If Vegas doesn't sign Gusev, they don't need to move Eakin. And if they did, this package ain't going to do it.

I like the d pairs a lot. Also kudos fr not LTIR Ladd.

I don't understand why all islanders fans are so desperate to trade Leddy with no replacement

None of those left D have ever been close to top 4.

The most any have played in a season is 19:14 a game by pelech the year before last. Otherwise none of them have ever cracked 19. Toews has about 40 games NHL experience. A top 4 defenseman plays about 21+ minutes and a top pairing 23+. None of these guys have that experience and everyone just wants to throw them in the deepend

There is no reason to need to dump leddy

Also where Andrew Ladd is right now (along with Erickson, Backes, Okposo, Lucic.... Basically any UFA winger signed for term over the last 5 years) should show you why you are going to hate that Lee contract within 4 years.

I actually can't think of a UFA winger that signed 5 or more years who's contract didn't suck by year 4 in the last 4 years

Also where Andrew Ladd is right now (along with Erickson, Backes, Okposo, Lucic.... Basically any UFA winger signed for term over the last 5 years) should show you why you are going to hate that Lee contract within 4 years.

I actually can't think of a UFA winger that signed 5 or more years who's contract didn't suck by year 4 in the last 4 years

Pelech and Toews are definitely top 4 options. They shut down the pens. The right side is one of the strongest in the nhl

Ladd’s contract sucked year one

let me get this sick logic straight:

the only way to get bumped up to an NHL top 4 D role and play top 4 D minutes.... is to have previous NHL top 4 experience and have played NHL top 4 minutes...

yup this makes sense.................

I was referring specifically to the left side

And they shut down the pens for a handful of games.

It just seems so ridiculously unnecessary to need to dump leddy right now

Of course not. But why deplete yourself of experience for no reason and gamble on the whole left side with no experience doing it.

If you didn't have Leddy already I get it. But there seems to be this need to dump him by nyi fans. You have a safety blanket in him. Why do you need to get rid of it.

Keep him and if they out play him then push him down the line up or trade him. Why do it now?

because Pelech is capable and proved so last year of taking the top 6 match ups and playing 20 min a night.

Devon toews, who the organization has seen long before this year, as a top 4 D, is ready for more minutes.

you can put hickey, aho, s hit even wotherspoon as the third pairing LHD. as a trade asset, Leddy becomes less valuable the older he gets and the less term he has on his deal. he is the best trade chip they have in terms of NHL pieces. he, by default has become expendable. they can handle Toews taking Leddy's minutes or spreading leddys minutes among 3 pairings while gaining assets back, the most important being more cap flexibility with Ladd's albatross on the books

Pelech played with Pulock against the Crosby line in the playoffs and did extremely well and Toews is definitely a top 4 dman

All I'm trying to say is make this trade at the deadline once you have the better part of a season of pelech and Toews handling NHL top 4 minutes.

If you didn't have Leddy it would be different, but you do so let those other guys force him down the line up

Agreed. Plenty of term left on his contract, plenty of other ways to import talent that don't involve trading him. I'd say we'll know by the TDL if Toews can replace him as a Top 4 defenseman, and Leddy will fetch far more of a return by the TDL anyways. And if we decide to keep Leddy for another year? Fine, it's not like we have a ton of future LHD stars who need his minutes. Toews is already a lock for the roster and Aho/Vande Sompel/Wotherspoon's ceilings are all on the 3rd pairing anyways. Keep Leddy until we don't need him, then flip him for assets when he'll be most valuable.