Replace the 7th pick for a 1st, then add a prospect

Try Zaitsev, a second, and and Sandin/Lindgren/Liljegren.

This trade is not great, but my god is this response ****

I mean, it's just as **** as the trade itself...

Why would the Ducks move Montour unless they were getting something of substance for him? A late 2nd isn't much, nor are the late 3rd or late 7th. However you want to spin it, Zaitsev's contract is going to be a problem for you if you want to upgrade on the back end. Therefore: Zaitsev is a cap dump. You want to get rid of his contract, you'll have to give up something of substance. Pretty easy concept. Montour is a legitimate top 4 dman, he's right handed, he's young, and he's controlled for the next few year. You honestly don't think you'd have to give up one of your top prospects to get him?

what are you smoking?

Too much.

Way too much.

His contract is not the problem, it's his lack of production since he signed it. If a team is looking for cost certainty and a puck mover, he is a buy low candidate.
If Anaheim can't afford 6M+ on Montour's next contract, maybe Zaitsev in an offensive role is intriguing.

The original offer isn't enough with a year left on Montour's deal but Zaitsev isn't the black hole Leaf fans seem to think he is. If he stays with the Leafs, and Gardiner walks, his production should increase with a more appropriate offensive role.

This is just par for the course. A right handed defenceman on a different team is worth half of TO's prospects. Doesn't matter if the defenceman in question is the 4th best guy on his own team.

Zaitsev, a 2nd and maybe a middling prospect like Brooks wouldn't be terrible?

I suppose but all this big spending on a defenceman is just too much.

I dont see it as big spending. Brooks, though could be in the future plans, is pretty berried right now. Zaitsev is worth upgrading over, and Montour is a nicer option. Plus the draft picks we can afford. I just dont like the over reaction trades that are HUGE over payments.

Too much or too little? One A ranked prospect, a late second, and a low end 2 RD with a big cap hit for a top line RHD who is super young and carries an incredibly low cap hit? I was being nice to the Leafs for suggesting that cost. Good grief, Montour is even a top 30 defenseman on the PK! What more could you ask for?

I mean, some of what you say is true, but it's the fact that there's 6 years left on his contract. What if he doesn't improve? What if his offence is exactly what it is? If the Ducks can't afford $6+ mil, why would the Leafs be able to? By the time Montour is a UFA, Kesler/Perry will both be entering the final years of their contracts, plus the cap will be closer to $86/$90 mil. No reason to give him away today for "Cost certainty" when they've got him cheap for the next couple of years already.



Why do you think that Dubas hasn't been able to go out and steal players like you suggest? Because the actual cost of these guys is more than "Middling prospects", So/so dmen with "Cost certainty" and low draft picks. We can sit here all day and argue over the value of players like Montour or Manson or Parayko or Pietrangelo, but the fact is, none of these guys are being sent to Toronto for AHL players with low ceilings, or it would have happened already.



Pittsburgh will give you Jack Johnson, a 2nd and a middling prospect for Dermott. How does that sound?

But ask yourself "Why would the Ducks do this?". Why? He's got 2 cheap years, plus another season as an RFA. Why would they move him? They're a playoff team. Zaitsev doesn't make them better. A middling prospect doesn't make them better. A late 2nd rounder doesn't make them better. Why? "Here, take 6 years of this defenceman that we've soured on because we've decided that we're more of a contender than you". No. Not a chance.

Id prefer Dermott, to be honest.

And I'd prefer Montour. Same scenario, different names.

Oh, from the Ducks point of view it makes ZERO sense. Sorry, if it is a Toronto trade, I am only going to care about Torontos point of view. I dont really care about the other team lol. But you are right, realistically it would need to be an NHL ready player, maybe Johnnson and a 1st. To make it worth while for the Ducks?

I don't think you really understand how good Sandin or Liljegren will be. Sandin is already making an impact in the AHL. Liljegren was ranked really high in his draft year but because of injuries so he droped, he as well is doing unreal in the AHL and both of the young d-men will have a chance to play with the Leafs next year.

Zaitsev doesn't have a big cap hit. He is locked where as Montour has only two years. Montour will ask 5+ million and Toronto can't afford that long term.

All that to say that for what you think Montour is worth, Toronto could get a lot more. Don't get me wrong, Montour is a great defencemen and he's only what 22? I think you guys would benefit more out of him having the chemistry built with your d-men. I do appreciate the thoughts and wanting to know if the trade could work.

Even then, I don't see why they do it? Johnsson had a good season last year in the AHL, got a bunch of press for it, and suddenly became a decent enough prospect, but it would still mean subtracting from a very solid D-core to maybe potentially add a bit up from?

Honestly, if a team is going to fill that need for you, it's going to require more than you're willing to pay. Want to know why the Ducks have such a solid d-core? Because none of Fowler, Lindholm, Montour, Manson or Larsson were rushed or traded in some overpay scenario to do a short-ish term upgrade. Wait and let Liljegren/Sandin develop. Then you've got those two, Reilly, Dermott and Zaitsev. Not amazing, but still very, very solid.

This is actually the opinion I share myself. I believe we should wait and develop as well. A lot of these trades I would only do because they make sense for the Leafs, very rarely do they make sense for the other team, which then creates this tension. I think the ducks need to really upgrade their forward unit. However, I dont see them doing it through trading their D-core. That core can keep them relevant, which is important.

If, like me, you believe that Manson is the easier target to acquire from ANA, if it were between Montour and Manson, I'd say the Leafs should go after Manson. Either way, ANA is kind of an odd team to predict this season. Hampered by a ton of injuries, yet are still doing reasonably well. Considering that they just extended Bob Murray, I doubt there would be any sort of fire sale, and if the Ducks remain in the playoff picture in the next month or so, I doubt either defenseman will be available.

Who suggested he can go and steal players? My point from the get go has been that the cost of defenceman, at least on here, is prohibitive. I am not overspending on something just because the media says its a huge problem. TO is a top team in the league. Will they win the cup? I don't know, but its definitely possible with the lineup they have. Would they improve if they can? Sure, why wouldn't they? But will they do that at any cost? I certainly hope not. I have no desire for most of the bigger name trades people are suggesting TO should do. Parayko, Pietrangelo, Manson, Montour, etc, will all cost more than they are worth, so I wouldn't waste resources that will be needed at other times of the Leafs window. They are still climbing the ladder, they aren't in danger of falling off yet.

Ducks have more cap problems. with the Leafs next year. They certainly aren't taking on a bigger contract for a probably inferior player.

Zaitsev does carry a cap hit that isn't close enough to how valuable he is, but still Zaitsev, Lindgren, and Liljegren as the future RD and Rielly, Dermott, and Sandin on the left is solid. They'll have Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Kadri locked up long term. The only moves that Toronto should do this offseason is to potentially trade Brown/Hyman/Johnsson to get a one year fill in on the left D side with Gardiner gone. That's it, and even that isn't necessary. Don't mess with the prospect pool, it's solid as it is. The next year in the future that Toronto will even have the slightest problem with is 2021-22 when Andersen, Liljegren, Lindgren, Sandin, and potentially Kapanen come off the books. Until then, enjoy your three years with no cap problems and a young roster. Most of the roster "problems" will fix themselves with time and experience.

I don't know much about Montour other than his stats looking very good. Anaheim has little reason to move him unless they were getting something helpful up front as well as someone serviceable on the backend. Personally, I don't see a match with Toronto, I was just defending Zaitsev. Now isn't the time to try and trade him.

Rosen may fill that bottom pair hole on the left side.