If you're trading Liljegren to upgrade the 3rd pairing you might as well just call him up.

I didnt really mess with the parings so much. probably ends up pairing with Reilly

All the same moving Liljegren and Kapanen for merely a #4 dman who is a rental no less makes no sense. I'd argue the team is worse in the short and longterm after that trade.

Rangers can likely get more for Kreider and Georgiev in separate trades.
The Jersey trade makes the Leafs worse this season and in the future. Why do folks think that the NJD have so many good Dmen....Subban, Vatanen and Severson and the Leafs don't.
Fact is Ceci has been OK with Leafs, and certainly no worse than some of defence mates, but for some reason the ill informed think trading Ceci and a lot more solves the Leafs problems.

Trading Ceci would solve a lot of problems because it isn't about the player, it is about his cap hit. If he is a bottom pairing guy on this current team that place could easily be filled with someone already in the organization for a fraction of his salary and then there would no longer be any cap restraints when it comes to acquiring a capable NHL backup. I don't know why so may people are having a hard time understanding this.

Don't hate the player, hate the cap hit. It really is THAT simple.

Bottom pairing? Fact is the Leafs have been average to poor at RHD this season. Certainly Ceci has been no worse than Barrie or Holl this season, but the CapFriendly distain for Ceci and his play is unwarranted.
The Jersey trade....giving up Kapanen and a RHD starter next in Liljegren is absolutely silly just to switch Vatanen and Ceci on the roster this season.
If there is someone in the Leaf organization, prepared to play 18 minutes a game at RHD, sure would like to know who it is, cause the Leaf management doesn't think there is anyone or that player would have called up already.
Johnsson for Georgiev or something like that would solve the Leafs net problem and even help the cap. But trading Ceci, Kapanen and Liljegren just to acquire Vatanen....that is so bad for the Leafs this year and future year.

I don't recall making any mention of supporting those other ridiculous trades suggested here because they are nonsense IMO. I was isolating Ceci and his terrible AAV so you can cool your jets on that one.

Ceci has been the worst defenceman on the Leafs, especially since Keefe became coach. He's analytically not good and the eye test shows he's really not effective at anything. I am not on the trade him at all costs, but I'd wager bringing up Sandin and sitting Ceci would make the team better. As for these trades, they are all stupid.

I love how many Leaf fans think like this. What was one of the biggest issues for the team this year? It took a long time for them to gel as a team. What is the solution to half the Leaf fans on here? Trade another 3rd of the roster and expect different results.

I think the team as it is is very good and will rise up the standings, but they could definitely upgrade RHD over Ceci and getting a backup would help as well. Although we'll see if Hutch can win his next game and at least quiet that situation for a little while.

So what about AAV, until the Leafs have replacement to take his position., he has to stay. Folks do say without justification, "He can easily be replaced by someone in the organization." To think removing Ceci and his AAV really helps the on ice product, don't see the logic.

toronto doesn't move ceci unless they believe that a) lije is ready or b) they can acquire a cheaper replacement.

No he doesn't have to stay. Now you just sound like Babcock with that kind of stubbornness. What Ceci provides, (which isn't much good or bad), does not outweigh his salary. Tell me this would be drastically different for the worse off of the team...

Rielly / Barrie
Muzzin / Dermott
Sandin / Holl

I'll take the 3.5 million dollars in cap space every day of the week. This is just as good if not better than what they are currently running out there now with a 3.5 million dollar cap savings. This provides...

1. Enough cap room to add an NHL quality backup.
2. Enough cap room to run a 23 man roster on the regular.