Take over as 1C is kind of crazy ambitions.. but I do agree he should be protected.
A deal that has always made sense was one with TOR. McCann goes their way and Holl comes back this way. Fills needs and helps both teams with their expansion draft lists..

Leafs are not trading 2 expansion draft exempt, and a player who's highly not likely to get taken, for 2 players they'd have to protect.

You'd be lucky to get a 3rd and a prospect for McCann.

Leafs pass cause of Zuckers contract

Leafs can't afford nearly that cap in that trade. Zucker doesn't provide value at 5.5m. Then you have to find a team that can protect McCann.

I dont see his ceiling being that high but hes a good middle 6 guy who is very versatile. I'm a bit surorised.

Like your thinking tbh, where would holl fit tho? Cuz sounds like Ceci is coming back

McCann is a product of the players around him. He would likely be no more than a 40 point player on any other team that does not have elite playmakers.

U know Rossi is a clown right? I wouldn’t be sure just yet. He is only at the athletic Bc he is friends with Yohe. He already backed away from that report and changed it saying “it’s fluid”

He’s a click bait artist

Uhm, I'm not sure which universe you live in, but McCann for Holl isn't a fair deal and it doesn't help Toronto's expansion plans.

Holl has been playing top 4 mins for the Leafs and has proved to be an effective player on a good contract (whether or not Holl is top 4 material is a different debate but he plays that role for the Leafs). McCann is virtually the same player as Kerfoot. So how does trading a top 4 defenceman for a top 9 forward (which they already have a similar one to on the team) help Toronto at all?

As for Toronto's expansion plan, it's pretty much set:
protect 8 skaters plus a goalie;
Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander, Rielly, Brodie, Dermott, Muzzin, and Campbell. That leaves Kerfoot and Engvall as the 2 forwards that meet requirements to be exposed, and Holl as the defenceman that meets requirements that needs to be exposed. Seattle then likely chooses Kerfoot which gives Toronto an additional $3.5M in cap space (which if that happens I wouldn't be shocked to see Hyman back in town). It's either him or Holl and I don't see Holl going because there's gonna be a ton of defence available and Holl is already pushing 30 so Seattle can take younger guys.

If Pittsburgh doesn't wanna protect McCann I'd bet Toronto has interest. But at no more than maybe a 3rd round pick and a prospect. Otherwise you can risk losing him for nothing. But McCann for Holl makes no sense for either side. Both would be left exposed if traded and Holl is a bottom pair defenceman for Pittsburgh so it doesn't make sense for them either

McCann is not even a center...

If we cannot afford Ceci, I would do this!

According to Rob Rossi, one of our Beat writers on Twitter we are protecting Ceci, which Must mean we reaching an extension today, something to keep a close eye on