Ultimately, Matt Murray is the odd goalie out. I am doing a trade with Winnipeg as, in the case that Hellebuyck is traded, they will need a goalie. I also feel the Jets are lining themselves up for a rebuild, so one year of Matt Murray won't be the end of the world.

I ultimately used Abruzzese as the sweetener as Toronto is low on picks. I see him as the Odd prospect out now, with guys like Knies, Holmberg, and McMann overtaking him, while Fraser Minten and Ryan Tverberg are going to be rising fast. Abruzzese adds another forward to Winnipegs lineup, and with them having a clogged defensive pool and a more open forward, I feel Abruzzese benefits from this move as well.

Part of me feels like I am going a bit low on Garland, could probably go with an extra pick or two. My though process however is this:

Vancouver has made it abundantly clear that they are not interested in keeping Conor Garland whatsoever, and they see him as a cap dump. Now, why do I want Garland? I try to look past the recency bias with him. Arizona Garland was better than he is on the Canucks. He played with a lot of heart and drive, He produced in the top 6, and was fast enough to keep up. Great forechecker that goes to the dirty areas, will throw his size around, was reliable defensively, and could put a puck in the net. This was what Toronto needed up front. Again, I feel people are undervaluing this player, so mind my lower trade value. In terms of the retention, either Vancouver swallows that, or another 3rd team eats that up.

As for the return, I think getting Garland would signify the end of the Nick Robertson experiment. He never quite got his footing in Toronto due to injuries, and I think their patience could be wearing thin. I see this as a new opportunity for Robertson to establish himself with a team who is not trying to win, allowing for more ice time when healthy. I think he can still be something, just not for Toronto.

Akhtyamov I see as the odd prospect out goalie wise. Toronto is jam packed with young goalies (Woll, Samsonov, McKay, Cavallin, Petruzzelli, Hildeby, and most recently signed, Peksa). Akhtyamov has been pushed out. I still think he has a solid chance to be an NHLer. Vancouver has a couple goalies in the system, but most are on the older end for the AHL now, and none of the prospects really stand out to me other than Silovs. Akthyamov would be a nice addition, however I could also see him being a sweetener for a team willing to retain some of Garlands deal as well!

This trade is a bit funky. If you go by reports, Boston may be trying to move Hall as a cap dump, freeing up some cap space to continue. Ultimately, this would lower his value a bit. He does have a MNTC, however he is from Toronto so I could see him maybe waiving. Hall was one of the best Bruins in the playoffs, and has been a great top 6er now for years. While he may have a bit of injury history, that is nothing new in Toronto, and they have enough firepower to get to the playoffs even if he misses games here and there. The only worry I have is his contract. for Hall it is good, but the issue lies with Matthews and Nylanders free agent status. They could have to free up around 5M to retain both and fill spots (However, making a big move to bring in Hall and potentially push to the third round could be something of a proving ground for the Leafs, and the two could take a bit less if the team is primed to win)!

I ultimately went with next years first, as I could see Boston banking on Toronto dropping off with a bit of a shakeup. If not, swap it for their first this year, all good!

Prospect wise, I went with Moldenhauer. This guy isn't talked about enough. He may be on the smaller end, but his offensive game is phenomenal! I could see him being an amazing add to Bostons prospect pool at the end of the day.