to be reasonable sharks would ask Knies and 23 1st.
and that might scare Toronto away.
plus to make this work a player with a mid range cap hit (3-4.5 mi) would have to go back as well or Meier doesn’t get resigned. depending on who you would either have to sweeten the deal (murray or Muzzin) or sharks might have to add (brodie Bunting) just spit balking here!

truth be told Karlsson at 3 mil retained would be more helpful to your success than Meier would!

Option one: trade Meier at the draft to recoup picks (obviously won’t even close to the same return but still could get something back for his RFA rights)

Option two: move one of Samsonov or Murray
Georgiev trade last year got NYR two 3rd round picks and one 5th round. Samsonov could net that or possibly even better if he continues his play.

Option 3: move on from Bunting
Roll with Knies instead

Agreed

Meier will probs cost 2 1sts, Robertson, and to make the cap work one of Kerfoot or Engvall would have to go back

Issue comes in 2023-2024 as with the cap most likely being 83.5mill how we gonna afford him on top of the other 4 guys. If Cap would or is gonna jump to 88mill in 2023 then yeah its worth a look. I did post an idea a while ago showing how it could work with 83.5mill but Willy would have to be moved

To me with how things are going with Laf and the NYR I would go look at him as an option.

Bunting is probably playing himself out of Toronto anyway. With all the Kerfoot/Engvall trades daily here, how would Bunting work at more than 3.5 million? It's a trick question because it doesn't.

I really like what Bunting has brought to the team but I don't see any way to keep him. Not sure Leafs could keep Meir either and that's why I'd stay away from such a trade.

I feel like those same people expected Giordano to resign for nothing less than 3mil and then resigned for 800k

I predict Bunting signs a long term deal at 3.5

You are absolutely correct OldNYIfan. Makes zero sense for the Leafs to acquire Meier. But tell that to so many Leafs fans......it's impossible for them understand the cap for next season.

I'm not sure about that. Reilly is the Leafs Dman on the PP. EK has so many of points on the PP but still seems to be a detriment at even strength (you would know better). Still for the Leafs to carry 8m for EK is way too much. Next year the Leafs will be going with 8m RHD, and 10 LHD, and be happy with it

What is also very funny is most people don’t believe the Leafs can keep Nylander in 2024, but the notion of going out and finding his replacement, if that could be Meier, is outrageous. Lol

Not that this really changes much in this particular scenario but I would be pretty surprised if the NHL and the NHLPA aren't able to come together and hammer out a deal where the cap rises by more than 1 million next year in exchange for less of a jump the following year. Just doesn't really make sense- for either the players or the GMs - to have a small cap increase when the players are apparently very close to paying back the pandemic debt and then a huge cap increase the following year if the debt is cleared by like November 2023. Makes more sense to just even out that slope a bit.

I do wonder if the Leafs goalies are able to keep this up if they'll keep one and trade the other in the offseason. There's such a demand for goaltending around the league and I don't think this team can justify spending nearly 9 mil in the position, Meier or no Meier.

Would probably have to be be option 1 or 3



They probably keep both goalies if they can get Samsonov at that price. Murray would be in his final year so it wouldnt be a huge deal since that money will essentially be reserved for Matthews+Nylander's extension if they do extend.

Actually Bettman has mentioned your "cap" thought. It's something the owners and NHLPA would have to work. Agree with you it would nice.
Next year there are some UFA goalies available. I wonder if Samsonov if might be offered sheeted that the Leafs couldn't match

Yup, option 1 most likely makes the most sense. Again, spending assets on an RFA makes way more sense they on a UFA. At the least you have the opportunity to recoup something.

Or if the Leafs believe they won’t be able to keep Nylander in 2024, you look at moving next year while he still has a year on control and now you have Meier as a potential replacement.

People just need to see the bigger picture, plenty of options to make this type of trade work.

I wouldn't pay samsonov 4M to back up Murray but I think he will get offer sheeted or stay at 3.2 max, I wouldn't pay him a penny over 3 to stay but I think he can be a starter so 4.2 or 4.5 I'd give him if I'm Montreal or any team that wants a starter, Chicago etc.

I wouldn't pay bunting over 3.2M either but he can probably get 4 on the open market maybe, I think it's clear he needs to play on a top line with all stars to produce so makes him a pest who can score sometimes and open space for stars, can't do much on his own, he can win battles, get in front of the goalie.

I hope he signs with the Leafs at 3 or 3.1 even 2.8 for 4 years and refuses 4.2 for 5 that Chicago might offer or something but if Dubas gives him 4 or 5 I think it's too much or maybe 3M for 2 years then maybe he can make a case for a 5 for 5 deal

Find a guy like bunting for the second line wing and put good guys in the bottom 6, adding Meier and filling the bottom six with the east coast all stars is not good enough

Thanks for the input.

Consider that Samsonov won't be backing up Murray after the season shown in this construction.

I think that Bunting gets paid this time around; he gave Toronto the home-town discount last time. But we'll see.

The point of this ACGM is that the $8 million spent here on Meier is better spent elsewhere, as you intimate in your last sentence.

Yeah that's right i think, I don't think offering 8M to Meier is the move.

Don't mean to come at you hot oldNY in "the other Blackhawks trade" post just that Holl and Klingberg are not comparable and palhal and Jared over there crap on everyone's post and you are siding with them haha.

But I think you don't get in your feelings when challenged anyways because I'm not perfect on here either but I know you don't just go crapping on post like those I mentioned do.

Cheers

Yeah, getting him would open up some options when it comes to how they wish to proceed with their top 6 but yeah it really depends on what the initial cost is vs bringing in different ufa rentals who each will bring different things to the table that might be more sought by the Leafs management. Ultimately, they would consider Meier to be a pure rental since they might not recuperate much from him.

My point was that Klingberg and Holl are by NO means comparable (remember, I'm a Ducks fanatic) and that Toronto isn't going to find a clearly better alternative to Holl on the free agent market. I'm one of those in the minority that agree with palhal that criticism of Toronto's defense in general and Holl in particular is wildly misplaced. I like the fact that we have Klingberg simply because I think that we're going to get a first-round pick or equivalent value out of him but I get to see him every night and I'd rather have Holl on the Ducks long term.

Cheers to you!

Ok I gotcha and I see Holl every night, it does make a big difference when you watch players every game.

Ducks are a team I always enjoyed Kariya days and the good times with Perry and Getzlaf.

Ok cheers

That's fine, you think Bunting at 3.5 is affordable but raises going to a few of the younger guys next season, I'm not sure 3.5 is doable.