The Official 2011/2012 Armchair GM thread

[Kin]

Do others think it may be possible to make a trade at the draft with the Rangers to acquire his rights with a trade centered around Komisarek and Prust? The Rangers may be looking for defensive help, only having Del Zotto to sign that is a main part of their back end, but need to fill things out and a more experienced guy might look more appealing to them. Komisarek might fit in there better with their more defensive system also. Being from the NY area, it could work out for everyone. We might have to add something in the deal, but I think there is some promise with that.

Put simply, I don't think that makes any sense at all for the Rangers. They're going to be in tight against the cap as is and have most of their top 4 set with Staal, Girardi, McDonagh and Del Zotto. Any team in a cap crunch isn't going to go out and add a guy who'd struggle to get into their line-up for 4.5 million a year.

The problem with dealing Komisarek, as I've said before, is that significantly better defensemen are available every year on the UFA market and sign at half or even a third of his cost(Scott Hannan last year being a perfect example). The best chance that the Leafs are going to have to deal Komisarek is to a team where hitting the cap floor is an issue, they don't have a deep bunch of defensemen and they have trouble signing FA's. That's why, to me, anyway, the best possibility is Edmonton(although odds are they're on his NT list).

 

[Britishbulldog]

Burke should go nuts at the deadline and completely retool the forwards.... apparently there are offers on the table for all 3 guys on the 2nd line... should move them all, get Nash and call up Colborne, Kadri and Frattin to fill the gaps. 

I've had too much coffee this morning....

I remember you had an inspiring morning coffee in 2009 trading a bunch of players for a rebuild.  I had to head out so I copied it into Word so that I could read it later when I had no internet.  I just found it on my hard drive.

uh oh.. evidence.    I vaguely remember something like that. How bad was it?

EYEronically  I would just like to point out that Burke actually had the chance to do exactly what I suggested.. for 4 1st round picks no less... but he didn't.   

Part of me thinks/hopes he believes he can still get those picks for some of those guys if he wants to at the draft.

Yeah, it is too bad that the Leafs couldn't move players then or this past deadline.

I would still like to see who everyone thinks are the blue chip players on the team.

For fun here is the old Word doc (interestingly I think you still had the assests for the Phaneuf and Giguere trades  ;D):


This season is starting to feel a lot like 96-97 when the team simply couldn't put it together and the inevitable trade of Doug Gilmour went down.  The bad news that year was that the only two players of any great value the Leafs had were Sundin and Gilmour.  They unloaded a bunch of guys in the end for pretty much nothing, but the trade that was supposed to bring in the youth to rebuild around was for Douggie.  Funny enough, 11 years later, the guy of value to trade is going to be Sundin. 

***The dream deadline fire sale***

Sundin should get the Leafs the same if not more than Forsberg cost the Preds last year... 1st, a near-blue chip prospect, a young NHL prospect with top six upside.  A conditional 1st on top in case he resigns with that team.

Who else could be traded and for what?

Antropov.. if Zubrus could get a 1st for the Caps then Ant should get the Leafs the same.

Raycroft... likely waived for cap space unless a team who really needed a goalie and lost out on Bryz on waivers... LA?

Toskala... probably keeping him for the two years.  $4 mil makes him a tough sell. 

Kaberle... won't be moved.  Too rare a commodity to sell at the deadline anyway.  You'd spend six years finding or developing another.

Poni... not sure you'd want him or not.  Probably a 2nd rounder return.

Blake... probably stuck.  Maybe a cap/salary dump if you're lucky.  Probably stuck.

Tucker... won't go anywhere.

McCabe... slim chance he could waive his NMC to go to the Isles.  Leaf fan anger aside, I think he'd actually be worth a lot.  I'd say a 1st and a highly touted prospect if he would allow the trade.  Cross your fingers.

Kubina... a quality prospect if he waives his NTC.  I think his contract is big but not over the top for what he's proven he can do in the post season.  doesn't deserve a lot of the criticism he's taken this year.

Kilger... maybe as high as a 3rd rounder.

Devereaux... same as Kilger.

Bell... tough to say right now.  Likely staying.

Hal Gill...  I think a contender might part with a 1st pick or a high prospect.  Dude is underrated. Let's just say a 2nd rounder to be realistic.

Guys let go at the end:  Battaglia, Belak, Woz, Pohl

So after my super-gut plan, the future of the team becomes:

Wellwood
Steen
Stajan
Blake
Tucker
Bell
Tlusty

Kaberle
Colo
White
Kronwall
Stralman

Toskala
Clemmenson
Pogge

plus the following assets from the trades:

1st pick (Sundin)
1st pick (Antropov)
1st pick (McCabe)
2nd pick (Poni)
2nd pick (Gill)
3rd pick (Kilger)
3rd pick (Devereaux)

top prospect (Sundin)
top prospect (McCabe)
top prospect (Kubina)

quality NHL'er, young, with upside (Sundin)

-- plus prospects already in the system.  ie: Kulemin.

If you could pull off those moves, this team would gain a huge amount of cap space an a stockpile of picks and prospects to move forward with.  Yeah I know some of it is rather ambitious, but we've seen crazier things accomplished before.  Go big or go home.

And of course, I would be working my hardest to try and make as many of those 1st picks in the 2009 draft.  With Tavares, you want to have as many balls in the machine as possible.  You just never know who it might be that picks 1st overall.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Put simply, I don't think that makes any sense at all for the Rangers. They're going to be in tight against the cap as is and have most of their top 4 set with Staal, Girardi, McDonagh and Del Zotto. Any team in a cap crunch isn't going to go out and add a guy who'd struggle to get into their line-up for 4.5 million a year.

The problem with dealing Komisarek, as I've said before, is that significantly better defensemen are available every year on the UFA market and sign at half or even a third of his cost(Scott Hannan last year being a perfect example). The best chance that the Leafs are going to have to deal Komisarek is to a team where hitting the cap floor is an issue, they don't have a deep bunch of defensemen and they have trouble signing FA's. That's why, to me, anyway, the best possibility is Edmonton(although odds are they're on his NT list).

It's probably true with Komisarek. Burke may have to look into the buyout option at 7 million over 4 years.

I'd still like to try and pry Prust out of NY though.

 

[Kin]

I'd still like to try and pry Prust out of NY though.

I don't know if you need to worry about dealing for him before July 1st. I think with the Rangers cap situation the way it is and the people they'll need to re-sign over the next couple of years Prust will probably make it to market.

 

[Tigger]

I'd still like to try and pry Prust out of NY though.

I don't know if you need to worry about dealing for him before July 1st. I think with the Rangers cap situation the way it is and the people they'll need to re-sign over the next couple of years Prust will probably make it to market.

Probably right there.

With Carlyle looking to build more of a top six bottom six roster format ( early days I know ) I'd be interested to see them build a line with these ufa's ( should they make it to July 1 )

Moen McClement Prust

Not sure Steckel should really be a third line centre but given he is right now that wouldn't be a bad start to a defensively responsible bottom six with some jam.

 

[Andy007]

Another boring day, no hopes for Leaf post-season, so here's another baseless, fake GM fantasy plan:
 
To CBJ:                  To TOR:         
Kessel                    Nash
Kadri                      LA 1st
Komisarek

To PHI:                  To TOR:
Kulemin                  Schenn
LA 1st                      Van Reimsdyk
Franson

To LA:                    To TOR:
Colborne                Bernier

And we'd have:

Lupul                Grabovski        Nash
Van Reimsdyk    Schenn            McArthur
Ashton              Bozak              Frattin
Armstrong        Lombardi        Brown
        *Meuller Zigomanis D'Amigo
     
      Gunnarsson    Phaneuf
        Liles              Schenn
        Gardiner        Holzer
                      Mikus
                      Gysbers

                Bernier
                Reimer

 

[Tigger]

Not sure about the first two deals just on the basis of what Howson was apparently asking for after the Rags supposedly made their offer.

If you could make the second deal, I'd be pretty interested but not sure why Philly would do it?

Colborne for Bernier? Seems like a lot, unless there's something wrong with Joe's game that I'm not aware of ( his skating needed work but he seemed to be making a go of that )

 

[Britishbulldog]

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/110896

Solid outing for NYI rfa Matt Martin...AGAIN.  Throws a clean hit like Kulemin's and then cleans up Wayne Simmonds unlike poor Crabb. It was a heat of the moment fight unlike the staged ones that most hate now.  Last point is when it is obvious that Simmonds bit off more than he could chew Martin had class and stopped.

Love it!  Oh... and he has 7 goals and 7 assists this year and he is young.

 

[Deebo]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=390654

Thornton re-signed in boston, for those who were interested.. 2 years 1.1 per.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=390654

Thornton re-signed in boston, for those who were interested.. 2 years 1.1 per.

Would have been a great addition, but I never expected him to leave Boston. I'm sure Campbell will be re-signed shortly too.

 

[Corn Flake]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

 

[Corn Flake]

***The dream deadline fire sale***

My god.. look at what was the makeup of that team and we wonder why this rebuild thing is taking so long?  There was almost nothing there. NOTHING!

 

[Tigger]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

If he was available and I didn't have to learn Armstrong's 'Rumpelstiltskin' name to balance out the trade, for sure.

 

[Beowulf]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

I was thinking about this the other day actually, I would definitely target him as long as the Blues aren't asking for the moon for him. Because like you said he'd bring stability/dependability but he's not necessarily a long term answer.

 

[bustaheims]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

I doubt they do that at this juncture. My guess is they'll wait to see if Elliott can continue this level of play into next season before making any move with Halak, unless they're blown away by an offer. Also, Halak has been getting the larger share of the starts recently.

 

[caver]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

And if Burke brings in an established goalie, does that goalie then go into the "Allaire" machine and get told to change his style?

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

And if Burke brings in an established goalie, does that goalie then go into the "Allaire" machine and get told to change his style?

Who wouldn't want to change their style for the greatest goalie coach in the world.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Jaroslav Halak. 

Wudja? I think the Blues might move him and give the keys to Elliot.  I don't think he's a miracle savior or anything but he would bring some stability and is young enough to hold on to for a long time if he truly pans out.

I doubt they do that at this juncture. My guess is they'll wait to see if Elliott can continue this level of play into next season before making any move with Halak, unless they're blown away by an offer. Also, Halak has been getting the larger share of the starts recently.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like they're all that interested in moving him. And if/when they are, I don't think we have what they're looking for (number 1 centre, top-4 left-handed defenceman).

 

[wnc096]

I wonder what will happen if the sharks miss the playoffs....they were supposed to be a contender going into the season.  if they fail, I would have to think that would be an epic disappoinment for that franchise...they could be primed shake to things up

A lot of good players on that roster (Big centers especially)...should they decide move some people out.

 

[Jalili]

I wonder what will happen if the sharks miss the playoffs....they were supposed to be a contender going into the season.  if they fail, I would have to think that would be an epic disappoinment for that franchise...they could be primed shake to things up

A lot of good players on that roster (Big centers especially)...should they decide move some people out.

I could see that happening to SJ maybe.

But the problem is that if they do decide that it's time to shake things up, they'll probably try to move one of their big name vets in exchange for either young NHL players with upside, or prospects that are NHL ready.

That makes it a tough situation for TO because SJ will probably ask for guys like Gardiner, Kadri, Colborne, Schenn, Gunnarsson etc.