GhostofPotvin29
Well-known member
We will collect all the bottom 6 forwards.
Armchair GM Thread 2025/26
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
dappleganger
Well-known member
I believe the Leafs still need another center, assuming Kämpf is not in their plans.
dappleganger
Well-known member
I'd love Trocheck for the Leafs. There's no way the Rangers will trade him especially for what the Leafs could offer, yeah?
I skipped all the players with asterisks who have signed minor league deals, since it's pretty rare to see guys like that get poached right away. The only remaining player who's initial hockeydb page made me a little more intrigued was Dominic James, a 23 year old centre who was drafted in the 6th round by Chicago in 2022. Kind of Jacob Quillan-y. Chicago was hoping to sign him but it looks like they were informed back in April that he'd be going the UFA route.
herman
Well-known member
Sounds like a Detroit or Buffalo signing
herman
Well-known member
I saw this floating around the non-mainstream speculators, and it would be very funny if it happened.
New Jersey is not shopping him, but they are listening to overtures for Dougie Hamilton as his NMC shifted to mNTC. Vancouver is at a bit of a crossroads with their captain Quinn Hughes approaching UFA and their GM has openly wondered* if he wants to be united with his brothers Jack and Luke in New Jersey (or perhaps in Vancouver).
* I love Vancouver's front office pressers; always a gas
Musical Chairs trade
VAN: receives Morgan Rielly
TOR: receives Dougie Hamilton
NJD: receives Quinn Hughes
New Jersey is not shopping him, but they are listening to overtures for Dougie Hamilton as his NMC shifted to mNTC. Vancouver is at a bit of a crossroads with their captain Quinn Hughes approaching UFA and their GM has openly wondered* if he wants to be united with his brothers Jack and Luke in New Jersey (or perhaps in Vancouver).
* I love Vancouver's front office pressers; always a gas
Musical Chairs trade
VAN: receives Morgan Rielly
TOR: receives Dougie Hamilton
NJD: receives Quinn Hughes
dappleganger
Well-known member
I would have no problem with it.
Vancouver would need to get much, much more for Hughes but an interesting fantasy idea for sure. Rielly goes home, Hamilton goes home, Hughes goes to his new home with his brothers.
It's a decent template for a deal.
herman
Well-known member
I wouldn't think it'd be 1:1:1 given where each of those big tickets is in their effectiveness curve and their relative cap hits/term.
Quinn Hughes 25 2 years left at 7.85M AAV due a sizeable raise (probably 12+)
Dougie Hamilton 32 3 years left at 9M AAV at probably his final big ticket, and there might be some boneitis
Morgan Rielly 31 5 years left at 7.5M AAV at his final big ticket, but will look hella cheap but still make you feel kind of bad as he slows down
Vancouver will want a centre and scoring (Mercer? Kampf? N. Robertson?). It's funny they are paying OEL (buyout) more than TOR is currently.
New Jersey is already getting Hughes so they'll be moving money more than anything, and maybe pushing out another LD to open up room for Luke Hughes (Siegenthaler?).
Toronto will probably not receive anything extra other than the prospect(s) required for facilitating the transactions given they are moving the lesser asset.
Quinn Hughes 25 2 years left at 7.85M AAV due a sizeable raise (probably 12+)
Dougie Hamilton 32 3 years left at 9M AAV at probably his final big ticket, and there might be some boneitis
Morgan Rielly 31 5 years left at 7.5M AAV at his final big ticket, but will look hella cheap but still make you feel kind of bad as he slows down
Vancouver will want a centre and scoring (Mercer? Kampf? N. Robertson?). It's funny they are paying OEL (buyout) more than TOR is currently.
New Jersey is already getting Hughes so they'll be moving money more than anything, and maybe pushing out another LD to open up room for Luke Hughes (Siegenthaler?).
Toronto will probably not receive anything extra other than the prospect(s) required for facilitating the transactions given they are moving the lesser asset.
OldTimeHockey
Well-known member
Is Hamilton that much of an upgrade over Rielly that we will also give away more assets to make it happen?
Note: I ask this while not being very knowledgeable on Hamilton
Note: I ask this while not being very knowledgeable on Hamilton
I'd say he's a little better yeah. Not that this is definitive or anything but if you go and look over the past 5-10 years virtually all "top NHL defencemen" rankings would have Hamilton ahead of Rielly, sometimes by a lot.
With that said his injury concerns, being a year older, and having a higher AAV should probably roughly even out their overall trade values I would think.
dappleganger
Well-known member
I think it's more that Hamilton would be a better fit for the Leafs, currently. Big, right hand shot that can QB the power play.
If Rielly was RH it'd probably be a moot point.
bustaheims
Well-known member
Sure, lots of people would. You know who wouldn't? Vancouver.
dappleganger
Well-known member
It could be a real Mitch Marner/Nicolas Roy situation.
bustaheims
Well-known member
Still a couple years away from that - and, if that's the case, I have to imagine Hughes would want to reunite with his brothers in New Jersey than come to the Leafs. Either way, if they put him on the block now, they'd be able to do better than a straight swap for Rielly. At the very least, Cowan and some other pieces would have to be involved (quite frankly, I wouldn't blame the Canucks for asking for Knies, but that's likely a non-starter for Toronto) - and that's assuming the Canucks didn't look at moving him as the kickoff of a rebuild, in which case, the Leafs just don't have the assets to make it work realistically.