So leafs need to make a roster move to fit Woll, Jarnkrok, and Gio back

2 options

1. Waive Gregor

2. Send down Holmberg whose got 2 more games of waiver exemption till after TDL

Honestly option 1 be very tempting

Love Gregor but recently Reaves, Holmberg and McMann have all been doing so well

How about Reaves though? Since the Rielly suspension or a little more, he’s been actually impressive. Bodying guys, setting up some scoring chances and looking like a net positive.

Reaves has done good and is not a problem like he was earlier. Issue comes when Jarnkrok comes back. As I would say rotation but u cant take McMann out now and Holmberg has been a swiss army knife

So leafs need to make a roster move to fit Woll, Jarnkrok, and Gio back

2 options

1. Waive Gregor

2. Send down Holmberg whose got 2 more games of waiver exemption till after TDL

Honestly option 1 be very tempting

So Leafs have 6 games before trade deadline. LV, PHX, NYR, BOS, BUF and BOS.
If Holmberg plays more than 2 of those, he is not waiver exempt for the rest of the season.
I suspect for Cap reasons, Leafs will have to do juggling in the final part of the season. It seems logical to keep that option open.
I am not sure if I would send him down, but I would not play him more than 2.
Maybe Gregor being send down is independent of Homberg (i.e. create some space for trades).
Aside from the "shooting gallery" Duck game, he's averaging 11 minutes a game - it seems they should be able to find someone to replace that.

They wont get anyone good without paying the cost

Muzzin costed 1st + 2 good prospects (Grundstrom and Durzi)

If we want Andersson, Larsson, or any other good top 4 RD with term gonna cost us

In general look what it did last TDL. Dubas didnt want to trade prospects but it costed us a lot of picks in the process. We dont got a lot of picks now so prospects gonna be needed. We dont got a super big pool so guys like Tvergberg, Niemela, Greybokin, etc all be trade chips

Cause sure we can save the 1st and good prospects and trade for Dumba, Carrier, Lybushkin but those guys dont move the needle if in a positive manner I should say.

I am not sure it's going to be a very good sellers market this season. It sure looks like there are a clear top tier of teams and a lot of teams that know they are sellers. Is St Louis going to spend a great deal assets to buy at the deadline? Or Philadelphia? Are the Islanders or Penguins? The pool of sellers may be big this season.

Lou will stand put thats his style, heck even with Isles out he may Buy

Pitt I could see selling but their guys be older.


Like to me I think this is the TDL teams get smart about the buys now. They target less rentals and more term based guys


Thats why Adam Larsson just makes so much sense. He is a RD, good defensively, 1 year left after this, and is on a reasonable cap hit

I would support it at the right cost. I would hope we can keep all our main 3 prospects and just use picks. I just think Niemela in 3 years will be exactly what this team needs. He won't be a star but he'll be a solid top 4 two way defenceman. A smart and solid player.

Im okay with moving on from Niemela. Minten and Cowen to me will be the big pieces to keep as a kid line like we saw with NYR could go a long way

Knies-Minten-Cowen

Also the other reason if the Leafs go this summer and get Roy and extend McCabe, Liligren, Benoit, etc, not a lot of spots open

McCabe will cost too much to extend and will be too old

McCabe will cost too much to extend and will be too old

Which is exactly why you don't trade Niemela. He's the guy that could come in for Brodie next season, and if not he will be the guy to come in for McCabe

Nah he would cost 4.25m which for a guy like him is fine

By the time he's up caps in the 96-100m range if we keep with the 4.2m increases

JT's off the books and thats good for deals and cap space.

If the leafs go get Roy or Demelo in the offseason, trade for Andersson/Larsson, and extend Liligren where's Niemela gonna play?

Look I know we like shiny prospects but when Minten and Cowen are off the table hes next. Leafs need to look at the now and not the future. McCabe whose a LD going should have little to factor in on a RD. Yes hes playing RD rn but come next year they gonna probs slot him back on the left

Rielly-Roy
McCabe-Andersson
Benoit-Liligren


In order for the leafs to get something good this TDL and with term that 2024 1st and Niemela are probs gonna have to go the other way. We dont got enough picks to protect em anymore

You are hell bent on having an old blueline eh? Just a bunch of 30+ year olds and Liljegren. They need youth, and badly

Cowan should be untouchable. Top of OHL in Points per game, top 10 in +/-, top 40 in PIMs. Not a guarantee this translates to the NHL but a rare combination of skills/grit that we shouldn't move on from.

Minten will be in the lineup next year.

Also feel like the smaller wins on the team are being overlooked:
- Brodie looks like his old self playing the left. If he can maintain this then we just traded a massive liability at 1RD for a top 10 DFD at 2LD.
- Lili seems to be finding his stride again. He was great before his injury, been a bit off since but looked good with Brodie and he's over 60% on the PP replacing Rielly. Unsustainable numbers but for a guy who looked like he was on track to grow into a #2/3 earlier this year and suddenly regressed to a #5/6 after his injury this is a great sign that he could be our 2RD for the next 5+ years.
- Benoit/McCabe have incredible chemistry, exactly the pairing we've been wanting for years. Hard to play against shutdown pair.
- Holmberg, McMann both look like they should be playing in the NHL. Gives us loads of depth and the option to play around with the bottom 6 when Jarnkrok is back to make 2 effective lines.

Overall a great week for the Buds. Lots to be excited about.

Hate to sound like a homer, but how does Reilly five games for cross checking to the head (yea the game was over) but today the Rangers big guy charges/jumps/ concusses Luby, but no penalty is called.

You are hell bent on having an old blueline eh? Just a bunch of 30+ year olds and Liljegren. They need youth, and badly