I would do this trade.

Better redux some more. Kapanen and a 2nd should be more than enough for a rental. Maybe have a conditional first in 2021 if he re signs.

How come every time the leafs get something nice people just want to give it away.

I think its a pretty fair deal. Kap is overrated.

Which NHL team do you work for ?

Fastest player on the team, forechecks like a demon, 1st unit PK, great possession numbers, coming off a 20 goal season and only 23. I'm guessing the only reason he's "overrated" is because he plays for Toronto

I'm a Leafs fan and I like him but he's seen as equal or better to Nylander and he's not even close. He's a good depth player but he's not a driver, matthews carried him.

Hollowell is underrated.

The reason he draws comparisons to Nylander is because he's close in skill level and will be making 1/2 what Nylander does while actually playing defense. Nylander put up his numbers playing with Matthews and then what happened ?

I'm not anti-Nylander, I'm anti $7M for Nylander .

I really like him but I think he's expendable

Except Nylander and Matthews put up more points than when Kapanen played with Matthews.

Matthews had the highest PPG of his career this year, but keep trying

PPG isn't any way to measure how well he meshes with his 5v5 RW... It includes, say, moving to the top PP unit.

Try scoring rates (per 60) at evens.

2016-17: 1.55 G / 2.17 Pts
2017-18: 1.68 G / 2.91 Pts
2018-19: 1.35 G / 2.76 Pts

Kappy's good and Matthews is good with him -- but he's better with Nylander. And Kapanen's a valuable piece where the Leafs are really deep. In need of a raise, he's the sort of thing you move for a valuable piece you can fit into your cap. imo.

More powerplay points.

Or you could just move Nylander and save $3.5-4M a year

Prospect for the salary retention.

Top 6 winger for the rental, 2nd for the retention and a conditional 1st in 21 if he resigns sounds more realistic.

Could, but I wouldn't. Kadri's almost certainly not going to be re-signed, and Nylander, unlike Kapanen, is an effective center. He gives more options moving forward, in addition to being a better complement to Matthews.

Glad you're not trying to suggest Kappy led Matthews to new heights anymore tho...

Not denying Nylander is more talented, just don't think he's $3.5-4M a year more talented, given the choice between Nylander at $7M or Kapanen and say, Brandon Montour or Travis Hamonic, at $7M I'll take the latter but taste is subjective.

Kadri has 3 years years left at $4.5 so not sure where you are going with resigning him. If you are talking about trading him he's not going to get given away because despite the media/fan rage 28 year old 2*30 goal scorers at $4.5M are very valuable commodities.

Nylander has yet to show that he is an effective center, he's fine at faceoffs and setting up wingers but he's lost defensively at center.

Finally, a Leafs fan who sees Nylander through a non biased viewpoint.

OK, enough of the Nylander v. Kapanen discussion, am I the only one who thinks this is a terrible trade for the Leafs? TOR trades Brown, Connor and Zaitsev, Nikita to BUF for Sobotka, Vladimír; 2021 3rd round pick (BUF) and 2021 6th round pick (BUF)
I get it, the Leafs move the most hated player since Kessel and drop cap, but the Sabres dump Sobotka, get the defensive defenseman to pair with Dahlin and a PK forward only 2 years removed from 20 goals for only a 3rd and 6th round pick.
This is the only way I can see this trade making sense:
Sobotka is a dump and Zaitsev is a dump.
That leaves 3rd and 6th for Brown.
If the Leaf fans view the trade in this manner, then I guess it is fair. I would appreciate comments regarding this trade. BTW, I think you all know that I am a Sabres fan.

I dunno. It's pretty simple, I think. The idea is that there's more value, to the Leafs, in cap space than in holding onto those two pieces -- they can sign/extend players that better fit their (Dubas's) style. BUF's had a pretty miserable defense and penalty kill, so they'd maybe be interested to acquire the players. But I didn't want to go nuts with picks coming back and figured there'd need to be some cap balancing. Sobotka's a bad contract, and the Leafs can benefit from and easily afford buying out the last year.