective right now. Maximize our assets for as quick a turnaround through the draft as we can.

If we can get the 45th overall pick for Roman Polak, we need to close.
 
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