I don't think this addresses Toronto's desperate need for D, nor does it maximize Marner's value. The team needs two top-4 defencemen and Marner is the best card they hold. it would be a waste to use him to get PLD and another middle-six forward. Matthews needs to be re-signed or this team implodes, pure and simple. Failing that, the Leafs have the same problem with Matthews as the Jets have with PLD. Once Matthews is figured out, the Leafs can figure out whether they're going all in or rebuilding from a position of strength.

Nah. I'd rather have Perfetti in the long run and Robertson.

No chance Perfetti is traded.

Re Matthews. He has publicly stated he wants to resign and the rumour is he is willing to do 3 years at $13.5-14M. Not ideal but seems like it solves the short term concern.

Re Marner's value, it's going to be hard to maximize no matter where you send him. Most teams that can make the trade you are talking about don't have the cap space for him.

Re Leafs Needs, I think the idea that the Leafs need better defenseman is wildly overblown. Our problem has always been goals we had 2 or less goals per game in our last 7 games. I'm not advocating for more scorers. If you watch the Leafs in the regular season they do a lot of high cycling, passing to the point passes on the top of the perimeter, through the slot. In the playoffs teams tend to compress defensively and it gets harder to do that. You don't see Matthews/Marner wheeling around the top of the zone anymore and doing big loops with the puck. Instead teams need to hit hard create space low and get to the net. So I'm essentially trying to build a team that can play that style and forecheck hard. O'Reilly, Knies, Dubois, Bertuzzi are all hard forecheckers. So they both help the D by trying to dispossess in the offensive zone and they help the offense by creating panic in the other team below the goal line.

Those are just my thoughts, fully aware that there are people way smarter than me that have different opinions.

Disagree. If the plan is to continue building around the older core as the jets have indicated then younger guys will be fair game, especially for a 100 point player.

Chevy literally said he wants to retool around the young guys, what are you on about