Unofficial 2013-2014 Armchair GM Thread

[Tigger]

Where does Bozak go in this scenario?

Back to Colorado where he went to college for the negotiating rights to UFA Stastny.

Honestly I don't know, somewhere that needs centre depth? I chose him for his cap hit and the resulting team makeup ( ie, keeping Bolland and Kadri )

 

[Redleaf]

New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather continues to shop defenceman Michael Del Zotto.

Toronto is among the teams with some interest, but the expected return of a young defenceman may be too steep for the Leafs. It's believed the Rangers would prefer a right-handed shot on the blue line, so Cody Franson is a likely target for New York as well.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Dreger says the Rangers would trade Del Zotto for Franson in a second.

Can anyone comment on Del Zotto?

 

[bustaheims]

Dreger says the Rangers would trade Del Zotto for Franson in a second.

Can anyone comment on Del Zotto?

He's struggling big time this season. On the smaller side. Good offensive skills and a decent physical game, but, questionable defence. I don't think he's the guy the Leafs need. In fact, he's a lot like a number the guys the team already has. I have no problem with moving Franson - in fact, I'd say I'm in favour of it - but, trading him for MDZ doesn't feel like the way to go.

 

[L K]

Dreger says the Rangers would trade Del Zotto for Franson in a second.

Can anyone comment on Del Zotto?

Decent offensive skills.  Terrible defensively.  He'll  throw the occasional hit but is for the most part pretty soft on the body.  Honestly, I don't think he's all that different than what JML is currently offering the Leafs.

 

[L K]

Dreger says the Rangers would trade Del Zotto for Franson in a second.

Can anyone comment on Del Zotto?

He's struggling big time this season. On the smaller side. Good offensive skills and a decent physical game, but, questionable defence. I don't think he's the guy the Leafs need. In fact, he's a lot like a number the guys the team already has. I have no problem with moving Franson - in fact, I'd say I'm in favour of it - but, trading him for MDZ doesn't feel like the way to go.

If the Leafs decided to say screw it and just go full out run and gun, it would make sense. 

Phaneuf - Gardiner
Gunnarsson - Rielly
Ranger - Del Zotto

You would have three pairing with one guy who would just carry the puck up the ice and three guys who would be more pass first guys.  Maybe, that works with this team, but it doesn't work with Carlyle and makes very little sense to me.  Franson however has underperformed this year and is still likely to command a pretty decent salary next year, so trading him would definitely be on my list of team improvements.  I don't think they will be able to afford him AND fix some of the other holes on the roster.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Del Zotto has 117 points in 276 games.
Franson has 116 points in 277 games.

Odd coincidence. I think I would prefer Franson. He's bigger, a righty (which is rare), and despite the similar stats I think he has the higher offensive upside. If this goes down I'd want a 2nd or 3rd rounder coming our way to recoup some of the picks Nonis has dealt.

 

[bustaheims]

Franson however has underperformed this year and is still likely to command a pretty decent salary next year, so trading him would definitely be on my list of team improvements.  I don't think they will be able to afford him AND fix some of the other holes on the roster.

Yeah. That's kind of where I'm at with him. Negotiations with him have been difficult for the past two summers, so, there's also the potential for him to go to arbitration if he doesn't get what he likes, which would make him an expensive pending UFA. When he was successful last season, he was getting 3rd pairing minutes at ES with a lot of PP time, which is how the team should still be using him. He didn't really start getting PK time until later in the season. Really, he's a guy with decent trade value who's going to price himself out of the role he's really suited for.

 

[Jalili]

Del Zotto's not that good. He's one of those guys who has name recognition because he looked like he could be a real good defensemen early on... but he's really not all that he was cracked up to be.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

I'd make that deal, it seems like Franson is only getting slower.

 

[Redleaf]

Del Zotto has 117 points in 276 games.
Franson has 116 points in 277 games.

Odd coincidence. I think I would prefer Franson. He's bigger, a righty (which is rare), and despite the similar stats I think he has the higher offensive upside. If this goes down I'd want a 2nd or 3rd rounder coming our way to recoup some of the picks Nonis has dealt.

Seems like it would be a sideways move at best.

 

[Tigger]

I wonder if Kulikov is still available? I think it was Friedman who mentioned the Leafs were interested/in talks before, don't know what it would take to get him but he looked ok last night.

 

[Britishbulldog]

I would like to point out, in the interest of clearing up some confusion, that my categorization of Unfrozen Caveman Defenseman as a second pairing defenseman on a really good team is sort of dependant on my view that really good teams are few and far between in the modern NHL and that having a good record in a crummy league isn't my yardstick.

That said, I think that there are a few teams, Chicago and St. Louis especially, where he'd be the #3 guy at best.

edit: And, while this is probably opening a bit of a can of worms, it also bears mentioning that a team's #1 defense pairing isn't always their two best defensemen. Niedermayer played most of his even strength time under Carlyle with Beauchemin, not Pronger.

I agree with that whole heartedly.  That is why when I incessantly insist in my fantasy line up on trying to get Nashvilles Weber, I always put Phaneuf on the 2nd pairing.

I would see Franson as a top 3rd pairing guy and PP specialist.  Ideally I would like in Jamuary to see him re-signed to a 3 year $3.5 MIL contract ($3.25 1st year, $3.5 2nd year, $3.75 3rd year) although I always pencil Franson in @ $4.25 for 5 years. 

I hope that Phaneuf isn't signed for more than $7 MIL for 7 years but fear that he might get $7.5 for 8 years.

 

[dappleganger]

Del Zotto has 117 points in 276 games.
Franson has 116 points in 277 games.

Odd coincidence. I think I would prefer Franson. He's bigger, a righty (which is rare), and despite the similar stats I think he has the higher offensive upside. If this goes down I'd want a 2nd or 3rd rounder coming our way to recoup some of the picks Nonis has dealt.

Seems like it would be a sideways move at best.

Franson is better than Del Zotto, hence, Sather would do the swap "in a second".

 

[Andy007]

So any thoughts on what it might take to pry Stewart out of STL? He is having a very average season this year after potting 18 in last year's shortened season. The Blues have some great young talent (Teresenko, Schwartz) to compliment guys like Backes, Steen and Oshie. I'm thinking that he might be available but wonder what the Blues could use that the Leafs currently have?

 

[Kin]

If I were running the Blues right now I'd be pretty reluctant to start making changes unless I was presented with a clear and immediate upgrade.

 

[Jalili]

So any thoughts on what it might take to pry Stewart out of STL? He is having a very average season this year after potting 18 in last year's shortened season. The Blues have some great young talent (Teresenko, Schwartz) to compliment guys like Backes, Steen and Oshie. I'm thinking that he might be available but wonder what the Blues could use that the Leafs currently have?

Considering how hard they've been hit by injuries at forward, I doubt any deal would happen soon. But over a longer time horizon, it could be a possibility.

He'll be a UFA at the end of next season, and he's not part of their long-term core anyway, so I could see him hitting the market then. But for now, there's no point trading him unless it's a really attractive swap.

 

[Britishbulldog]

If I were running the Blues right now I'd be pretty reluctant to start making changes unless I was presented with a clear and immediate upgrade.

Yeah, and I am the driver of the Stewart bandwagon (as well as the Shea Weber and Gudbranson) but St Louis has skilled forwards as well as tough forwards who can actually play hockey, they have a solid defense corp, 2 solid goaltenders, solid veterans and solid young players.

Unlike RFA Gudbranson in Florida whose team has no solid goaltender next year signed where I could see RFA Reimer being offered straight up and the Leafs run with Bernier and a UFA veteran, St Louis doesn't need depth in net.

With '83 Bouwmeester (LH), '89 Shattenkirk (RH) and '90 Pietrangelo (RH) with 24, 23 and 21 points respectively and.... the Beast 6'0" 232 lbs '86 Roman Polak (RH) and the stay at home fighter/dman former 1st rounder Jackman (LH) anchoring the 3rd pairing the Blues are in good shape on defense for MANY years.

That leaves the forward group. 
Speed and skill of Oshie / Steen with tough guy Backes on the top line.
Speed and skill of Sobotka / Schwartz sometimes with tough guy Stewart on the 2nd line since Sobotka likes to play RW as a LH shot.
3rd line of center Roy with rugged Morrow and whoever (sometimes Stewart or Paajarvi).
4th line of agitator Lapierre, fighter Reeves and whoever.

All that to be said, last year would have been great to get Stewart as the Leafs 3rd line RW and then NOT sign Clarkson but now I believe it is too late.

Lupul for Stewart might be accepted by the Blues but the Leafs give up an elite 2nd line RH player (versatile and skilled like Patrick Sharp) for a top 3rd line RH shot who is also a top fighter in the NHL and can actually play hockey.  If the Leafs had a Robin Regehr dman to play 2nd pairing with Shattenkirk then that might also interest the Blues but like I said earlier with Kessel, Lupul and Clarkson all signed I think it is too late.

I have kind of moved on from looking at the forwards on the Leafs as I think the Leaf's brass has almost put them in stone and now look at how the defense might be improved.

 

[Tigger]

Would Ryan Callahan be worth some dough if he goes to market? Particularly if the Leafs don't spend on, say, Stastny?

 

[bustaheims]

Would Ryan Callahan be worth some dough if he goes to market? Particularly if the Leafs don't spend on, say, Stastny?

If the Leafs hadn't blown their wad on Clarkson this summer, yes, but, now . . . another expensive winger is probably not the way to go.