Quoting: exo2769
I agree with you and Palhal for the most part. Everyone in management HAS to be on the hot seat this year. You can't have this quality of a team and continue to have nothing to show for it. I'm a Hawks fan...and don't think Kaner's the right guy for TOR, but go find the right target and pay the full freight price. I'm not saying (10) 1sts or anything extreme, but if TBL can send (2) 1sts and (2) fringe NHLers for Hagel...they want it more than TOR does. Plain and simple. If TOR wants Chyrchrun...pay the asking price. If TOR wants Murphy 50% retained...pay the asking price. Just make a SERIOUS move. It's not that Gio is bad. It's that Dubas needs to buy both cap space and talent at the same time. 2nd round pick trades aren't going to make that happen IMO.
Imo Murphy is just as good as Holl but getting paid x2 lol. Chychrun could be a good fit but he's too injury prone to pay the asking price, if prospect rich teams aren't doing it, then the Leafs definitely shoudn't be because he's not fulfilling a need. I agree with you that Kane isn't the guy the Leafs need, I think Toews is the guy they should add (he may or may not be an option for them). What the Leafs need is a RHD. Timo Meier as a pure rental could work too, but I don't see how the Leafs acquire him without paying an arm and a leg.
2 1st for Hagel wasn't all that bad, it's like paying two 1st for each of the year, and he was only making 1.5m, they were the back to back Champs though so that move is easy for them to make especially since they needed that low cap hit.
I don't care if it costs Dubas his job, but the Leafs need to practice patience. The idea that the Leafs window is 2 years (when Matthews contract is up), is a fool's narrative, because if they keep going all in, they won't be protected from Matthews walking. If Matthews wins a cup in Toronto, then there's nothing left for him to do except get paid (and he can do that anywhere) and bring a cup to Arizona. So, the Leafs shouldn't be giving up Knies or Niemela at all, and they shouldn't give up their 2023 1st and 2024 1st in an act of desperation. The only way I see Matthews wanting to stay in Toronto no matter what is if they win back to back and/or make him highest paid player by giving him 17-20% of the cap.
Dubas needs to save his job first and then he needs to extend Matthews and Nylander (and Marner the off-season after that), and Panicking in the 1st month of hockey isn't going to get him good results. Right now the core 4 take ~40.5m, I'm guessing it could take that much (up to 42m -15m+14m+13m) to just sign the 3, but if they can fit Tavares in there (15m+14m+9m+2.5m or 14m+13m+10+3.5m), then they will be set for a while as the cap increases.