Yes just what Vegas needs, another $5M or so in cap hit

Vegas declines capped out

Pffft. McPhee is a smart man, he can flip one or both for other pieces of desired. My job as GM was to better my team in a way that's not out to lunch. Maybe McPhee could arrange a three way trade with said players

Okay Burke... If yah say soo. While we are at it why dont you give Orr and Komisarek a call? The leafs need to fight more, and should pay way too much to do it right?
Who on earth could say after the two games vs Tampa where the Leafs outplayed them both times that grit is what the Leafs need?

Orr was a good fighter. Komisarek was a waste of space. Reaves is more skilled than Orr. The Leafs need some grit to be able to hold their own on the playoffs. Going 7 games against a team that can wear them down physically has been their Achilles heel for the last few Playoff rounds.

Nylander's good play makes him better and easier to trade next August. I don't want him on my team. I'd take Johnsson and Kapanen signed for a combined 7 million over Nylander signed for 7 million if given a choice.

Did you guys skip the post from @draft_em_sign_em_trade_em ?

It's a difference of opinion....neither one of you are 'right'

Has Nylander been the best leaf? That's highly arguable. He's been very good...but the best? Have you seen Johnsson's stats? Kapanen has been the most consistent Leaf night in and night out, for me..but that doesn't necessarily make him the best.

Matthews has been an absolute beast lately. It's like a light switched off in his head and he's using his massive frame to battle like I've never seen him do before.

Frederick Andersen flat out wins games for the leafs night in and night out while the offence takes its time deciding if they want to play or not.

Nylander is a terrific player. I think his contract will be one we'll be more than happy with moving forward...I wouldn't trade the kid without a major haul coming back in return....but I can appreciate and understand if someone's opinion is that they'd rather split his AAV up between Kapanen and Johnsson and trade him for other assets instead. I personally wouldn't do that...but resorting to name calling and claiming to be 'right' on such a subjective topic is ridiculous, IMO.

Now...as for more of my opinions directed specifically at this ACGM...and any other one looking for the Leafs to add grit....I think we all forget very easily how, just over a year ago...we were begging Babcock to move Komarov lower in the lineup and to replace Matt Martin with Kapanen...and how our team took off as soon as we went with a skilled lineup over a heavy one.

I don't think adding 1 or 2 bottom six wingers with toughness changes the team's dynamic for the better...to me it's going back to the inefficient style of play we had through a lot of last year. In today's NHL, the unicorn's seem to be the power forwards or annoying pests that have top 6 skill. Tom Wilson, Marchand, Max Domi....people who just flat out piss off the opposition..not just because they get in big hits or cheap shots...but as you're chasing them down for revenge they're filling the back of your net.

For me...adding beef like Reaves isn't something I'd consider giving up assets for. On the other hand, I'm also a big fan of having a least 1 d-man that can toss some bodies out from the front of his own net....leafs don't really have that.

Very well spoken, thank you!

Would a better option instead of Reaves be to try and target McNabb and some other assets then perhaps? IF a trade were to come to fruition that is.

Well, again...it's all opinion...if you like Reaves there's nothing wrong with that and he could very well be a great addition.

McNabb on D would be a good big body but I think the leafs are set on the left side for next year. I'll be keeping an eye on McQuaid with Columbus now to see if he's still capable of playing reliable D defending the rush as well as be a presence in front of the net. And the cap hit doesn't make sense...but I'd even look at a Zach Bogosian as a potential big strong D man for the right side.

Something tells me the leafs are going to end up plugging holes on D with internal replacements next year. But if Dubas is finding it hard to get Kapanen and Johnsson signed on reasonable deals...I still think moving one in a deal for Brett Pesce is their best option. Plan A would be to scrape together a cheap D-core for next year with what we have and then re-load again once Marleau is off the books....but, for me, Pesce is still the option that fits the best with the style the leafs play

Is it just me or are there a ton of posts missing in this thread? I count 3 of my own (only 1 strike tho) and it looks like a few of yours/ other posters as well. Not sure why my first post got nixed but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Either way it makes re-reading this thread kinda funny. If we go quiet for awhile we know what happened lol.

On the McNabb thing, im not sure that would be a good idea after him taking a run at Mango, although before that I would have agreed with you that he would be a nice piece. Too bad he is left handed.

In terms of getting other assets, I was on record saying that the only Nylander trade I would be happy with (that was considered fair at the time) would be Willy for Matthew Tkachuk 1-for-1 as long as he cam e with a contract extension. <--- (note: this was in the off season, when Willy was seen as more valuable then Tkachuk.) I seriously doubt that even with Willy's play Calgary even entertains a trade.

Outside of massive trades, you are prolly best to look to guys already on our roster or in our system. We had the skyscraper line win the Calder last year (I think the shortest was 6"3') and they are currently transitioning one of the wingers to centre and it is going surprisingly well. On our current roster the answer seems to be Hyman, Brown, Goat, Muzzin, Kadri (more the grit and piss off the other guys side of things) and I think Mango has it in him. Matthews has also been throwing his weight around lately resulting in this beautiful gif:

Matthews and Weber go at it. Matthews knocks down Weber, who didn't like it and grabs his foot. Refs let em play. pic.twitter.com/jrxSZdWP5n

— Flintor (@TheFlintor) February 24, 2019

Also look to the rest of the squad to step up and play heavy as babs likes to say:

Did 5'9 Tyler Ennis just steamroll 6'4 Rasmus Ristolainen pic.twitter.com/DiTBQ2Iqlm

— Flintor (@TheFlintor) February 26, 2019

Either way I think we should be prioritizing skill over things like grit and toughness, but not be opposed to getting both (like Muzz).

I like Colin Miller, but he's not even close to the calibre of Dman that I would consider moving Nylander for. And the Leafs can't afford a Reaves making that much $$ to play less than 10 minutes a night on their 4th line next year, so he adds nothing to that trade imo.

Big hits happen against every team, no matter their toughness. Wilson was running guys in the finals last year vs Vegas. Having one tough guy playing 8 min a night does nothing to protect teams anymore, if it mattered that much Martin would still be here.