Dont see a reason for the Sabres to do that. Power is already locked up for a while, offensive depth isnt a big enough problem that couldnt be resolved in FA.

No he does not.

Nah

I know it was a down year for most of the forwards, but they didn't have a player with 60 points last season. I was wondering if maybe the Sabres might soon feel a cap crunch like Toronto's, only on the blueline. It's hard to fit three legit #1 D-man in the cap. Forgetting all that, do you think it would be a fair trade if it fit both club's needs?

Someone has to go ...

Enlightening.

Byram isn't and likely won't become a legit #1 D so no, I don't envision they'll have a problem with having too many 1D. As far as value goes, likely not. High-end Dmen generally hold the highest individual asset value and, while his potential hasn't yet fully manifested, I don't imagine that Power has lost the cache he had coming into the league.

Well, I'm not going to debate Bowen's potential. I'll take your word for it. I was under the impression that injuries, not poor play had been his issue to this point. I admit I haven't kept a close eye on his career. It would be interesting to see what type of defenseman Nylander would fetch or how much more it would cost to get a player of Power's pedigree. Without Marner or Tavares waiving, there's very little options in reconstructing this lineup.

Trade the 1 Leafs player who consistently produces in the playoffs. LOL

Genius.

Blinding

Not really. The Leafs need to get better but it's not just going to happen by breaking up the core. Getting Power would help that but might not mean much if they are losing their most consistent playoff performer, and will more than likely become a one-line team in the near future.



Byram has injury issues, so he may never live up to his full-potential, and bringing in a more expensive player in Nylander over Power wouldn't help them cap-wise. Also, worth noting that BUF does have a whole lot of top forward prospects still in their system, much easier for them to end up with a player like Nylander than another player like Power.

Nylander is 7 years older too.

This place hasn't changed at all. Literally the same people, with thousands of posts, all just craping on every deal. LMAO

Every Marner or Tavares deal offered is met with "thEy'RE nOt goiNg To WAiVe" ... so an alternative is offered and it's "tRAde tHe ONe gOod Leaf Bahahah"

You won't find a bigger defender of Nylander than myself. I guess if Marner and Tavares refuse to waive we just run it back!

Unable to continue the one-word series without being banned.

Interesting. The most common theory about the Leafs getting better is that the core must be broken up so a handful of players aren't eating all the cap. I admit I don't have a great deal of knowledge about the Sabres prospects. If they are stacked, you're probably right, this wouldn't make a lot of sense.

It won’t be TOR’s best playoff performer who just signed a huge ticket. TOR will trade Marner for cents on the dollar before even considering moving Nylander.

Yeah, that's something I should have been more cognisant of, that would certainly be a factor.

That would be my preferred scenario, as mentioned. I was just trying to think of an alternative in the event Paul and Mitch dug in their heels.

Both centers failed, so Nylander would have had a down year too. Thompson was hurt, Cozens is a concern, but adding Nylander wasnt going to turn him around. Lindy should though, and Quinn and Thompson should be healthy going into next year, if so their top 6 is maxxed out. Id like to see them sign Kane, but they dont really have a reason to give up an asset like Power for more top 6 forwards when theyre struggling to find spots for their own prospects too. Also Nylander costs significantly more than Power, so it doesnt help the Sabres cap at all.

I think the Core 4 narrative was long over-used and blown out of proportion. If we are being honest, they have been together for 6 years and in those 6 years they had at least 3 or 4 distinct variations of the team, and people have been calling for them to be broken up for at least 4 of those 6 years. The expectation that they had was like they were a core that has one once but can't seem to stay competitive anymore. I do think it's fair to criticize them now and want to see change. That being said just because there's change doesn't mean the results are going to change instantly.

At this point might as well not consider Tavares a core player. Unfortunately, you probably need to wait for his contract to expire though which leaves Matthews, Nylander, Marner, and Rielly. If they do shake up the core and end up getting a player like Power out of it (wishful), I don't hate it but I don't see why you would trade Rielly. The Leafs need to add to their defense another big-minute defender, and you did so with Larsson and Skjei, but you also transferred a whole lot of pressure on Power right away.

As far as ACGMs go, I think you did a bit too much with especially with essentially swapping Rielly for Skjei. Probably sign a RHD on a 1-year deal instead of Skjei or could go with someone like Matt Roy at 5.5-6M. Then instead of Brown, use the 4-4.75M left to try getting a temporary top-6 option. Cowan if he makes the team probably doesn't play higher than 3rd line. Maybe they could find enough money to keep Bertuzzi, if you play Tavares at C instead.

Nylander would also need to waive his NMC. Also, should never trade high talent in your own division unless it's for a cup run.

It doesn't kick in until July 01 when his new contract does.

No, you are wrong. His last year on his old(current) contract also has an NMC.

2023-24 NMC $6,962,366

They have certainly had different variations of secondary and fringe players. However, they have had one constant in all those years - complete playoff failure. Even last season beating Tampa was universally acknowledged as Vasilevskiy (and his .875SA%) handing the Leafs the series. This was a very mid-Bruins team that will likely be handled easily by the Panthers again.

I agree Tavares is aging out of the "core". His contract nicely ends as Knies and Woll will be looking for a second contract. Woll's tendency for injury may impact his bargaining position. As far as Rielly, he's the one player I do put a lot of stock into the Leafs' record without in the lineup. I would swap Rielly straight up for Skjei in a heartbeat. I consider Skjei to be a far more complete player. In fact, it's probably wishful thinking to get him at 7.5M.

Cowan on the top line is probably a little bit of a stretch. The similarities between him and Wyatt Johnston make it hard not to wish for the best outcome. Of course, every player is different. He may not even make the team. As far as too many moves, I'll be interested to see how many RL moves are made. I honestly believe with Keith Pelley coming in and Treliving having a full season and now a full off-season to work with, the DNA of this club will be significantly altered. Of course, I may be surprised and the only moves are some tinkering on the fringes.

I appreciate your insights and for keeping them respectful. I believe you are right, most of these are just wishful thinking. When you've endured close to forty years of Leaf hockey, sometimes you just want to blow it all up and start fresh!

Yes, you are correct. My bad. I just saw that it was a condition of his extension. I've never heard of an existing contract being retroactively changed as a condition of an extension.