they can get guys like that without giving up Larsson.

So Brown and Zaitsev are the same as Carrick and Leivo?

I've gotta say, every team has a guy like Connor Brown. He's not special. EDM has Toby Rieder, they've posted almost exactly the same 5v5 production over the past 3 seasons. EDM also has Caggiula, a hard worker that has produced when he's put with McDavid. And right now, they're playing Chiasson on the top line and he has 12 goals in 25 games. I agree that EDM needs wingers, but they should be looking to get someone that can produce on his own line. They're not going to trade Larsson (he plays big minutes and now Klefbom is out) for a guy that McDavid played with in juniors.

How?

How does Edmonton acquire Brown in a way that would make the Leafs want to pull the trigger on the move?

they are not. but it is a demonstration of how leafs fans hilariously overvalue their players

connor brown is not special. there are 2-3 connor browns on most teams. guys that score 15-20 goals when playing with superstars or in an outlier year and 10-12 goals when playing as a bottom 6 guy or with their normal shooting percentage.

I don't think every team has a player like Brown. Edmonton has wingers who can produce with McDavid (Anyone can produce with him, he's the best player in the world), and what do they do when they aren't on his wing? Almost across the board, they do nothing. I think Brown playing with RNH would help improve the 2nd line by a fair amount. Edmonton has an awesome top line, a not terrible 2nd line and then two lines that wouldn't make some teams. Deep teams like TO and Tampa would have no place for half of the forwards in Edmonton.

Leafs fan: Connor Brown is great and is a top 6 guy

Leafs Management: We need to give John Tavares, Patrick Marleau and William Nylander 24 million combined per year

So a 3rd liner on a deep team is the same as a 3rd liner on a team that has huge depth issues? That is what we are saying here? I'm done with this conversation its just silly now. William Karlsson was a depth guy in Columbus but has been much better in Vegas (I know his scoring is way down but he's still putting up decent points), all 3rd liners aren't just 3rd liners. This is just another pointless conversation where you are going to say that whatever player we are talking about is completely overrated because of his jersey.

What is the point of that statement?

What makes Brown special? What qualities does he have that will drive the 2nd line in EDM? What makes him worthwhile to trade their 2nd-best defenseman? I've looked at his transition play (https://public.tableau.com/profile/christopher.turtoro#!/vizhome/2-yearA3ZPlayerComps/ComparisonDashboard). I looked at his 5v5 production (http://corsica.hockey/). I've seen how his on-ice metrics compare other wingers (https://public.tableau.com/profile/bill.comeau#!/vizhome/SkaterComparisonToolv2/Dashboard1) I've watched plenty of Leafs games to see what he does. He's nothing special, and if you think he is, then keep him on the Leafs because no other teams are giving up anything more than a middling draft pick for him.

Connor Brown had 20 goals as a 21/22 year old rookie playing all 82 games getting 16 mins per game, getting pp time and shooting 14.4 percent. Since, he hasn't shot above 11.8 percent and doesn't get much power play time and his goal totals decrease (he has THREE this year).

Zemgus Girgensons had 15 goals as a 20 year old rookie playing only 61 games for buffalo. but he played 19 minutes a game including power play time and shot 13 percent. Since, his pp time is gone, his time on ice is down and his shooting percentage is down and hes a 7 goals a year guy.

there are stories like this on every team. if you play with the right guys, keep your stick down and go on a bit of a streak you are going to score a bit, but when things settle in, you are a good NHL player, but not exactly unique or special.

that leafs management is much more level headed than their fan base

I see Brown as a really hard worker who plays responsible minutes and can score if given the chance. I don't think he's an elite player by any stretch, but I have seen several Oiler games and their wingers are not very good, Brown would help them on the PK and also provide some much needed speed to a relatively slow lineup.

Without a doubt that is true. I couldn't agree more. I am also not one of the guys saying Brown is an elite player worth a super big haul, he isn't. At least not now in his current role he plays with TO. I do think he could be a solid top 6 player who pitches in 20+ goals and 40 points a season. I am more arguing this based on two other things, 1) Larsson really isn't that good, he's a middle pair defenceman who can play bigger minutes if there isn't someone better and 2) Edmonton's wingers are really not good and Brown would be an upgrade on that team.

Brown is a depth guy and a good one to have around, but I do think Leafs Management knows he's likely going to be traded in the off season. They'll need his cap space for Johnsson or Kapanen.

Youre actually such a homer brown is on the fourth line producing nothing making good money that the leafs probably dont want to pay youd get a 3rd at most for him

You're still not telling me why he's more inclined to be an impact player than Rieder, Caggiula, Chiasson. They're all hard workers. They all can kill penalties. And they all make less than Brown.

More importantly, you're not convincing me that the Oil would be better if they traded Larsson for a winger and a downgrade. Would you trade Zaitsev for Andy MacDonald and Michael Raffl? Raffl scored 20 goals before and AMac isn't that big of a downgrade from Zaits.

Lmao this !

@littlejerryseinfeld is completely right.

I feel like fans of Canadian teams, especially the Leafs and Habs, get this excessive coverage on all of their players, whether they are the star guys like the Tavares/Marner/Matthews of the world, or the 25 year old depth prospects playing 3rd line minutes in the AHL, which is why the Brown's/Leivo's/Carricks/Nielsen's/Lehkonen's/Scherbak's/etc. end up being extremely overvalued on here by the fans of those teams, and then get moved for peanuts. Tell me more about how Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is going to be the next GOAT! https://www.tsn.ca/talent/a-look-at-the-maple-leafs-2018-draft-class-1.1121509 Read this Leafs draft fluff piece. It reads as if every single guy that was drafted last year has top 6 fwd/top 4 d potential. Common!

I'm not sitting here saying that Connor Brown isn't a good hockey player, or that Zaitsev isn't a good hockey player either. And you're not wrong in saying that the Oilers depth could stand to be improved. But taking $2.5 million extra for a guy that, no matter how you want to clean him up, hasn't scored more than 39 pts in his career, and a so/so dman on a very long contract isn't how you do it.

Maybe, but he's still better than pretty much all the wingers in Edmonton. I'm arguing that Zaitsev and Larsson are pretty close to the same player and adding Brown to the trade gives Edmonton value, they get an upgrade on the wing and the defensive swing is almost a wash. Adding a 2nd is a tad much but if Edmonton argues it's needed to take on the extra cap hit then I guess that's okay. If you think you are going to get a top line winger, a pick and a defenseman for Larsson you are very much mistaken. Remember the last time Larsson was traded for a top line winger?

Chia: "Hey, you guys are looking to free up some cap space next year eh? How about we take Brown for a meh prospect?"
Dubas: "No thanks!"
Chia: "Cool, thanks for the talk".
Chia: Claims similar player who is cheaper off of waivers, moves on with his life.

Zaitsev isn't a terrible defenceman

When did anyone ask for a top line winger? Nobody asked for Nylander or Marner.

How is brown an upgrade though? Like @A_K said we have caggiula an tobi rieder brown at 2.5 producing nothing doesnt help an in reality this will suck to hear but in all aspects of numbers larsson > zaitsev in everything but maybe producing points but zaitsev has what 3 points in 32 fing games lol terrible to say he produces more when Larsson alreasy has more on a team whos not as good so please sit there an keep being a homer when literally five other people are telling you otherwise yes you have an opinion but its wrong hahah

Come on ...