We have to prepare for Cozens to be on the big club next year. Him going back to juniors does nothing for him. Top line AHL minutes to start would be ideal, but the CHL rule is what it is and it's not changing. We can't expose him too early if he's not ready and potentially stall his development, like we did with Mittelstadt. He needs to play with good players around him.
Bonino I think could be acquired from NSH for a fair price - he only has 1 year left on his deal and has entered the latter-half of his career. Finding something NSH would want from BUF for comparable value was tough, but I settled on McCabe + Tage because McCabe can fill the 3rd line D duties for the time being behind Josi/Ellis/Ekholm while NSH develops their younger D-core, and Tage is a good scoring prospect that I think NSH would like.
Tage gets a bad rep because he was one of the main pieces of the disastrous ROR deal, but the truth is he was starting to show promise and growth once he was sent down to Rochester before his injury last year (6 G, 12 pts in 16 games). The injury I believe was shoulder related and there should be no concern on his current or future health. I actually didnt want to give up Tage, but couldn't find anything else that NSH would be interested in that wouldn't be too much for Bonino, which is why I included the 3rd & 5th draft pick swap as well.
I'd be curious to hear from NSH fans if I'm anywhere on the right track with that one - I always try and put myself in the other teams shoes. They can afford to move Bonino because they still have Duchene, Johansen, Turris at C. They'll save a little bit of cap $ in the deal to address the roster elsewhere. They don't need much at D with their big 3. So an affordable & short-term 2nd/3rd line D and futures is what I settled on.
The Toronto trade is a trade that should've happened the moment we decided we weren't going to use Colin Miller properly after trading for him. Toronto would welcome him with open arms over the tire-fire at RD that is Cody Ceci, and I think would sacrifice Johnsson for him.
Edmundson signing is risky to me because its 4 years, cant see him not trying to cash in on a 4 or 5 year deal though since he's hitting UFA for the first time and has earned his payday, so I'm trying to be realistic. (Although realistically, if I'm being real here, he'd likely never want to come to BUF) He would be a really solid defenseman to help solidify our D-core though.
I'm not sure after the 2020-2021 season when Dahlin & Joki need new contracts that we'll be able to afford all of this D money, so as the year progresses, I would be actively looking to trade either Risto or Montour for scoring help/futures in a cap-saving deal. Probably at the trade deadline.
Miller was a regular on buffalos right side. He was Dahlins partner for much of the year.
The Sabres had problems because they had too many NHL defensmen having a healthy Dahlin, McCabe, Scandella, Ristolainen, MIller, Bogosian, Jokiharju, Montour for much of the year. They dressed 7 defensemen a lot and had a bit of a rotation.
Every leafs fan was dying for Miller last offseason on this place.
I don't think I would trade him for Johnsson, who is hurt, and has a big contract for a guy who has had one decent year.
No every leaf fan was not dying for Miller last off season, just the same ones who are always dying for Right Handed Defenceman. Those guys just buy into the media rhetoric that is generally overblown and ridiculous. Miller isn't an upgrade over anyone we have right now, he makes too much and is really not good defensively. Hard pass.
No Dubas says, I didn't want him when he was a health scratch in Vegas and I don't want him have you health scratched him several times this season. Literally every option the Leafs have is better than Miller. Even Marincin is more valuable since he can at least kill penalties.
Miller was a healthy scratch in BUF because as hard as this is to type since it seems so unbelievable to me, both management and coaching agreed at one point that Zach Bogosian returning from his 4th hip surgery with about as much speed and mobility as a wooden crutch was a better player to dress than Miller.
All I'm trying to say is you can't look at how a team handled a player and say because he was sometimes a healthy scratch that he's not valuable anywhere. Pilut couldn't crack our lineup either... doesn't mean he didn't deserve to. He got so tired of our mess that he decided he'd rather play in the KHL for a year than deal with us again.
Miller was a healthy scratch in BUF because as hard as this is to type since it seems so unbelievable to me, both management and coaching agreed at one point that Zach Bogosian returning from his 4th hip surgery with about as much speed and mobility as a wooden crutch was a better player to dress than Miller.
And? He's the odd man out regardless, he's a #6 defenceman making 3+ million on a bad team. He's not good enough to warrant paying him what he makes. Leafs have better options in Dermot, Sandin, Lehtonen and Liljegren. End of debate.
miller wasn’t a regular this past season because of our incompetent management not because of his lack of skill. he’s a good defenseman trust me. he’s good enough to be dahlins d partner if that tells you anything.
The mere fact Buffalo fans are all trying to trade him tells the whole story, "trust us he's terrific, please take him, come one take him, he's right handed!" No thanks, he's not worth anything to the Leafs.
The mere fact Buffalo fans are all trying to trade him tells the whole story, "trust us he's terrific, please take him, come one take him, he's right handed!" No thanks, he's not worth anything to the Leafs.
Has anyone here said he's terrific?
I've said hes an upgrade over Ceci... I don't think that's an earth-shattering statement.
I'm not disagreeing with that point. But why not just sign a better winger or look for something better than Johnsson he just had season ending injury. I know leads fans will be tight but I would do a trade revolving around Kapanen but not johnsson there is a reason all leaf fans trade him away.
There is a reason, the Leafs could use some space to sign Dermot and Mikheyev. Johnsson is the logical move, not because he isn't worth keeping, if Mikheyev wants too much, then he's gone and Johnsson stays and no one will be unhappy about it. Some will reply to that saying, "see Johnsson is a cap dump" no he isn't hes a very good player on a very good contract and may need to be moved for cap reasons. He's still very much worth acquiring. Point to his injury all you want, Hyman just came off the same injury and he had a terrific year. If we get lowball offers for Johnsson, we'd likely keep him and move Kapanen or Kerfoot instead. In any case it will be for cheaper players not overpriced #7 defenceman.
Miller was a healthy scratch in BUF because as hard as this is to type since it seems so unbelievable to me, both management and coaching agreed at one point that Zach Bogosian returning from his 4th hip surgery with about as much speed and mobility as a wooden crutch was a better player to dress than Miller.
All I'm trying to say is you can't look at how a team handled a player and say because he was sometimes a healthy scratch that he's not valuable anywhere. Pilut couldn't crack our lineup either... doesn't mean he didn't deserve to. He got so tired of our mess that he decided he'd rather play in the KHL for a year than deal with us again.
Miller was also a health scratch in Vegas, including during their run to the cup. He isn't a good enough player, almost any one under 1 million is worth more than him because they offer the same qualities for less money. He's not worth it. As I have mentioned, the Leafs have 6-8 guys that would slot ahead of him.
I've said hes an upgrade over Ceci... I don't think that's an earth-shattering statement.
So what? Ceci isn't going to be on the team next year, Dermot, Lehtonen, Sandin and Liljegren will all be ahead of Ceci next year. Miller is nothing, he doesn't fill a need apart from appeasing the whole "But he's right handed" cultists and those people don't know what they are talking about. There is no debate, here, Miller is not wanted, under any circumstances with his current contract. If he was FA and wanted to sign for 1 million, maybe we'd give him a shot but I doubt it.
The mere fact Buffalo fans are all trying to trade him tells the whole story, "trust us he's terrific, please take him, come one take him, he's right handed!" No thanks, he's not worth anything to the Leafs.
Buffalo has 5 RHD. Personally I'd rather trade ristolainen or montour, but they have to trade someone.
Buffalo has 5 RHD. Personally I'd rather trade ristolainen or montour, but they have to trade someone.
Same, unfortunately we're well past the expiration date of when we should've traded Risto. Sickens me hearing the rumors of what we said no to from other teams' proposals for him.