Unfortunately, this approach doesn't leave the Ducks with any defensemen that are "exposure eligible". They have to expose a defenseman under contract for 2017-18 that played at least 40 games in 2016-17 or 70 games the last two seasons. As of now, if Bieksa does not waive the NMC and must be protected, it leaves the Ducks having to expose one of Fowler, Manson, Lindholm or Vatanen. If you're protecting Fowler and Lindholm and trading Vatanen and Manson, that doesn't work. Best case scenario is the Ducks get a waiver for Stoner since he played 64 games the last two seasons but "should" be healthy in time for next season, but in this approach you are trading him too.

I actually don't know if this is serious or not. I'm a Leafs fan and that is insanely one-sided for Toronto.

That TOR trade needs a ton of work IMO - not even clsoe to Manson's value even with the cap dump.



Believe you are correct which is why the Ducks need Beiksa to waive his clause.

I'm a leafs fan but dam that trade is terrible for the ducks

Here's why this probably isn't as realistic as you may think.

Anaheim is going to lose a good player in the expansion draft. It's inevitable. The biggest thing for the Ducks is to make sure it's as painless as possible, and try to make a move for player(s) that they don't need to protect. It's not that I don't think the value coming back in the Bozak-Manson trade is wildly different from what it should be, because for a lot of teams it's might be on par with a reasonable ask. It's just that center isn't an area of need for this team. You ended up putting one of the best faceoff guy's in the league on the 4th line, and created a hole on the back end that wasn't there before, all the while assuming that Larsson (Who's got 4 AHL and 4 NHL games under his belt), Theodore and Montour step in and take significant roles.

I'm not going to sit here and say that Bozak isn't a good hockey player. He is. He's a very good center. But his value as the 3rd line center for the Toronto Maple Leafs is much larger than it is to the Ducks. If the Ducks lose Vermette to expansion, maybe then they circle back and check in on Bozak. Even then though, I doubt they move Manson for him, when they could hit up just about every other team in the league and get someone younger, better and with more control. I think one more season of Stoner's contract is probably the least of the Ducks worries, and probably doesn't require you to give up a RH top 4 shut down guy.

I also think the likelihood of Bieksa not waiving is basically non-existent, given that he's stated that he would already. You either waive and get to remain on a contending team and live in So-Cal, or you don't and you get bought out, and end up hoping that someone wants a 36 year old dman on the decline. That's not a game I'd imagine he really wants to play, but, who knows I guess...

Additionally, the Despres contract is way higher on their list of concerns...

Correct, I left him off the LTIR to see what would happen if he came back. Word is he was skating with the team during the playoff practices.

True enough. The good news is that they don't have to worry about protecting him which essentially makes him future Bob Murray's problem re: his cap hit, as opposed to current Bob, who needs to figure out a way to keep Silfverberg, and not rip apart his group of dmen.