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2025 Offseason Thread: Spring Cleaning

I'm pretty curious to see what happens with Ekblad. For a top pairing, 6'4", 220 lbs right handed defenceman he doesn't seem to often get a lot of credit. Like The Daily Faceoff has him 10th on their top free agents list behind Ivan Provorov and is only projecting him to sign a 7-year, $6.9mil deal. That feels nuts. And the Athletic has him 14th behind Provorov and Neal Pionk.
For that price, Leafs should be all over him
 
Something like this?

Knies - Matthews - P. Kane
Cowan - Tavares - Nylander
Marchand - Bennett - Domi
Laughton - Toews - McMann

McCabe - Tanev
Gavrikov - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson


Definitely other guys I'd be interested in, depending on price. Big takeaways are moving on from Marner and Rielly and creating a nasty 3rd line.
 
Not sure why everyone here seems to have no problem handing the keys over to Tre. He's the guy who failed to see that adding Brandon Carlo was overkill when what we needed was someone more like Rielly, someone like (yeah I'll say it) Rasmus Sandin.

I'm not sure between him and Berube they really get that this will never be a pure dump and chase-only team.
 
Not sure why everyone here seems to have no problem handing the keys over to Tre. He's the guy who failed to see that adding Brandon Carlo was overkill when what we needed was someone more like Rielly, someone like (yeah I'll say it) Rasmus Sandin.

I'm not sure between him and Berube they really get that this will never be a pure dump and chase-only team.
You need to be a hybrid team. A team that can play anyway. I'm not sold on Tre or Berube because they love size more then anything. Tre loves the tall trees on D, but like many have said, they aren't great at moving the puck. That's kind of important. As for Berube, he had a very good year overall but some decisions in the post season make you scratch your head. There was absolutely no reason, other then his size, that Robertson only played 3 games. Got and apple in game 1, was instrumental in Domi's OT winner in GM2, doesn't see the ice for 8 games and then scores in that game. He did something every game and he skates his ass off on the fore check and back check, with speed. The team sorely needed offence yet he never tried anything to generate more. His love for safe players, like most coaches have, didn't pay off. I would have tried Steeves on the 4th line. Why not? He won't hurt you defensively but has more potential then Jarnkrok to actually do something offensviely. Speaking of Jarn...the team was rolling along just fine without him all year. Anyway he should be gone, along with Kampf. Unless he was hurt, sitting Kampf was certainly a choice to not change it up.
 
You need to be a hybrid team. A team that can play anyway. I'm not sold on Tre or Berube because they love size more then anything. Tre loves the tall trees on D, but like many have said, they aren't great at moving the puck. That's kind of important. As for Berube, he had a very good year overall but some decisions in the post season make you scratch your head. There was absolutely no reason, other then his size, that Robertson only played 3 games. Got and apple in game 1, was instrumental in Domi's OT winner in GM2, doesn't see the ice for 8 games and then scores in that game. He did something every game and he skates his ass off on the fore check and back check, with speed. The team sorely needed offence yet he never tried anything to generate more. His love for safe players, like most coaches have, didn't pay off. I would have tried Steeves on the 4th line. Why not? He won't hurt you defensively but has more potential then Jarnkrok to actually do something offensviely. Speaking of Jarn...the team was rolling along just fine without him all year. Anyway he should be gone, along with Kampf. Unless he was hurt, sitting Kampf was certainly a choice to not change it up.

Ok, I totally agree with you. I wanted Robertson in the lineup. I think his goal scoring would have been a bigger asset than whatever you were getting from Jarnkrok or Holmberg.

That being said, Nick was absolutely ineffective in the forecheck or in board play. Berube thought that the physical forecheck/grinding play was more valuable than the possible goal scoring. I assume part of this rationale was the opponent the Leafs were playing.
 
There was absolutely no reason, other then his size, that Robertson only played 3 games. Got and apple in game 1, was instrumental in Domi's OT winner in GM2, doesn't see the ice for 8 games and then scores in that game. He did something every game and he skates his ass off on the fore check and back check, with speed. The team sorely needed offence yet he never tried anything to generate more. His love for safe players, like most coaches have, didn't pay off.
I found this pretty puzzling too. I can maybe accept the argument that Robertson made a few major mistakes resulting in Pacioretty coming in for him for a game. I also feel that Pacioretty established himself as a mainstay in the lineup thus forward. But how can Robertson not be given another chance over the likes of Kampf, Jankrok or Holmberg? (Heck, McMann was pretty invisible most of the entire playoff)
None of those first three provide a physical element nor do any of them score. I don't really understand having a 4th line consisting of players that can't hit, aren't physical and won't score. I think you need at least one of those elements at your disposal.
 
If we want to spend big money: Ehlers
If we want to pick up some veterans: Duchene, Marchand, Kane, Giroux, Toews
If we want middle-6 scoring options: Granlund, Dadanov, Kuzmenko, Mantha
If we want middle-6 two-way options: Suter, Dvorak, Mangiapane
If we want bottom-6 physical options: Frederic, Brazeau, Tanev, Jeannot
There's no way I trust Ehlers when I view the issue as not having reasonable depth.
 
At this rate Gustafsson would've been fine for offense considering Rielly can barely play offense or defense. Ok maybe I'm being a bit harsh...

Maybe a bit harsh. :D

For me, I love the goal scoring Rielly had in the playoffs. He is a guy who can elevate his game. It's more about the brain farts and weak plays at inopportune times in the playoffs I would love to move away from. The Leafs talk about structure, and system, and Rielly is the guy who goes most off script and when that happens everything falls apart. I'd rather have a more sold, reliable defender there than Rielly for the playoffs.
 
I have a hard time seeing Florida let Ekblad AND Bennett walk in free agency.

Nate Schmidt? He had a decent rebound season this year and would be a cheaper option for a guy with a bit of a mixed offensive game.

Man this is really a bad year to have to fill Marner/Tavares sized holes.

I know our PP went cold again against the the Panthers but the other glaring hole is that we don't have anyone to run the PP. Who plays the point on the PP next year. Rielly clearly doesn't work. McCabe's offense has disappeared and I think we need him to be the defensive guy anyway playing with Tanev.
 
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I have a hard time seeing Florida let Ekblad AND Bennett walk in free agency.

Nate Schmidt? He had a decent rebound season this year and would be a cheaper option for a guy with a bit of a mixed offensive game.

Man this is really a bad year to have to fill Marner/Tavares sized holes.

I know our PP went cold again against the the Panthers but the other glaring hole is that we don't have anyone to run the PP. Who plays the point on the PP next year. Rielly clearly doesn't work. McCabe's offense has disappeared and I think we need him to be the defensive guy anyway playing with Tanev.

I'm fine with letting OEL rip it from back there on the PP.

I'd love the Leafs to get an offensive defensive who could play the point but I just don't think it's a possibility.
 
I would like Treliving, who knows him quite well, to identify the next Sam Bennett or Baby Pacioretty and just go get him. Just a quiet, effective play driver, who will also take the opening to truck someone off the puck.
I think Trent Frederick (ufa) would fit the description
 
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