You don't need to get rid of Hainsey as he is a UFA after the year. He is better then Holl. Also, I prefer Brown over Hagelin and you can easily trade Brown in the offseason.

That's why it's Moneyballing. Babs is insistent that Hainsey play on the top pair with Rielly. That's what he's going to go with for the rest of the season and the playoffs -- Time to take the toys away.

Well then, give him better toys to play with and not worse ones at a better cap hit. You make the Z trade but not the Hainsey trade.

He did. He just forgot to put Jensen with Rielly.

So the Leafs trade two regulars for one inferior player in the LA trade? Dreadful. And no reason to think Jensen to better than Zaitsev, though the Leafs like the long term cap implications, though the Wings may not
Hainsey and Zaitsev are not "toys" they NHL Dmen who play big minutes on a good team.

Jenson replaces Zaitsev, which I would like. But Holl replacing Hainsey is not better.

I don't get the hate-on for the Leafs' d-corps.

Gardiner, Hainsey, Zaitsev....everyone bashes them for one reason or another.

As a team...the leafs were top 10 in GA. Since the Muzzin trade and Andersen getting back healthy...they have risen to 6th in the league.

They are 24th in shots against...I'll grant that..but team...along with Andersen...are well above league average in keeping the puck out of their own net.

Individually...
Gardiner:
Over the past two years is ranked 5th amongst d-men in points while also maintaining positive advanced stats. People hate on him mainly for two reasons..
a) turnovers...but I challenge anyone to look up the turnover leaders in the league for d-men so you can see the studs listed above him with higher turnovers (https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/stats?season=2018&category=DEFENSE&group=1&sort=8&time=0&pos=4&team=0&qual=1&sortOrder=1); and
b) he's not physical....but that's not his style of play...he's an offensive d-man than is a terrific skater, stick-handler and passer in a league that has already moved to compliment this style of play

Hainsey:
Why the hate? Best I can tell is that leaf fans don't think he's a sexy enough name to be a #1RD. He's a solid vet with good hockey IQ and is defensively responsible...which allows his d-partner...be it Rielly or Dermott...to play a more fluid game. He's not overpaid...and most of his best qualities go unnoticed because he does all the quiet things properly. Sure...he's not fleet of foot anymore and can get beaten...but I've watched almost every minute of every game and goals against are rarely the result of him being out of position. I wouldn't hesitate to re-sign him for another year

Zaitsev:
Okay...the hate here is more understandable...but it's largely exaggerated. He's not woth $4.5m...we can all agree on that. And $4.5m for another 5 years when he's already 27 looks even worse...it was a surprising and questionable contract the day it was announced despite a very good rookie year at age 25, coming from the KHL. Personally...I see confidence issues being the biggest thing holding Z back. He started last year great...battled and injury and then an illness and never got his footing back. I was very hopeful for him coming into this season...but he just seems unsure of himself now. I still think he has it in him to get his game back....but the AAV and term make him a risky asset to keep. He's on the ice for 1/3 of the game and the team d-stats are good...so I think his poor play is still largely exaggerated...but it's still a contract the leafs will either be stuck with or have to pay someone to take off their hands unless he can get his game back over the last third of the season