Maple Leafs have tough decision for June draft

Maple Leafs have tough decision for June draft

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51 Responses to Maple Leafs have tough decision for June draft

  1. leafy says:

    If Phoenix picks Strome at no. 3, who do you pick, Hanifin or Marner?

    Since the Leafs need a center badly, have to go with Marner. After all, he’s compared to Patrick Kane.

  2. leafs_wallace93 says:

    Honestly I won’t complain about any of those three.

    • TmLeafan says:

      My thoughts exactly. It will be 5 years before we know who was the best pick and all of them will most likely be elite by the looks of things

      • Steven_Leafs0 says:

        I hope so. It would be so nice to see the top five players in a single draft becomes elites, unfortunately odds are one or two will come up short if not just completely. That being said at this point I can’t complain with either one.

        • leafs_wallace93 says:

          Don’t after we trade Kessel and JVR we’ll get all three right?

          • Steven_Leafs0 says:

            If it is Kessel and JVR and nothing of major value for those picks and cap dumps I’m all for it.

        • leafs_wallace93 says:

          Don’t worry…

        • TmLeafan says:

          Ya but this draft seems to be the real deal. Remember the Toews draft where Kessel went 5th or the Mckinnon draft where Seth Jones went 4th.

          With Mcdavid and Eichel being so good the top 3 after that could all be at that level. You are right though they are still prospects.

          • Steven_Leafs0 says:

            Yeah that’s what I’m hoping for (also I like all 5 players). So I wouldn’t be completely worried but I’d also be careful trading for these picks. Don’t move Kessel for the 5th and have the player turn into a 3rd liner. We will be rebuilding for decades.

            • LN91 says:

              You’re probably rebuding for decades with A) Keeping Kessel on the team and 2) Trading him in a package for third-liners.

              Take my risks and go for that #5, let’s not forget 3-5 in this drafts are probably #2 or #3 in most.

              At worst, the Leafs will be terrible next season and ass a higher pick then #4

              • Steven_Leafs0 says:

                Which can still be Cam Barker or Sam Gagner. Lol.

                • LN91 says:

                  Who cares? Each team will pick atleast one bust in a rebuild. Chicago is going for their third cup in the last 6 years.

                  I think TBL has a bust in Drouin, but they hit on more top-picks then not and they have chance to win a final.

                  LA drafted Hickey 4th overall in 07.

                  • Steven_Leafs0 says:

                    Yeah it happens there is no avoiding it but when you start trading top line assets for those busts then you have a problem.

                    I mean imagine if Pittaburgh moved Staal for only Carolina’s 8th overall pick. What a failure of a deal that would have been. At least they got a replacement on their roster plus that pick.

                    That is what the Leafs have to look at when trading an elite scorer for a top 10 pick. Also grab the Skinner level player to not only make the deal fair but minimize the chance of ending up with nothing.

                    Kessel straight up for the pick (and a cap dump added no less) is a bad deal. Period. It may be the only one we have this year and I understand that but in that case we should pass.

                    • TmLeafan says:

                      Its a pointless argument anyway. If Kessel gets dealt it will be to a team that is looking for an elite scoring winger to push them over the top towards a cup. Carolina is not in that category.

                      Think it would be one of 3 teams that could afford to give up the amount of assets required to land Phil: NYI, ANA and NSH.

                    • Steven_Leafs0 says:

                      Actually I can see Carolina as a solid destination. But only if they want to re-sign Eric Staal. The 5th overall pick will not get them into the playoffs and Staal is nearing the end of his career, one more big contract. I doubt he stays in Carolina for a 3-5 year rebuild.

                      I can see a deal in the area Kessel, Robidas/Polak for Skinner, 5th overall pick and a cap dump (Semin/Ward, probably Semin).

            • leafy says:

              I’d definitely do Kessel straight up for a top 5 pick in this year’s draft (ie, Hanifin, Strome, or Marner). No doubt about it.

              • Steven_Leafs0 says:

                I’m not a fan of it, we could lose really badly. Especially when you look at what someone with less value like Bobby Ryan went for:

                Silverberg (young top 6 forward)
                Noeson (prospect former 1st round pick)
                10th overall pick

                Looking at that package getting this shouldn’t be impossible:

                Skinner
                Rask
                5th overall

                Now because the 5th overall is so much more valuable than the 10th Anaheim got I am on with removing Rask. BUT if you want us to take Semin’s pure cap dump then you have to put Rask back in IMO.

  3. nordiques100 says:

    Well it does look like Strome will be picked by Arizona. So if i am Toronto, I am selecting Marner.

    Just too much skill to pass up.

    But neither 3 will hurt Toronto.

  4. doorman says:

    Hannifin is too good to pass up, period. Build from the net out. You can win a cup with good not elite centres, most cup teams have strong elite dmen (Keith, Doughty, etc.)and strong d cores.

    • leafs_wallace93 says:

      My personal order is Strome, Hanifin, Marner for the record.

      My concern is that is Hanifin a that Keith or Doughty like PMD? Not really, and look at blueliners so many great ones are found in the round. Like to see the Leafs invest in blueliners with 2nd round picks we buy at deadlines and such in the next few seasons while drafting high end forwards with our Tank Nation picks.

      Subban, Weber, Faulk… mine for those gems in the 2nd.

  5. kessel_leafs81 says:

    Just for fun, ultimate rebuild

    At the draft:

    To Arizona: Phil Kessel, connor brown
    To Toronto: 3rd overal

    To Carolina: Phaneuf(2 mill retained) + Kadri + our late first this year
    To Toronto : 5th pick + Semin

    Draft hannifin, strome, and marner

    top line in 3 years: nylander – strome – marner
    top d pair : hannifin – reilly

    Suck next year and have a high supporting pick, all around the same age, would try and sign belesky type, a super hard working vet that hopefully his workethic rubs off on younger players and sets a good example, keep polak around for the younger d as an example

    fun thought, wont happen obviously

    • Steven_Leafs0 says:

      Ouch on value there. In a vacuum you just gave up:

      Elite level scoring be winger (Kessel)
      Top pairing defenseman (Phaneuf)
      Top 6 centerman (Kadri)
      24th overall pick
      Connor Brown
      Retained $2M for 6 years
      And took on a junk contract (had to be done but still a loss in value)

      And all to get:

      Possible elite player (Marner)
      Possible top pairing defenseman (Hanifin)
      Possible top 6 centerman (Strome)

      Which by the way we had to use our own asset (4th pick) to do. Assuming each player reaches their potential (unlikely) we actually gave up more especially with the cap dump and bad contract back. Plus the NSH pick.

      Personally I would not eat any contract over 3 years, maybe 4. It is a handicap when we are ready to compete.

      That being said I love the idea. Having all 3 of those guys would be really hard to pass up especially with them developing and pushing each other for greatness. It is worth pursuing but I would not give up more than Kessel, Phaneuf, other meh prospects or older players (Biggs, Lupul, even Komarov and Panik even though we should keep them) and take on cap dumps. Won’t happen but that is where I am.

      • kessel_leafs81 says:

        I’m just sick of a half hearted rebuild and what this will do is give up more now and not our first round picks in later years and pretty much lock up a top 5 pick for the next two years too by giving away our players now. I will over pay in hopes for a chance for a chicago typed dynasty.

        • Gambo says:

          I’m with you. Having Kessel, Phaneuf, Lupul, ect. will not help this team win a Stanley Cup. Trading them for young players or high draft picks will help build a team with that can contend for years.

      • leafmeister says:

        The only measure by which Phaneuf is a top pairing d-man is ice time. Every other objective measure suggests he is 2nd pairing or worse.

        He may play on the Leafs top pairing, but he does not perform like a top pairing d-man, and costs 7 million dollars. It would be hard to lose a trade whereby we move Phaneuf.

    • leafs_wallace93 says:

      Turn JVR into Provorov/Werenski/Zacha/Barzel while we’re at it.

      • kessel_leafs81 says:

        see i like JVR and is a good role model. If we ever make playoffs again with him on the team, i can really see him taking his game to the next level and be a real nice supporting player. I wouldnt mind keeping him unless an overpayment comes along.

  6. razer1818 says:

    I am all for a total rebuild but the trades mentioned earlier were just plain waste. it was like our past GM’s…. my opinion on trades are as follows

    To Edm
    Dion Phanuef
    To Tor
    Edm 16th overall (2015) & Leon Dresital

    To Arizona
    Phil Kessel

    To Toronto
    Arz 3rd overall (2015) & Arz 30th over all (Chi) &Anthony Duclair

    To Col
    Jake Gardnier
    To Tor
    2rd Pick (2015) & Calvin Pickard(G)

    To Edm
    Johnathan Bernier & Stephan Robidas
    To Tor
    Jordan Eberle & Kyle Platzer

    • Steven_Leafs0 says:

      Would be awesome but there is no way Edmonton gives up Eberle, Drasitl, 16th pick for Phaneuf, Bernier, & Robidas. Maybe if you remove Eberle and included a couple cap dumps. Would be nice to have 5 first round picks (3rd & 4th included) in this draft though.

    • Gambo says:

      Oh man. I love the dream, but you are over valuing the value of the leafs players hard.

      I can see the Oilers maybe moving Draisaitl for help on D, and i’d definitely target him hard. But not a chance Phaneuf would be enough. They’d be asking for Rielly, maybe even Rielly +. Honestly, if the Leafs draft Hanifin, i think i’d trade Rielly for Draisaitl. It would be tough though.

      For the Eberle trade, again there’s not really a chance they think about it. Goalies just don’t have much value right now. Eberle is too valuable to them to trade for someone who is still sorta of a question mark in net.

      Arizona would be stupid to trade the 3rd overall for a scoring winger. Or to even trade it at all. I think the best bet for trading Kessel to get a draft pick would be with the devils at 6th overall.

      As an Avs fan, i would actually really like Gardiner on the team. I’d rather just give up a 2nd for him, but as a leafs fan i wouldn’t do that. Probably not the right time for a Gardiner trade.

      So yeah i’d be stoked if your trades happened, unfortunately it’s a dream.

  7. razer1818 says:

    Maybe a dream but they do carry more weight than you think. I will show my prof later

  8. leafy says:

    TSN’s final NHL draft rankings. Numbers 3 to 5 are a bit different from some other recent rankings.

    • Gambo says:

      I’m hoping for Joel Eriksson Ek with the second first. Or Kylington, he started with a high ranking and I heard some comparisons to Karlsson, really dropped off huge.

      • Steven_Leafs0 says:

        Kylington is who I hope for with the 24th pick. Unless some current top 15 drops to 24.

  9. leafy says:

    On tonight’s telecast, they said that interest in Phil Kessel is heating up, although a trade is unlikely for at least a couple of weeks.

    You’ve got to think that Jeff Petry getting $5.5 over 6 years is very good news for the Leafs. If Petry gets that much, then Kessel’s $8 mil per season should seem reasonable to GMs and the return in a trade would have to be good. But what that is exactly is hard to say.

    • Steven_Leafs0 says:

      Agreed. This salary is just the going rate now. Hamilton is apparently seeking $6-7M. He isn’t worth that much yet, it really should be a bridge deal in the $4-5M range. Kessel being moved especially for some cap dump coming the other way is very possible. Should be an exciting couple of weeks.

      • TmLeafan says:

        I think the Petry deal has more of an effect on a potential Phaneuf deal.

        Petry and Boychuck are 2nd pairing dmen on good teams making around the same amount. I think teams looking at Phaneuf now realize that is what he is and would actually thrive given the opportunity to play in that role. Take some money on and i think we are looking at a pretty solid return. Look what Wizniewski grabbed at the deadline for CLB and he was a healthy scratch all playoffs.

        • Steven_Leafs0 says:

          True I can see a decent return considering you would be risking to spend $5-6M on a defenseman that could easily end up on your 3rd pairing.

          That being said I would not eat any contract that is more than 3 years long. Why have a cap penalty when we are ready to compete? Taking back a bad contract less than 4 years long is the way to go.

          • TmLeafan says:

            agreed. Think we are going to take on a few bad contracts this summer to fill out the roster for the next couple of years.Essentially buying picks, Shanny started doing it at the deadline don’t see why it won’t continue. We got to hope that the cap is as low as possible next year to force teams up against the cap to give up some assets.

            • Steven_Leafs0 says:

              For sure. There are teams in the top 10 that would love to make the playoffs and have bad contracts to move.

              Carolina (if they intend to keep Staal) with Semin & Ward
              Philadelphia with Lecavalier and Umberger
              New Jersey with Clowe

              Lots of opportunity.

              • TmLeafan says:

                Add Nicklas Backstrom on Minnesota to that list, could be a stop gap goalie if Bernier or Reimer are traded.

                • Steven_Leafs0 says:

                  Very true, if they want to target another solid player then dumping his salary could be a nice opportunity for Toronto.

                  MIN 1st and Backstrom for Polak?

  10. TmLeafan says:

    All these trade proposals with the Canes for the 5th overall pick are so ridiculous from a Leafs perspective.

    • kessel_leafs81 says:

      how so?

      • TmLeafan says:

        I think Phil easily has the value of number 5 overall. Heard Eklund reporting we would be including Kessel and Kadri in the deal? Absolutely absurd. We need to hit a home run with this Kessel deal or we are setting our franchise back another 5 years.

        • Gambo says:

          I disagree. Trading Kessel for a top 5 pick makes the rebuild a year shorter. Keeping him sets the team back.

          • LN91 says:

            I agree Gambo.

            Trading Kessel for a 20-30 pick, an average prospect, and an average roster player is probably worst for the rebuild.

            Are we all forgetting this is not an average draft year? Picks 1-5 is probably a 1-3 pick in most draft years. It’s like that Lebron James draft.

            So, getting to top-3 picks in one year is better then the potential of seeing Kessel regress, especially under a coach like Babcock.

            • Steven_Leafs0 says:

              It isn’t the worse thing but considering what Ryan/Kesler/Staal went for asking for more is not obsurd.

              It is a missed opportunity to accept only the 5th overall. Especially if we are taking back a cap dump. Loss of value.

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