i think this trade's value is actually pretty close. i know PK doesn't have NMC, but i think he'd actually enjoy a trade to toronto for the sponsorship opportunities. i just can't help but imagine TOR are a little better off using that 4.5m in free agency vs committing it to PK for the next three years.

I don’t want pk for 3 years. No thanks

One this is for sure, he loves attention and he'd most certainly get it in Toronto!

Yeah that’s true, in fact the Leafs would much rather bring back Muzzin than have PK. However, if they want to compete for the playoffs, maybe this is a move that helps them now, especially if he plays well.

You’d take Ceci over him?

Gets to take all the attention away from Matthews & Mitch. The TSN media will be talking about him all day.

100% I would do this. PK isn't a top pair defenceman anymore, but at 4.5 million and playing more sheltered minutes on the 2nd or bottom pair, I think he'd offer terrific value. He'd probably show a lot better if he didn't have to be the guy and in TO he'd just be able to do this thing and let others do the heavy lifting.

Ceci for the rest of season>subban for 3 years

Not a chance!!!! @grok is certainly right about spending that 4.5m elsewhere. Even the odds of devils retaining that much are slim.

Friends off...

Why do fans think the Leafs are trading for a marginally better Dman with a terrible contract. We've seen so many bad trades where the Leafs trade Ceci and a marginally better Dman for Kapanen for instance. No other team make that deal proposed but fans (even some Leaf fans) are of the belief another teams 3rd paring Dman are the solution to the Leafs problems?

I look at this season as a whole and there are only 3 main issues that can be pointed at for why the team isn't near the top of the standings.

1) Bab's system never worked with the team he had and his refusal to bend damaged the teams, offense, defence and special teams
2) Ceci isn't a top pair or top 4 defenceman and was used way too much
3) 1 Point from the backup position.

I think firing Babs corrects a lot of those issues as Keefe is not at all afraid to try new things and make corrections when things aren't working. However, it still remains to be seen if Hutch can do anything in the NHL and Ceci really isn't good. I think if we want to be a real contender this season, and really despite the poor start, this team is better than its record suggests, so why not contend? And if we do want to contend, Ceci shouldn't be upgraded. Who comes it to replace him is anyones guess at this point but finding someone at a fair cost is a smart plan. I think both Johnsson and Kapanen could be used to get an actual top 4 defender, they are terrifc players but with how well guys like Mikheyev and Engval have looked, we can definitely afford to move from an area of strength to fix our weaknesses and it only improves the club.

You are 100% correct, moving one of Kapanen or Johnsson for a different teams 3rd pair defenceman isn't going to fix anything. But if you can get a top 4 defenceman for Johnsson or Kapanen and move on from Ceci, that definitely makes TO better. Its clear that Johnsson is great but without him has the team struggled? The 3rd line has looked better the past few games than it has all year. So if Johnsson comes back and Kapanen is traded, does that really hurt the team? Especially in his place we have a much more capable defenceman than Ceci? I think standing pat makes sense if there is no chance of upgrading over Ceci in a fair way, but if we can make a smart hockey trade to get a guy who can help solidify the blueline, why wouldn't we consider it?

I'd take the 4.5 million in cap space next year.

No love at all for Subban? How is Nashville doing without him??

NJ has been awful for years with them needing an MVP to drag them into the playoffs. Let's cut P.K a little slack here. A deal of this sort would be excellent.

you're dreaming if you think nashville is struggling because of their defense. ellis/josi/ekholm is one of the best defensive trios in the entire NHL, competing only with teams like boston, stl, carolina. subban could be fine as a 3RD and powerplay specialist but has very clearly and quantifiably declined in 5v5 play.

Led their division last year, 6th today. Duchene in, Subban out. There is time to turn it around but something is amiss.

heyooo....been a while since I've been on here...must be my mind gearing up for trade deadline

My personal opinion is that this is a slam dunk trade for the leafs. What d-man in this league are you going to get for $4.5m without giving anything up in return that's better than PK? I'd think Jersey would be able to do better than simply saving $4.5m for the next 3 years.