Building for the Playoffs

You probably move Thornton to 3C in this scenario

You can't really put a winger in as centre like that...

I like the Rakell trade, although I don't know if Anaheim does it, Rakell is a good player playing on a bad team; they'll want more. With the departure of Kerfoot, I'd rather the Leafs trade for a C Granlund at Nashville, for say Engvall and a third, and you can keep Thorton and Hyman on the wings.

If you trade for Rakell, here are your expansion-draft options:

(1) protect Rakell, in which case you lose both Liljegren (in the trade) and Holl (to Seattle), not to mention which you have the problem of signing two more forwards in order to give Seattle the two qualified forwards necessitated by the rules, or

(2) don't protect Rakell, which I guarantee you will result in Seattle selecting him, in which case you've spent Kerfoot and Liljegren for about half a season of Rakell.

Now, I have as high an opinion of Rickard Rakell as anyone, but that seems like a high price to pay for his services.