I really like Moore as a player.

Would I accept that trade as a maple leafs GM: absolutley

if you are trading marner for tkachuk it is because you think he is at the very least and equal player ( I would argue he is better than marner) then you need to take into account that he makes over 3 million less you will have to add to this trade! moore is a fine player but he is also no different than derek ryan if anything he is less proven. I'm really not sure there is anything Toronto could trade Calgary for their future Captain.

Sign me up! But I don't think this works for Calgary. Tkachuk is their future captain and I can't see them entertaining offers on him unless it was a massive overpay which this is not.

If he is their future captain, they better prepare to break the bank for him. His qualifying offer in 3 years is 9 million. If he is named Captain it'll be after he signs an extension and that won't come until after Seattle's first season and the new TV deal comes. Lets say that increases the cap by 5 million, which is a conservative number, how much will he command on a long term deal at that point? 13? 14 Million a year? If Calgary wants a more flexible cap situation they may be interested in getting the longer term of Marner. Keep in mind they are going to have to pay Guadreau the same year, Monahan the year after plus they have only 2 defenceman signed beyond this season. Their cap situation isn't exactly setup for long term stability.

You definitely make valid points but I think they would pay him what he wants as he's too valuable to them. Your trade proposal could work but not at this current time, it would have to be in his contract year and only if he gives them the indication that he has no plans of re-signing with them for the long-term. As of right now he's just to valuable to them. Or to put it another way if he was a leaf and McDavid wasn't coming back would you trade him? I'm not suggesting that trade scenario would ever or actually happen just that it would have to be such an overpay to make them consider moving him. Ps FWIW, I would love to have him on the leafs.

I think you're going a bit too big here. Tkachuk is a terrific young player but he isn't really versatile. Marner is going to be one of the premier playmakers in the NHL for the next decade. Tkachuk is going to be one of the top power forwards. However, Marner can kill penalties and is has shown he likes to get back and get the puck defensively. So value wise, Calgary wins and looking at their cap situation, they have a tonne of problems coming up and its going to be difficult for them to keep things together. What is Guadreau going to cost if he puts up a few more years of 90+ points? Everyone likes to point at Dubas for overpaying his young stars but in 3 years Calgary has to give big deals to their top 2 players and the starting point is going to be north of 10 million at least. I'd wager both will require 8 year deals in the neighborhood of 11-13 million a year each. The next year Monahan. Plus they'll have a lot of depth pieces to sort out and most of their defence as well. This is why I don't understand why people look to Dubas as being so bad because Marner and Matthews make what they do. The Leafs don't have to worry about a major contract until after next season when Andersen needs a new deal. The year after it'll be Rielly and then 2 years after that Matthews and Nylander. That is 5 more years of very good stability.

Like I said obviously that deal wouldn't happen, I just meant that a team would have to overpay. As far as JG and SM go Tkachuk comes before them in terms of keeping them and that's not a knock on them as they're both great players but I think Calgary would move them before Tkachuk. Things will get right for them for sure but I just see them doing everything they can to keep him. If he gives them the indication that he doesn't want to stay then of course things change but that won't happen until his contract year unless things fall apart to the point that he requests a trade.

I'm also not trying to undersell Marner here as generally with most big contracts in most sports at first seems like an overpay then a good contract but not a bargain but by the end they usually are viewed as a steal unless the player falls apart which I don't think will happen to Marner. Like I said your proposal could work just not right now IMO unless we add more.

Marner is more than Tkachuk. He's the better player and has been his whole career. Tkachuk is certainly great but he isn't as good as Marner and I think most people would admit that. So this is an overpay but one that makes sense for both sides right now. In 3 years when his contract is up, I wouldn't do it, because it would cost too much in cap space.

tell me the player that elevates tkachuks game like tavares elevates marners. ill wait. Im a homer when it comes to the bruins but cmon man. if you think marner is a better all around player than tkachuk is then you wouldnt have made this trade would you have?

I would think long and hard about this trade but I am not sure I'd do it. I am not sure I'd trade for any of the RFA's on these back loaded contracts. They are extremely risky! Like what happens if Tkachuk blows his knee and can't skate half as well? The team is still stuck paying his QO or losing him for nothing as an FA.

Marner was the star when he was on a line with Tkachuk when they won the memorial cup. Marner also scored at above a point a game when he played with Kadri and Marleau 2 seasons ago and is coming off a 94 point season. Obviously Tavares helps, he is a superstar but Marner has accomplished more than Tkachuk. The people who think he's better just like his edge and overvalue it.

It's really all depending on what you value more, a playmaker or a power-forward who can finish? I think you're underselling Tkachuk here her brings a lot of intangibles that Marner doesn't. It's not a ludicrous trade proposal I just cant see CGY wanting to do it now and your right the leafs won't want to do it in 3 yearz. Personally I'm all for it if Calgary gets on board... But I just don't see it.

I highly doubt it as well. Personally I really don't think much of the management in Calgary. I think they got lucky with Gaudreau and haven't done the best job filling out the rest of the team. I think if they started thinking about beyond the right now, they would realize that their pay structure is going to cause them major headaches in 3 years. If they looked at that, and their current stuggles continue, I can see why making this move would save them money long term without sacrificing talent and skill. In fact, they get more of both and a better defensive player to boot.

Really though this is just a thought experiment. I would be shocked if anything like this happened, but if the two sides wanted to make a big splash, this is a blueprint I'd think.

Spot on! Like I said I am totally on board for this I just wish/hope Tree would/will get on board too. It's never a good to have the mentality to "worry about things down the road" especially for gm's, unless your team just won or is a piece away from winning.

I would like to say I have a ton of respect for you as your one of the few people on here who can have a conversation with someone when you don't agree with their opinion. Most on here just stop talking, I call it a conversation I just don't get why more people don't do it.

Look at your cap situation in 3 years. That is why I think Calgary could be interested.

This is just a thought experiment. I like Marner and I think he's going to have a long and incredible career. I have seen a tonne of trades on here recently that is Marner for Tkachuk and then a whole bunch of extra pieces that are stupid and needless. My reasoning here is if Calgary wants a shakeup and Marner is their target, what makes sense from TO's perspective. Calgary doesn't have a top flight right handed defenceman who could be a Norris candidate one day, so what else do they have. Gaudreau? No thanks I'll keep Marner, they are very similar and Marner is younger and doesn't collapse in the playoffs. The only piece in Calgary that makes sense to target for TO is Tkachuk because he plays left wing and has an edge which is useful. Its sort of the old, "what do we have a tonne of and what do we need." reasoning. That doesn't lower the value of either player so if we are considering them equal, what makes the trade work. Now why would it make sense for Calgary? Look at their cap situation in 3 years. Its going to be a disaster. Moving in Marner, gives them an extra 3 years of cost certainty to solidify other areas. In 3 years what is Tkachuk going to cost the Flames on a long term deal? 11, 12 million? They will also need to pay Gaudreau at the same time and Monahan the year after, plus they only have 2 defenceman signed past this season and they have some bad contracts in Ryan and Lucic as well.

I think Calgary's management team is bad, they haven't planned for the future and soon they'll be in a really tough spot.

Its kind of how humans think these days. Just kick the can down the road and you never have to worry about anything......until it all blows up in your face and now its a crisis that almost can't be fixed. Its absolutely amazing to me that it happens all the time still.

I don't know if you follow baseball or not but the Washington Nationals just won the world series and now have decisions to make on their roster. They already gave a pitcher a 7 year $210 million contract but deferred payments to pay him over a total of 14 years. Now they have another pitcher up for a new contract and their star 3rd baseman and they are going to command hefty contracts also. The Nats will pay them and will likely differ payments once again.

The point I'm trying to make is while those players are producing now what happens when they decline and even worse retire and are still getting paid? I mean they just won the ultimate prize but it's going to catch up with them at some point. They traded away future success to win now which is fine for now but at some point the bill is going to come due and it's going to severely hamper their chances of winning down the road. It's nice to win but it's also important to plan for the future.