Red Wings don't have to trade Vrana. He's under contract for 1.5 more seasons. They'll allow him more time in Grand Rapids to get back in game shape and then he'll be called up.

Cap space isn't an issue now or in the summer. The reward is much better than a measly 3rd round pick who will most likely never play in the NHL.

Yea. But coming out of rebuild sometimes the team just might want to cut loose and move on from a messy situation. Just take a pick, take the cap savings, wish him well and move on. Somewhat desperate contender takes the gamble, and hopefully it just works out ok for everyone.

100% possible they keep him, but I do think just moving on and focusing on the youth coming up could make some sense as well.

That's essentially window dressing for what you're really saying. "I want the Leafs to add a top 6 Winger in his prime to play with Tavares and Marner for virtually nothing. Oh yeah and retain over 2 mil please."

DET fans are obviously offended, but remember they just put Vrana through waivers and nobody wanted him. Defending a player nobody wants...

Aw you're mad Detroit didn't lose Vrana for nothing? Poor baby. How many Vrana CFACGM's were there yesterday? Every team represented. No one wanted him. Child, please.

Detroit did show they were willing to lose Vrana for nothing but I doubt they'd be retaining multiple seasons for such a low pick.

Schenn>Sandin, it's just facts. Playoff-wise, Schenn cracks that roster purely for the fact that he can hit hard and clear netfront. Sure Sandin has been doing well but I can't see him successfully landing a hit on big guys like Pat Maroon.
Also, HOW DID NOBODY CLAIM VRANA. IMO that was a bad move that 31 GMs just made.

no it isn't. Its not guaranteed that he can be a top 6 winger still. Heck its not necessarily a guarantee he makes it back into the league full time, we quite possibly have already seen his "prime". Its saying maybe taking a riskier player but paying less is better than paying big assets for a rental playing well. Vrana missed much of last season, and has had his very concerning struggles this year. Makes sense that nobody wants him for free at that cap, and its very well possible that DET looks to move on. Unless they want to pay assets to do so, they'll have to retain and sell very low.

If Vrana wasn't good then you wouldn't have traded for him on CFACGM. More window dressing. I'm not buying what you're selling. Detroit doesn't have to do anything. Vrana doesn't have to be traded just so the Leafs can improve.

well i mean its really only 1.5 seasons. This 0.5 they aren't making playoffs. Maybe they're short a couple mil next season, but if Vrana continues to falter they could be looking at an immovable, buried 4M in the AHL or a buyout. This way they move on, save some cap, get a pick. Not all that bad for somebody that 31 NHL teams passed on due to the risks associated with his return to the NHL.

Well to give you an idea, look at what retentions at the deadline cost from 3rd party teams. Teams are paying 3rd-4ths for retentions of less than even that 0.5 of a season. Of course 1.5 seasons would cost more.

He can be good, but its a decent risk given everything over the past like 1.5 seasons. Maybe he returns to form, maybe he continues to struggle or comes back but not at the same level after having played so few games over the past couple of seasons and after all his physical/mental health battles. We don't know - it's a risk. That's why Stevie wasn't afraid to lose him, and why so many team's didn't want to take on the risk at his current cap hit.

but clearly he doesn't have any value at his current cap hit or else somebody would've taken him. Not even young teams with so much cap teams like Buffalo or Arizona or etc took a chance, that says something.

mitigates the risk of having to plant him in the minors at 4M next season and getting absolutely nothing back for him if he has more complications or struggles to return to what he was given how little he has played of late.

Even if the player doesn't have value, the cap hit does. Detroit aren't really being squeezed on cap, they can gamble on a redemption arc for the player. You'd have to at least pay for the retention to make it worth their while.

well what this does is it means they move on and they hedge against the possibility that he doesn't return to form and they are on the hook for the full deal, while also being able to get no value back. Sure they can gamble on the redemption arc, but when you're not even contending and his deal is done next year is that really worth it? Only worth it in this case for the Leafs to take a gamble because of our somewhat desperate cup chase situation

Leafs add in nylander

makes sense for someone that every team in the league passed on, is a decent risk, and has played just 2 games this year and 28 NHL games in the last two seasons. Come on now.

Makes sense you think you can get him for half retained to a division rival for a 3rd, typical leafs fashion.

its not half and like yea, the price probably wouldn't be all that high considering he's played almost no games, is a pretty high risk situation, Yzerman wasn't worried about losing him to waivers, and every team passed on him for free without retention.

Sure potential 40 goal scorers at 3M are right there for you. You won't get him for your pitiful offer, but keep going on about how no teams want him. Yzerman isn't an idiot dude

I was waitin for you back on my thread all day today.

I figured you'd quote one of my posts to brag if you were into it.

As an Avs fan, anything that hurts Detroit is good, lol

Vrana probably cleared due to something the GMs know but the public doesn't. I mean he has an injury history and went into the NHL assistance program