The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds
- Thread starter MindzEye
- Start date
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Mindz: Lets sign the defenders Dom had ranked 11th & 32nd overall in the league last year and the centre Dom had ranked 22nd to improve ourselves
Zeke: McCabe-Tanev should be our top pairing again just in case one of like 3 GM's in the league have a fucking anuerysm and sell an elite defender, and we win that bidding war
Also Zeke: Why is Mindz settling for less?
Zeke: McCabe-Tanev should be our top pairing again just in case one of like 3 GM's in the league have a fucking anuerysm and sell an elite defender, and we win that bidding war
Also Zeke: Why is Mindz settling for less?
MyNameIsJonas
Well-known member
The state of the FA crop is kinda telling.
I also think ME is more realistic as to the Leafs chances for making trades.
I also think ME is more realistic as to the Leafs chances for making trades.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
It's purely situational. We have two cranky superstars who are considering not being here going forward. Which isn't to say that they're on the edge of demanding out now, but another season of anything but being back near the top of the table probably pushes at least Matthews over the edge into demanding a trade. At the same time we've been gifted a franchise prospect on his ELC for the next few years, probably returning the massive surplus cap value we haven't had from a player in like 5-6 years and we didn't capitalize on the first time around. While I would love to have the patience to wait until everything is perfect to take a swing at the perfect players, I would rather just use the cap space we have right now to add very good players in spots we badly need them. These aren't even mediocre players, they're really good players who all happen to play the positions and roles we have the highest need in right now. They're just not elite players.
The kicker is, that doing it my way gives us a better opportunity to land said elite player should they come available later. Even if we signed Raddysh and Andersson, there's no reason we couldn't trade for Werenski if he asked out of Columbus mid season.
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
I'd push hard to get rid of Stolarz. I think Woll will end up being the more durable of them, and is younger.
Yet Stolarz should command more. I definitely will jump at a good opportunity to bring in value for him.
OEL I'd be hesitate to lose. He gives us exactly what we need back there and at a great price with term left.
Robertson is awesome and must stay and get a full opportunity now under a new coach with a brain in his head, preferably undamaged.
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
Why would Andersson fall off a cliff and why isn't Raddysh worth the gamble if you're going to get him at a fair price and not $9M or something?
Those are the right moves. We thought Ekholm was dead, people wrote off Burns, etc. These guys will stay good unless some unexpected injury derails them, which could happen to anyone.
Those are the right moves. We thought Ekholm was dead, people wrote off Burns, etc. These guys will stay good unless some unexpected injury derails them, which could happen to anyone.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Oh, I think we could put in a very solid, potentially winning offer for Werenski or Fox. Most GM's would prefer a player like Knies who is good, young, and under control to even very fancy looking mystery boxes. I think a Knies + Cowan + 1st has us in the door vs anyone's offer.
I just think that it's smarter to work within the control you have, rather than gamble on someone else's timeline aligning with yours.
As they like to say in the markets: Being early is indistinguishable from being wrong.
Even if Werenski or Fox end up getting traded, if it's December 2027 that's no fucking good to us this summer, is it?
mbow30
Spudmeister Supreme
Sound like ME too
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
Werenski for high end assets off the roster and futures instead of Raddysh/Andersson for cash makes us way worse.
CH1
The Artist Formerly Known as chiggins.
This is bang on. There is not much appetite for patience — not with the players, nor with the fans, nor with Rogers.
If Chayka is as good as advertised, there’s no reason he can’t navigate both short and long term timeframes.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Caphell, like biblical hell, is a place made up by weirdos to explain things they don't understand.
You seem to severely underestimate the risk of Matthews and Willy not liking what they see this season if we disappoint again, and ask out before one of our preferred unicorn defenders ever hits the market to be traded for. The "middlings" you mention were ranked, by Doms metric you were kind enough to send me last night, 11th and 32nd among all defenders and Coyle 22nd among all centres. That's not middling...those are very good players.
and again....Knies is the starting price for one of these unicorn defenders, cap space to fit said unicorn in is not an issue.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
I'm actually 46 for a few more weeks, dipshit.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
That's a real nice package of youngsters tbf, but yeah Knies would be the best asset of the group. GM's love power forwards. There's like 5 in the league like Knies.
LeafGm
Well-known member
It is worth remembering that one of the main things both Willy & Auston brought up in their exit interviews was improving the defense. And specifically adding more puck-moving defense.
So if you roll back into training camp in the fall with the same top-7 D because you're keeping your powder dry for the foreseeable future waiting for a Unicorn, legit #1 defenseman to fall into your lap...that definitely seems like playing with fire.
MyNameIsJonas
Well-known member
I could probably talk myself into 4th, and Korchinski for Knies, Robertson and Joshua or some such if Stenberg was gone
Depending on how you feel about Carels/Reid might be best path to a #1D
Depending on how you feel about Carels/Reid might be best path to a #1D
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Yup. Aggressively improving the blueline in free agency signals to them that we're serious about improving there, and they calm their tits.
and it does not stop us from adding the unicorn out there should that player come to market.
This:
McCabe-Raddysh
OEL-Anderssen
Rielly-Tanev
can become this very easily:
Fox-Andersson
McCabe-Raddysh
Rielly-Tanev
and then we have the best blueline in hockey while still having a ton of firepower up front.
LeafGm
Well-known member
I'd also like to state that, under almost no circumstance do I want this team to trade Matthew Knies. For me, he is now a core piece.
The only circumstance in which I ever consider it is for a legit, stud #1 defenseman who's still in his 20's and who is locked up for at least 3-4 more seasons. And, aside from Adam Fox on the Rangers, that player essentially does not exist in the NHL of this moment.
And if it's someone who's more like a Quinn Hughes, where he's being traded because his team is rebuilding, his contract is expiring and he's made it clear he's not going to re-sign---players in those circumstances never get a roster player as good as Knies traded for them. It's always a collection of lesser and future assets, and I have no interest in seeing us being the ones bucking that trend.
The only circumstance in which I ever consider it is for a legit, stud #1 defenseman who's still in his 20's and who is locked up for at least 3-4 more seasons. And, aside from Adam Fox on the Rangers, that player essentially does not exist in the NHL of this moment.
And if it's someone who's more like a Quinn Hughes, where he's being traded because his team is rebuilding, his contract is expiring and he's made it clear he's not going to re-sign---players in those circumstances never get a roster player as good as Knies traded for them. It's always a collection of lesser and future assets, and I have no interest in seeing us being the ones bucking that trend.
MyNameIsJonas
Well-known member
I would think you could/should be able to know if Werenski takes the max money before any deal